By Marcus Uhe
Buckley Ridges gave Beaconsfield a reality check in a thumping 126-run win at Park Oval in round eight of the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 competition.
Batting first on their home pitch, Buckley hit the highest Turf 1 one-day innings total for the season to date, posting 6/296, before keeping Beaconsfield to 8/170 in reply.
The leadership duo of Jayson Hobbs and Ishan Jayarathna were the architects of the innings with boundary-laden knocks that both fell short of the three-figures.
Opening the batting, Hobbs hit 83 to top score, with nine fours and three sixes; Jayarathna not far behind with a five-four, seven-six knock of 78.
A late cameo from Michael Davies pushed the total to just shy of the daunting 300 barrier for Beaconsfield, who didn’t enjoy the same success against Buckley as they did in their first meeting, despite the early dismissal of Jake Cronin.
Trishane De Silva’s six overs yielded 64 runs, but he did have success as the only multiple wicket-taker for the Tigers.
If not for Mark Cooper’s leg spin and Jake Cutting’s nagging accuracy, the total could have been far worse, the two conceding only 30 and 29 respectively from their seven overs each.
Beaconsfield lost Tyler Clark early to the speed of Hussain Ali, caught behind by the returning Troy Aust for one, and never fully recovered.
In a side that has been heavily reliant on Clark and Cooper to score runs, the two could only offer a combined 13 between them, spelling trouble for the remainder of the chase.
Jesse Busacca’s wicket reduced the visitors to 5/40, before defiant knocks from the lower order batters ensured the margin of victory was not detrimental to their percentage or net run rate.
Michael Dunstan top scored with 36, with Joel Matthews (27) and Mitchell Tielen (28) also offering valuable contributions in a 56-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Davies returned to form with 3/33 as Buckley Ridges’ most successful bowler, but it was Jayarathna and Hussain Ali who orchestrated the collapse, combining for three of the four wickets at the top of the order.
Springvale South’s five-wicket win over lowly St Mary’s ensured they finished the calendar year atop the Turf 1 table but it wasn’t without drama at Carroll Reserve.
St Mary’s batting woes came to the fore once again, bowled out for just 66 in 32 overs batting first in windy conditions on their home deck.
Wendyl Pires did his best to stave off the charge, with 19 off 60 deliveries, but no other batter reached double figures in a dismal display.
Nearly all batters were dismissed through hitting catches, while Yoshan Kumara’s direct hit run out of Deeshan Umagiliyage from the cover boundary reflected the professionalism and the approach of the Springvale South fielders to the contest.
Wickets were shared evenly among Kumara, Blade Baxter, Jarryd Straker and Adam Read, who each took two.
A short chase looked in the offing for the reigning champions, but they had not accounted for a brilliant opening spell from Umagiliyage, who has been a shining light in what has been a sorry year for the Saints.
The right-arm quick trapped Ryan Quirk in front of his stumps on the Bloods skipper’s first ball, and got through the defences of Jordan Wyatt for only six, to have the Bloods’ two premier batters back in the sheds at 2/13.
Mitch Forysth was the next to go at 3/19 and Blade Baxter became Umagiliyage’s third, the Bloods finding themselves at 4/26 in the ninth over.
It was up to Kumara and Jordan Mackenzie to steer the Bloods to safer waters, a 26-run stand for the fourth wicket ensuring they avoided disaster.
Springvale South reached the target of 67 in the 16th over.
Turf 1 returns on Saturday 6 January, with North Dandenong v Buckley Ridges and Springvale South v Hallam Kalora Park, the standout matches on the fixture.
