Big guns on target

By Marc McGowan and Paul Pickering
THERE were some significant moves in the Dandenong District Cricket Association standings on the weekend, with the big names flexing their muscles and a few of the battlers showing some fight.
Alex Roberts’ charge at the home-and-away runs record highlighted Turf One action, while in Turf Two, Lyndale’s Michael Gallagher wreaked havoc against Fountain Gate at Max Pawsey Reserve.

@BT Sub Sport News:TURF ONE
Berwick d North Dandenong

Berwick handed fellow title contender North Dandenong a nine-wicket caning at Arch Brown Reserve on Saturday.
Alex Roberts (86) fell just short of a third-straight century and opener Justin Stanton clobbered 98 as the pair combined for 186 runs to take the Bears past the winning target.
The duo resumed with the score at 1/36 in pursuit of the Maroon and Blacks’ modest 184.
Early wickets were required, but none of North Dandenong’s attack could penetrate.
Roberts was out soon after guiding Berwick to success and Stanton’s dismissal marked the end of the contest at 3/213.
Wayne Taylor (1/35), Stuart Mack (1/41) and Carman Mapatuna (1/44) claimed the three scalps as the Bears leapfrogged their club into second place on the ladder.

@BT Sub Sport News:Doveton d Keysborough

A workhorse performance from gun all-rounder Ryan Hendy lifted Doveton off the bottom of the standings on the weekend.
Hendy’s 6/76 off 24.1 overs was pivotal in the Doves’ upset 58-run victory over Keysborough at Robinson Reserve.
But, as with the side’s batting deeds the previous Saturday, there were several contributors, with the previous weekend’s stars, former skipper Brad Downe (2/29) and Brett Polson (1/33) also impressing with the leather.
Keysborough made a spirited beginning to Doveton’s 8/254 before losing its opening wicket at 60, but at 2/91 the visitors were still looking good.
Unfortunately the wheels started coming off and, despite the efforts of middle-order batsman Chanaka Gunawardana (41), Keysborough fell to 5/105 before being bowled out for 196.

@BT Sub Sport News:Springvale South d Cranbourne

Tearaway-quick Nick Bole-Brown proved to be near unplayable for Cranbourne’s batsmen on his adopted home deck at Alex Nelson Reserve on Saturday.
The ex-Belgrave paceman took 5/22 from 20 overs as the defending champs floored the Eagles for 192 – some 159 runs short of their target.
Bole-Brown has now taken 16 wickets in five games, while also chipping in for some handy lower-order runs.
His relentless attack on the stumps continued this week as he hit the poles four times.
As usual, Bole-Brown received sound support from Danny Law (2/39) and Gavin Fewkes (2/45), while Cranbourne’s Shane Murdoch and skipper Ross Woodall both fell one run short of their minor milestone.

@BT Sub Sport News:Narre Warren v Dandenong West

Only time could save Dandenong West from an outright defeat at the hands of Narre Warren at Greaves Reserve on Saturday.
Chasing 9/294, the Bulls limped to an all-out total of 134 by mid-afternoon, with Narre Warren quick John Simpson (4/50) causing more than his share of headaches.
With a 10-point carrot dangled before their eyes, the Magpie bowlers were just as fearsome in the late session – reducing the Bulls to 6/101 before stumps were called.
This time it was Scott Simpson (3/24) who caused most problems for the Bulls, while John (2/14) went on to claim scalps number four and five for the day.
The Magpies’ third-consecutive victory vaults them into third position, while the Bulls are now languishing in last place.

@BT Sub Sport News:TURF TWO
Lyndale d Fountain Gate

Nine Michael Gallagher wickets helped Lyndale rout Fountain Gate by 73 runs at Max Pawsey Reserve on the weekend.
The extraordinary individual exhibition began the previous Saturday, when Gallagher (9/76) snared three late victims to leave the home side stumbling at 3/42 at stumps.
Fountain Gate resumed well to move to 4/121, but that was as bright as it got as Gallagher struck again.
With Lyndale’s 241 still a long way away, Gallagher, who had claimed all four wickets so far, restricted Fountain Gate to 6/126.
But Jeremy Vethecan (1/29) spoiled the party by bowling Nick Scanlon to end Gallagher’s tilt at removing the entire line-up.
It did not faze Gallagher and he took the final three wickets as Fountain Gate was out for 168.

@BT Sub Sport News:Hallam-Kalora Park d Springvale South

It was a case of another week and another win for Hallam-Kalora Park at Hallam Recreation Reserve on the weekend.
After bowling Springvale South out for 172, Hallam-Kalora Park lost just three wickets in strolling past the meagre total.
Liam Simpson (97) led the batting feats, with Steven Chapman (52) and Gary Davidson (38) also playing key roles as their side wound up recording 8/273.
The Bloods’ Stuart Browning (4/83) just missed his second five-wicket haul of the season, while Paul Baum (2/35) and Jackson Sketcher (2/44) shared the other four scalps.

@BT Sub Sport News:HSD d Southern Pirates

If there were any question marks on HSD’s credentials before Saturday, they have disappeared following HSD’s dominant 79-run thrashing of the Southern Pirates at Wachter Reserve.
The ladder-leader managed only 216, but the Pirates did not even come close to challenging for the points.
Southern slumped to 2/7 and then 5/59 as its top order struggled to combat HSD’s balanced attack.
Doug Loudon was the match-winner again.
Loudon smacked an unbeaten 94 the previous weekend before topping the bowling figures with 3/28 to bowl the Pirates out for 137.
Michael Davies (2/14), Ben Doran (2/29) and Paul Stockdale (2/36) also took multiple wickets.

@BT Sub Sport News:St Brigid’s-St Louis d Hampton Park

St Brigid’s-St Louis beat Hampton Park by five wickets at Booth Reserve on Saturday.
Chasing the Redbacks’ 137, St Brigid’s-St Louis resumed at 3/56 and had little trouble making the remaining runs.
Paul Dunn (61) slammed eight fours and was only out when St Brigid’s-St Louis had reached 137.
Dunn and captain Chris Bull (31) produced a 79-run union before Jeremy Heys (41) and Grant Ansalde (39 not-out) took over the reins and cantered past Hampton Park.
Redback Tim Fathers (4/77) was the pick of the bowlers and had good support from Daniel Redfern (2/62).

@BT Sub Sport News:Mordialloc d Maranatha Methodist

Mordialloc entrenched itself in the top four with a six-wicket thumping of lowly Maranatha Methodist at Strathaird Reserve on the weekend.
Maranatha Methodist was devastated from the outset, losing its first four wickets for just 20 runs as Jeff Thom (58) played a lone hand.
Thom’s solo display could not save his team, however, and it was dismissed for 165 courtesy of a supreme piece of bowling from Travis Campbell (6/60).
All-rounder Campbell was not finished destroying Maranatha Methodist, smacking a team-leading 71 to steer the Bloodhounds into third place.
Paul Goodchild (5/64) and Lachlan MacIntosh (3/36) will be proud of their performances, but Mordialloc finished up on 257.