By Marc McGowan
BERWICK continued to showcase its array of talent, with aces Ash Henry and Will Carr destroying Narre Warren with four wickets apiece in the first weekend of round-four action.
In other games, Cranbourne took it up to Dandenong West and Doveton looks set to earn its first points of the season.
@BT Sub Sport News:TURF ONE
Berwick v Narre Warren
IN A supreme bowling performance at Arch Brown Reserve, Berwick has restricted Narre Warren to its second consecutive double-figure total.
Berwick aces Will Carr (4/24) and Ash Henry (4/35) shot the Magpies out for 85, with only Dwayne Scott (31 runs) providing any resistance to the irrepressible duo.
It was a horror beginning to the match for Narre Warren, as it collapsed to 6/35 and barely recovered before being bowled out for its embarrassing tally.
Carr took the first four wickets of the match, with three off his own bowling and a run-out to boot.
Once the Bears strode to the wicket, it was clear just how miserable the Magpie total was.
Despite losing Justin Stanton (six) on 17, Berwick did not lose another wicket before stumps and scorched past the Narre Warren total to nab first-innings points.
@BT Sub Sport News:Cranbourne v Dandenong West
CRANBOURNE continued its solid form of recent weeks by producing an imposing total of 8/362 against Dandenong West at Casey Fields.
Despite Dandenong West sitting inside the four and Cranbourne languishing near the bottom of the standings, it is the latter that has been in better form recently.
A host of Cranbourne batsmen put Dandenong West to the sword, with captain Ross Woodall (95) finally shaking off the cobwebs and Dieter Leinmueller (70, in his turf-one debut), Daniel Diwell (55) and Shane Murdoch (53) providing strong support.
It was one-way traffic all day, barring a minor hiccup before Cranbourne had any runs on the board, when Brad Angus was out off the bowling of Glen Scales (1/31).
Angus has now made 10 runs in his past three innings.
Leinmueller and Woodall then put on a 158-run partnership to help put Cranbourne well and truly in charge of the contest.
@BT Sub Sport News:Southern Pirates v Doveton
DOVETON is in a solid position to gain its first points of the season against fellow cellar-dwellers the Southern Pirates at Wachter Reserve.
Captain Brad Downe (101 not out) was at it again after providing a sole hand of 57 last week against the might of Berwick.
He received more support this week, with Rhys Barker (35) and Nathan Wilson (32) accruing solid starts and some rearguard action from youngster Jesse Ladgrove (25 not out) helped Doveton reach its highest score of the season.
It was a good performance, considering it found itself at 3/38 and Doveton could have crumbled as it so regularly has, but a fighting performance harbours well for the rest of the season.
Peter Atkinson was the pick of the Pirates’ bowlers and ended with the figures of 3/67 from 28 overs.
@BT Sub Sport News:TURF TWO
Hampton Park v Berwick
HAMPTON Park is in grave danger in its clash with Berwick at Booth Reserve after being bowled out for 161.
Its opening combination of Bevan Bell (25) and Thor Nancarrow (27) weathered Berwick’s initial bowling storm to post a 53-run alliance, but when they both fell in quick succession, the innings fell apart.
From 6/102, Hampton Park did well to scrounge 161, but with no one anchoring the innings, it was the best it could muster.
Simon Cornell (3/32) and Brendan Lloyd (3/30) combined to snare six wickets, with five of their wickets uprooting the stumps.
@BT Sub Sport News:Fountain Gate v St Brigid’s-St Louis
FOUNTAIN Gate is primed to upset St Brigid’s-St Louis following a withering spell of bowling at the end of day one at Max Pawsey Reserve.
Scott Mather (3/5 from 12 overs) and Nick Scanlon (2/7 from 10 overs) destroyed the St Brigid’s-St Louis top order to have it reeling at 5/15 at stumps.
It came after Fountain Gate found itself in trouble at 4/28 before going on to make 152, with Luke Ross (37) heading three players in the 30s.
Seven Fountain Gate players failed to reach double figures (Colin Stott was not out), while Scanlon managed just 10.
It appears to have been more than enough, however, and the bowling performance has put Fountain Gate in a great position to push for outright victory.
@BT Sub Sport News:Lyndale v Maranatha Methodist
MARANATHA Methodist has a tougher than expected battle on its hands against winless Lyndale at Barry Powell Reserve.
Lyndale batted first and in a remarkable innings of 202, Ben Montgomery (90), Jeremy Vethecan (34) and Aaron O’Dath (30) were the only batsmen to break double figures.
The other eight batsmen managed just 25 between them, with sundries (23) almost matching their effort.
Andrew Cooper (3/47) was the best of four multiple wicket takers for Maranatha Methodist.
In response, Maranatha Methodist found itself at 3/27, but an unbeaten partnership of 46 steadied the ship by stumps and it will expect to reach the victory target of 203 this weekend.
@BT Sub Sport News:Hallam Kalora Park v Coomoora
IN A blockbuster match-up, Hallam Kalora Park managed a very competitive total against league-leaders Coomoora at Hallam Recreation Reserve.
Hallam Kalora Park’s batting has been its strength all season, but it was the contributions of John Hammond (121) and Gary Davidson (85) that made up the bulk of the score.
The pair took the score from a perilous 5/113 to 6/220, with a commanding 107-run association, before Hammond was finally removed.
Davidson did a fantastic job with the tail, as wickets fell all around him, but Mark Houeix produced a cameo of 17, which proved important in reaching 279.
@BT Sub Sport News:HSD v Doveton North
HSD is in complete control of its contest against bottom side Doveton North at Reedy Reserve and should claim its first outright victory of the season this weekend.
Doveton North was sent into bat and was as brittle as ever in compiling 74 from 37 painstaking overs.
Ben Fletcher (20) was the best of a miserable bunch, but his meagre total was his first double figure score of the season, and his side was well on its way to its second outright loss.
Every HSD bowler took a wicket, with Ben Doran (4/11) picking up his first wickets of the season to head the bowling figures.
HSD then made an audacious declaration at 5/144 after just 27 overs, with captain Matthew Downe (47) leading the way.
Doveton North was 1/30 in its second innings at stumps.
