There were some remarkable individual performances across the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 1 competition on the weekend.
Dandenong West’s Shaun Weir (119 not out) and Buckley Ridges’ Roshane Silva (101 not out) were the two centurions of the week, each leading their teams to big victories, while Dale Tormey fell just short on 91.
Springvale South all-rounder Dasun Opanayaka produced a superb spell of 5/34 off nine overs against Hallam Kalora Park, but there were no performances better than Berwick’s Toby Wills.
Wills didn’t even open the bowling against Narre South, yet remarkably finished with incredible figures of 6/8 off 5.4 overs, taking his season tally to 20 wickets at an average of seven.
The Bears demolished the Lions and now sit second on the ladder behind Buckley Ridges.
“It puts us in a good spot at the moment, but there is still a lot to play out and we have a big game against Hallam this week,” Berwick coach Michael Wallace said.
Narre South won the toss and batted first at Strathaird Recreation Reserve, but it wasn’t long before they found themselves in trouble.
A strong opening spell from James Trodd saw him dismiss Kyle Hardy (1) and Tom Arnold (duck) in the space of three balls with a double-wicket maiden, leaving the Lions at 2/12 after just three overs.
Vineth Jayasuriya (20 off 37 balls) and skipper Jeevan Mendis (20 off 27 balls) recovered well and looked to be rebuilding before Mendis was bowled by Wills, starting a major collapse that ended the innings at 58.
The Lions lost 8/14 as Wills ran riot, finishing with 6/8, while brother Jarryd also chipped in with 2/10 … the Wills show.
“It was an outrageous spell,” Wallace said.
“He kept putting the ball in the right area, making the bats make tough decisions whether to defend, attack or leave, his consistency was there.
“He has missed about six weeks with a side strain, so it’s unbelievable to come back into the fold with a game like that.”
In reply, Berwick chased the total inside 10 overs thanks to a brilliant innings from Lachlan Brown (41 not out off 35 balls), which included five fours and a six.
Jarryd Wills (12) was the only wicket to fall in the run chase as he skied one off the bowling of Liam Sheehan, Berwick cruising to a nine-wicket win in a commanding performance.
In other matches, Beaconsfield suffered back-to-back defeats against quality opponents, this time going down to the formidable Bucks.
Buckley Ridges bounced back strongly from its heavy loss to Springvale South the previous round.
Roshane Silva, who had missed the past four rounds, made an immediate impact on his return with an unbeaten century, while Tormey continued his blistering form at the top of the order with 91.
Michael Davies (54 not out) then guided the side to an imposing total of 297 off 45 overs.
It was always going to be a tough chase for the Tigers, who required more than a run a ball from the outset.
The Bucks’ bowlers ensured they never got close, with only Ashan Walgamage (42) really threatening.
Beaconsfield lost frequent wickets and was bowled out for 147 after 33 overs – Ashen Hettinayaka was the pick of the bowlers with 3/26, while Ishan Jayarathna and Hussain Ali took two wickets each.
After handing Buckley Ridges their first loss of the season with a dominant 120-run win the previous round, Springvale South was bowled out for 140 to lose by 48 runs against Hallam Kalora Park.
The Hawks have now won four matches in a row and are back to their best despite a slow start to the season, pushing into fourth position on the ladder.
The Bloods won the toss and sent the Hawks in to bat, a tactic that had worked brilliantly in round one when they rolled them for 86 – this time, however, they responded better.
Jawid Khan (16) was the first to fall at 1/28 before Jagveer Hayer (39) and Damith Perera (52) put together the best partnership of the innings.
Chathuranga De Silva removed Hayer with a catch on the fence, before skipper Jordan Hammond (21), Leigh Booth (20 not out) and Ben Hillard (19) all contributed to push the final score to 8/188.
Springvale South opened with Mitch Forsyth and Jordan Mackenzie, but Mackenzie (3) was dismissed early, caught down the ground off Hammond.
The Bloods continued to lose wickets too frequently, with Jordan Wyatt and Opanayaka (both 22) the best of the top eight, before Nicholas Boland (26) and Josh Dowling (18) tried to dig in and limit the damage.
They were eventually bowled out for 140 with a few overs remaining, Hammond and Lee Brown taking three wickets each.
Turf 1 Ladder: Buckley Ridges 49, Berwick 43, Springvale South 42, Hallam Kalora Park 33, Beaconsfield 24, Dandenong West 18, Narre South 16, Parkmore 3.
Fixture (Round 10): Beaconsfield v Parkmore at Perc Allison Oval, Dandenong West v Buckley Ridges at Greaves Reserve, Springvale South v Narre South at Alex Nelson Reserve, Berwick v Hallam Kalora Park at Arch Brown Reserve.
