By Gavin Staindl
HALLAM-KALORA PARK is still trying to regroup and recover after losing the Dandenong and District Cricket Association Turf One grand final against Buckley Ridges.
Hallam-Kalora president Gary Davidson reflected the sentiment of the team when he said that he was “disappointed but proud to have made it to the grand final”.
The Ridges set up the win over Hallam-Kalora Park at Keysborough Reserve on the Saturday when they made 9/212 with captain Paul Franks making 46 and David Wheeler hitting 45 in the closing hours of the day.
Wheeler, who was awarded the Damien Fleming medal for his best on ground performance, put on a significant partnership after tea with Paul Rudd (29) that appeared to break the Hallam hearts.
“That partnership after tea did it for them… It was something that we never managed to get,” Davidson said.
Hallam-Kalora Park’s Cory Booth (3/41 off 12 overs) and Steven Chapman (3/63 off 24 overs) were good but as Buckley Ridges’ president Kieran Watson said, the 212 scoreline was always going to be hard to beat.
“I knew we had won it on the Saturday,” Watson said.
“I knew if we got to 150 we would be in with a chance and when we reached 200 I knew we would win it.
In the end, Watson was proved correct with his side’s bowlers dismissing the birds for 124.
Westley Nicholas (4/44 off 12 overs) and Daniel Watson (3/28 off 13 overs) were responsible for taking the first six wickets before their opponents were able to past 100 runs.
Leigh Booth (41) was the sole foundation in the Hallam-Kalora Park innings and when he was dismissed by Franks (1/14) at 8/106 the game was all but gone.
44 minutes later came the final blow.
Looking to heave the ball over mid-wicket, final batter Nigel Hepponstall skied the ball and Nicholas, fielding at short mid-off, scampered all the way to the deep mid-off boundary before he caught the ball going back with the flight.
Nicholas turned back to the pitch to meet a stampede of 10 other Ridges players racing towards him. It was not long before the Buckley crowd gathered on the field to share in the post-match celebrations.
This grand final win falls exactly 50 years since Buckley Ridges last took out the Turf One grand final in 1958-59 and 1959-60.
“There were a number of players from that winning side 50 years ago who were also there enjoying it,” Watson said.
While the Ridges’ players continue to lap up their victory, Davidson is hoping he can keep the majority of his team at Hallam for next year.
Both Hepponstall and wicket-keeper Lovejeet Randhawa are leaving to play elsewhere but Davidson is looking to juniors to fill their positions.
“We have blooded a lot of kids in the seconds so they’ll start to get their opportunity in the next few years…. Hopefully we’ll be right up there again next year,” Davidson said.
DANDENONG WEST has capped off an undefeated season by beating Cranbourne in the Turf Two grand final by 91 runs at Alex Nelson Reserve.
The home side stumbled on the Saturday falling to 3/25 but quickly settled through Anthony Brannan (39) and Udesha Suraweera (19).
At 5/90 there was still much need for scoring and middle-order batters Chandana Surige Don (61) and man-of-the-match Adam Mason (64) put on a season-defining partnership.
The 104-run partnership was, in hindsight, enough to ensure Dandenong West would post a score great enough to see them promoted to Turf One and end their two year stint in the lower level.
Cranbourne’s Rob Cleeland was again influential, this time taking 5/45 and improving his average to just over seven but was let down on the following day as Cranbourne lost wickets in consistent fashion.
Only Ross Woodall (35) could manage any more than 20 runs and the Dandenong West bowlers, behind Doug Loudon (4/32) finished off the visitors for 131.
A pleased Dandenong West president Jason Goodes spoke post-game of this match just being apart of a two-year plan to get back into Turf One.
“We have had two years of planning… (and) chasing players so that we can get back into Turf One,” Goodes said. “We have such depth in our side now. When your two best batters fail in the grand final and you still win by the amount we did it speaks volumes for our club,” Goodes said.
Dandenong West, who is looking for a new coach after Andrew Harry stepped aside to concentrate on his own game, will next season play in Turf One at the expense of Coomoora.
“We just want to be competitive (in Turf One) we don’t just want to make up the numbers,” Goodes said.
