By Marcus Uhe
Springvale South has moved a win and percentage clear on-top of the DDCA Turf 1 ladder after a three wicket win in the top-of-the-table showdown with Hallam Kalora Park on Saturday.
Bowling first at Hallam Rec Reserve, a five-wicket haul from left-arm quick Blade Baxter helped the Bloods roll the home side for 200 after 45 overs, with Baxter’s 5-33 off seven ripping the heart out of Hallam’s middle order.
Now with 14 poles for the season, he moves into second place for total wickets behind Hawks spinner Sachith Jayasingha.
Bloods coach Darren Arter praised the veteran’s ability to keep the batters guessing.
“His variation with his bowling’s very good, he’s very cluey and he knows when to bowl short, quick, slow, a real one-day/T20 bowler, which comes in handy,” Arter said.
“He’s got that experience and he keeps calm.
“Sometimes good balls get hit but he doesn’t panic, just sticks to his process and what he knows he can do.”
Jagveer Hayer’s 48, and 40 from skipper Jordan Hammond, got the Hawks off to a reasonable start, but when their partnership was broken by tweaker Jarryd Straker, the wheels began to fall off.
From 2-96 they finished all out for 200, with Baxter claiming batters five, six, seven and eight in the space of five overs to go with opener Ben Hillard at the top of the innings.
Ryan Hillard top scored for the Hawks, with a quick-fire 50 off 41 balls – including two sixes and three fours, before losing his middle stump to Baxter in the 43rd over, in search of quick runs.
In reply, Jordan Wyatt filled the big shoes of Ryan Quirk with aplomb, anchoring the chase with 60 from 59 balls, as well as assuming the captaincy duties in Quirk’s absence.
Contributions from Jackson Sketcher (45 off 61) and Mitch Forsyth (36 from 61) mitigated the consequences of a late stumble in the chase, as four wickets fell in the final 10 overs.
Hammond (2-41) was the pick of Hallam’s bowlers, while Jayasingha could only manage one.
Although pleased with their ability to prevail in such an important game, Arter believes the competition is still wide-open.
“To chase 200 was a good result,” he said.
“We had a bit of success last year and the boys are hungry again this year.
“That doesn’t guarantee anything but the boys are giving themselves every opportunity.
“I think you just have to peak at the right time.
“Last year we came from fourth and just peaked at the right time, so that’s what we have to keep in-mind as well.
“We’re doing okay and doing well, but we’re still looking to improve.
“The guys are all challenging themselves to improve and make the side stronger and better, so it’s very clear for the boys at the moment.”
Over at Park Oval, Parkmore proved no-match for Buckley Ridges, who powered their way to a 174-run win on the back of opener Jayson Hobbs’ unbeaten 121.
The right-hander, who was yet to pass 50 this season before Saturday’s knock, hit six sixes and seven fours as the Bucks racked up a mammoth total of 5-315.
Buckley coach Manjula Munasinghe said Hobbs had been adjusting to a new role this season, but never lost faith in him despite a lean run.
“We trust him, he’s been playing for Buckley for a long time and made lots of runs,” Munasinghe said.
“He was batting last season at number five, six, so we thought we would give him an opportunity to bat higher up.
“To have him there and get some runs, he can bat right through the overs and he’s a very dependable batter, so we decided to have him opening up.”
Poor fielding from the Pirates late in the innings proved costly, as dropped catches – with a few even parried over the boundary for six under the trees on the Pultney Street side of the ground – meaning the home side had wickets in the shed late in the innings, allowing them to play with freedom and chase boundaries.
Hadigallage Jayaratne and Michael Davies seized the opportunity to free their arms, blasting rapid knocks of 55 and 39 not out, respectively.
In the case of Davies, 34 of his 39 runs came in boundaries, with five sixes and one four.
Jayaratne backed-up his performance with the bat by leading the attack with the ball, comfortably the pick of the bowlers with 3-22 off six as the Pirates capsized to 141 all out after 30 overs.
Dulan Waduge offered some resistance for the visitors with 46, moving him up to third for total runs scored this season, but he was the only batter in the top eight to reach double figures.
Over at St Mary’s, the only thing hotter than the temperature at Carroll Reserve was the opening spell from North Dandenong pair Sushant Gupta and Zarak Aseel.
The two had St Mary’s openers Duveen Kalansooriya and Kasun Niranjana taking off their pads before either could register a run, with both providing catches to Maroons’ gloveman Rajitha Ranaweera and leaving the home side reeling at 2-2.
Junaid Kari (26) and Susantha Pradeep (46) put on 76 for the third wicket to steady the ship.
But from 2-78, the remaining eight wickets fell for 69 runs, as three wickets each from Nimesh Kariyawasam and Imran Laghmani made a mess of St Mary’s’ middle and lower order to have them all out for 147.
Rawaweera would suffer the same fate as his opening compatriots, bowled by Deeshan Vimukthi for a duck in what continued a prosperous match for opening bowlers.
As wickets fell around him, skipper Clayton McCartney picked a good day to score his first half-century of the season, hitting 60 not out and guiding his side to a four-wicket win in 39 overs.
Scores in the teens from Laghmani (19), Tahsinullar Sultani (16) and Muhammad Khan (18), plus 20 from opener Ramneet Dhindsa, meant McCartney was able to construct a handful of partnerships in the chase.
Pradeep snared 2-24 off six to go with his top score with the bat for St Mary’s, who find themselves last on the table on percentage behind Parkmore.
In Narre South, the Lions welcomed Berwick to the den of Strathaird Reserve, in a clash between two sides struggling for consistency in the 2022/23 season.
Batting first, all Lions in the top seven reached double figures aside from Harry Finch (four), spearheaded by Jonty Jenner (50), Joshua Hotston (37) and Harsha de Silva (34).
Former Sri Lankan international Jeevan Mendis was kept to just 10 as they posted 9-222.
Three wickets each to Mendis, who conceded just 28 from his 12 overs, and Jawed Hussaini (3-49 off 12) helped skittle the Bears for 195 in the final over.
It was Berwick’s fourth loss on the trot, in sharp contrast to a side that finished second on the table in 2021-22 and played off for a spot in the grand final.
Buckley’s win and Hallam Kalora Park’s loss saw them swap places in second and third, while Springvale South remain the team to beat, six points and .72 per cent clear of their rivals in navy and light blue.
