By JARROD POTTER
SPRAYING 408 on the grounds, wearing black armbands and honouring Phillip Hughes with a minute’s silence, DDCA cricketers set about putting on a show on Saturday to live up to Hughes’ legacy.
SPRINGVALE SOUTH v BERWICK
A century and five wicket haul last week hasn’t seemed to satiate Springvale South (0/4) all-rounder Ruwantha Kellepotha.
The spinner was hungry for more scalps as he shone on Saturday, running through the Berwick (215) line-up en route to 6/72 – to rocket him up the bowling tables with 15 wickets.
Yoshan Kumara (2/28) and Tim Ford (1/32) united to unsettle Jarrod Goodes (0) and Brad James (3), leaving the heavy lifting up to the middle order.
Bathiya Perera (92) knuckled down to shift the tides back towards Berwick with a gutsy 75-run stand with Ryan Williamson (16).
Dan Brown (37) and Ryan Crawford (27) were next to step up as they pushed the run rate and ensured the Bears would have something to bowl at next week against the deep Springvale South batting line-up.
Kellepotha rattled off 25.1 overs in a fantastic spell of bowling, while Nathan King (1/41) and Ford also powered in through the heat.
CRANBOURNE v COOMOORA
A BAKING sun gave best advantage to the bowlers on Saturday but it didn’t stop three-time Wookey Medallist Steve Spoljaric from cashing in.
Coomoora (56) failed to find any fluency in the David v Goliath battle between the top and bottom sides in Turf 1.
Only Michael Blackburn (19) and Michael Temby (15 n.o.) found double figures as Eagles’ duo Cameron Kelly (5/12) and Spoljaric (3/30) feasted on Kangaroo meat.
Even without lightning fast bowler Te Ahu Davis, Cranbourne (4/163 dec) proved far too mighty for the relegation-threatened Kangaroos with the ball in hand.
Coomoora fought back from the bowler’s crease early, snaring three wickets to push Cranbourne back before a monster Spoljaric (104no) set aside any notion of Coomoora’s might.
He punished the Kangaroos’ attack before declaring as Kelly (1/2) found another wicket before stumps in Coomoora’s (1/32) second innings.
Cranbourne is well on track for back-to-back outright victories and consolidating top spot in its first season after regaining promotion to Turf 1.
HALLAM KALORA PARK v HEINZ SOUTHERN DISTRICT
Brittle batting is proving the Achilles heel of Heinz Southern Districts (6/49) as Hallam Kalora Park (173) takes the box seat.
Ryan Hilliard (55) and the Booths – Cory (20) and Leigh (28) – were the only Hawks to soar as the Cobras struck time and time again.
Justin Davis (7/15) was exceptional and virtually unfaceable at Hallam Reserve – his 16.2 overs accrued seven scalps in a row from batsman four to 10 as all orders bowed to the Cobras’ strike bowler.
Tidy spells from Michael Davies (1/19) and Chad Van Estrop (1/14) left Hallam Kalora Park just below a par score on a flat deck and a quick outfield.
That would all turn around in an instant as Heinz Southern Districts collapsed… again.
Paul Stockdale watched batsman after batsman come and go from the other end as Amila Perera (2/3) and Will Whyte (2/6) proved lethal on their home turf.
Stockdale’s scalp would be taken by Whyte as the pegs were rearranged on the former Dandenong spinner and with his resistance gone, the challenge will be supreme for the Cobras to overcome.
Matt Cox (4 n.o.) and the tail is all that stands between Hallam Kalora Park and first innings points.
