By Tyler Lewis
With just two rounds left in the Dandenong District Turf 1 home-and-away season, reigning premier Hallam Kalora Park finds itself in unfamiliar territory – outside the top four.
It was a ladder-shaping weekend, with two rounds of cricket featuring across both Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday was the conventional round-12 fixture, while Sunday saw the playing of the round-one clash’s that were rescheduled due to a wet-weather time table.
The Hawks didn’t have the most difficult of weekend draws, but as is the tightness of the competition, a slip-up to Narre South on Sunday cost Jordan Hammond’s men a spot at the table with just two games left in the season.
The Hawks handled St. Mary’s on Saturday, dismissing the Saints for 102, before reeling in the target with six wickets and nine overs in the bank.
Each of the Hawks top-five batters reached double figures, but none of which went on to score more than 21 in the short run chase.
Ryan Hillard will likely find himself among the Wookey votes when the count is read next Sunday for his figures of 12 overs, three maidens, 3/26.
While there was a hurdle to jump in the day prior, Sunday’s trip to Strathaird Reserve was always higher on the priority list for the Hawks.
With both Narre South and the Hawks tied on 39-points heading into the match (Hallam Kalora Park with a higher percentage), a win for either side was going to make major in-roads on cementing a place in the finals.
After winning the toss, and opting to bat, the Hawks set a strong score of 7/195 from its allocated overs.
Matthew Cox led the charge for the Hallam Kalora Park outfit, with 53 from 90 deliveries.
Cox’s strike rate was largely due to the carnage occurring at the other end when the experienced number-four strode to the crease.
When he took guard the Hawks were 2/38, but a trio of steady wickets – leaving the Hawks 4/52 – meant he had to bat time and compile a longer format type of knock.
The visitors were swiftly on the front foot when Hammond snicked off the in-form and dangerous Lions skipper Kyle Hardy.
That position strengthened when Ryan Hillard knocked over Morteza Ali (49), leaving the home side 4/83 after having just lost 2/2 and a set batter.
But it was two mature knocks from Kaushalya Weeraratne (37) and Vineth Jayasuriya Arachchige (44) that took the Lions from the ropes to the box seat.
The Lions managed to forge their way to victory, passing the Hawks total in the penultimate over with three wickets in hand.
The loss hurts the Hawks deeper than it may appear on the surface, as the Narre South side have a game up its sleeve.
The round-seven game between Narre South and St Mary’s was abandoned back on January 15, and the mirrored match is set to take place in the final round of the home and away season.
The Lions play St. Mary’s this Sunday, Berwick the following week, before St. Mary’s again.
With six points up its sleeve over Hallam Kalora Park, a pair of wins over the sixth placed Saints would see the Lions secure a finals berth.
Buckley Ridges, meanwhile, passed its litmus test with flying colours.
While many clubs would skirmish at the thought of the fixture the Bucks drew on the weekend, Buckley Ridges take the challenge in its stride.
The Bucks travelled to Arch Brown Reserve on Saturday to take on Berwick, before hosting Springvale South on Sunday.
It was always going to be a challenging weekend, however the Bucks turned it into a weekend to send a message, reaffirming to all that it remains top dog in the Turf 1 competition.
In their Saturday fixture, the Bucks set the Bears a difficult target of 5/235, before strangling a Matt Chasemore-less Berwick outfit to 5/37.
Shivam Patel had the ball on a string, collecting 3/9 from six overs, while Hussain Ali (5/53) sent five Bears packing with his first five-wicket haul of the summer.
Despite a valiant fight back from James Wilcock (45) and Matt Robertson (45), the Bears fell for 158 in the 44th over.
Following its first triumphant win of the weekend, the Bucks added another glamorous win over arch-rival Springvale South.
The Bucks were on the brink regularly in its clash with the Bloods, none more so than when Bloods were 4/101 in reply to the Bucks 10/163.
Jordy Wyatt had made his way to 61 not out and the Bloods – after a horror start – appeared on its way to victory.
But the Bucks did as they so often do, putting the clamps on and finding a way to win when it looks completely out of reach.
Matt Goodwright (2/18 off seven) knocked over Wyatt and started the avalanche, shifting the Bloods from 4/101, in a commanding position, to licking its wounds at 10/140.
The brace of victories now has Buckley Ridges ahead of the peloton, with a win between it and second-placed Berwick.
Two losses in three appearances for the Bloods now creates a mouth-watering final round bout with Berwick, with the winner set to secure the second chance position.
WEEKEND RESULTS
Saturday (Round 12)
Narre South 5/97 def Narre Warren 10/96
North Dandenong 10/164 def by Springvale South 9/174
Berwick 10/158 def by Buckley Ridges 5/235
St Mary’s 10/102 def by Hallam Kalora Park 4/103
Sunday (Round 1)
North Dandenong 9/173 def by St Mary’s 7/178
Berwick 4/148 def Narre Warren 8/147
Buckley Ridges 10/163 def Springvale South 10/140
Narre South 7/196 def Hallam Kalora Park 7/195
TURF 1 LADDER
TEAM W L Pts %
Buckley Ridges 9 2 57 1.4557
Berwick 8 3 51 1.4282
Springvale South 7 4 45 1.5682
Narre South 7 3 45 1.0753
Hallam Kalora Park 6 5 39 1.2118
St Mary’s 3 7 21 0.5904
North Dandenong 3 8 15 0.7779
Narre Warren 0 11 3 0.4833
