By Gavin Staindl
FORMER Victorian Premier division bowler Andrew Perrin led Berwick to a resounding six-wicket victory over Parkfield in the opening game of the Dandenong and District Cricket Association season at Parkfield Reserve on Sunday.
Perrin bagged 4/17 in his debut game for Berwick as the Bears dismissed Parkfield for 111 and announced their intentions to remain a premier club in Turf One.
As good as Perrin was, Jarrod Goodes (2/17) was just as reliable up the other end as the Bears bowling attack restricted Parkfield to its second lowest total in a year – not bad considering it’s the same Parkfield team that nearly beat the eventual premiers in last year’s semi-finals.
Berwick was just as efficient with the bat with Mitchell Hewitt (27) and Brad Francis (26) moving Berwick past the required total with 11 overs and six wickets to spare.
@BT Sub Sport News:Doveton d North Dandenong
An aggressive chase has given Doveton a seven-wicket win and its first of the season.
Set an imposing target of 5/151 by North Dandenong, Doveton wasted no time with the bat scoring at four runs an over during Sunday’s clash at Robinson Reserve.
Openers Brad Downe (51) and Matt Hutchinson (30) were important early before Shaun Tongue added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 49 to give the Doves a seven-wicket win with three overs remaining.
@BT Sub Sport News:Buckley Ridges d Narre Warren
A quick glance at last year’s ladder – Buckley Ridges, eight wins from 11 matches, Narre Warren just the two – and all of a sudden, Sunday’s Buckley-Narre Warren rubber appeared a foregone conclusion.
While Narre Warren didn’t produce a cricketing miracle, they did enough to suggest there is some bight in the Magpie for the 2011/12 season.
Despite giving up 7/217, the Narre Warren batters were productive at the crease combining for 150 runs.
Shean Vanderwert was good for 34 runs while other batters, such as Nicholas Shirt (eight from 45 balls), used the opportunity to simply gain invaluable time at the crease against one of the best sides in the competition.
As for the likes of captain Chris Jarret, who hit 25 off 23 balls including three sixes, well, he just wanted to see how far he could tonk a cricket ball.
@BT Sub Sport News:Mordialloc d Hallam-Kalora Park
Hallam-Kalora Park will be disappointed it didn’t depart Ben Kavanagh Reserve with a win after going down to Mordialloc by 27 runs.
After a series of promising partnerships, the Birds could only conjure 9/108 from their rain-reduced 32 overs.
A frantic scrap to chase Mordicalloc’s 7/135 left the Hallam-Kalora Park wickets vulnerable, losing the final seven wickets for only 53 runs.
@BT Sub Sport News:HSD d Keysborough
Heinz Southern Districts didn’t have to wait long to record the club’s first Turf One win, beating Keysborough by 80 runs at Keysborough Reserve on Sunday.
Batting first, HSD Michael Davies continued his good form from Turf Two, blasting 38 as his side finished on 142.
But the newly-promoted team still needed a big performance from its bowlers and they found it via Glenn Hamilton (4/20) who claimed the opening three wickets as Keysborough slumped to 62 from only 24 overs.
Turf Two
@BT Sub Sport News:Fountain Gate d Lyndale
It took every bit of 40 overs for Fountain Gate to finally get over the top of Lyndale, snatching the one wicket win in the second last ball of the day at Barry Powell Reserve.
It’s a captain’s worst nightmare when down by two runs with two balls left and the team’s tailender steps up to take guard.
But Gators captain Daniel Ferguson had faith in his eleventh batter, Tim McLaren.
Ferguson’s faith was rewarded as McLaren, like any good tailender, shifted the front foot out of the way, opened up his stance and slashed a ball over the covers to score the winning runs.
“I was fairly nervous but he (McLaren) hits the ball well when he gets on to it,” Ferguson said.
The finish was even more remarkable given Fountain Gate begun their innings at 3/2 after the three opening batters all departed for ducks.
But a game-saving innings by import Andy Gleave (37) steadied the ship and set the Gators up for the frenetic finish. Earlier, Matt Maxwell ripped apart the Lyndale line-up taking 5/24.
@BT Sub Sport News:
Cranbourne d Narre South
Cranbourne unleashed its newest signing, Johan Vorster, on Sunday as the Eagles shredded Narre South’s batting line-up before cruising to a nine-wicket victory at Straithaird Reserve.
The former South African international took 3/6 off his five overs and 17-year-old Brayden Lambden helped out with 2/26 as Cranbourne restricted Narre South to just 54 runs. The chase was a mere formality as Jordan Cleland (25) led Cranbourne to a nine-wicket victory within 10 overs.
@BT Sub Sport News:
Coomoora d Narre North
A stubborn Coomoora has raised its intent to return to Turf One this season after downing Narre North by 56 runs at Narre Warren North Reserve.
Led by Robert Johnston (80), the Turf One team from two years ago dropped only five wickets as it raced to 5/198.
Valiant attempts by Narre North batters Brad Angus (26) and Shane Luck (33) to gain ground on the target proved futile as Narre North was bowled out for 142.
@BT Sub Sport News:
Springvale South d Southern Pirates
After being bumped up from relegation last year, the Southern Pirates have made a productive start to the season, despite losing to Springvale South by four wickets on Saturday.
The Southern Pirates were initially relegated at the end of last year but were reinstated after Hampton Park dropped out of Turf Two.
But on Saturday the Pirates found a competitive edge, only losing to the Bloods in the final over of the one-dayer at Alex Nelson Reserve.
Leigh Taylor (37) was the main contributor towards the Pirates’ score of 128 and also chipped in with a wicket as he led the attempt to defend the competitive target.
Despite tight bowling by Rohan Brainerd (2/16), the Pirates were overrun with an over to spare.
