By Jonty Ralphsmith
The round-robin phase of the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) T20 tournament took place on Saturday.
The 24 Turf 1, 2 and 3 clubs were placed in randomly assorted groups, playing off against each other, with the winner at each venue progressing to the quarterfinals, which take place on Tuesday 17 January.
Beaconsfield and Doveton were among the teams to make flex their muscles, with both recording wins over Turf 1 teams, while Coomoora’s struggles underlined the gulf between Turf One and Turf Three cricket in the competition.
Below is an overview of each group’s results.
GROUP 1
Keysborough (T2); Springvale (T3); Dandenong West (T3) at Rowley Allan Reserve
Quarter-finalist: Springvale
Results:
Springvale defeated Keysborough by 16 runs
Springvale defeated Dandenong West by six wickets
Dandenong West defeated Keysborough by four wickets
Summary:
Springvale’s Pasindu Madushan has played cameos throughout the DDCA season, and he was able to go on with a start in his T20 innings against Turf Two team Keysborough, scoring 65, including nine boundaries to get his team off to a flyer. Nuwan Mendis then got two early wickets to keep the momentum going into the bowling innings. Just as impressively, Springvale proved far too strong for Dandenong West which is so far undefeated in Turf Three. Nuwan Kulasekera got 66 off 43 for Dandy West and backed it up with 1/26 for the ball, but Springvale was able to run through the rest of the lineup inside 19 overs. Opener Mendis, the Turf Three leading runscorer, then got Springy away to a flyer and Madushan guided his team home. Kulasekera then scored 59 off 25 in the dead rubber against Keysborough to turn the momentum after the home team claimed three early wickets defending 147. Losing consecutive matches to Turf Three sides at home was a disappointing result for Keysborough, which sits bottom of the Turf Two table, but one positive was that Christo Otto showed signs of good form after not getting going at the start of the DDCA season. Otto scored 42 agaisnst Springvale and then claimed four wickets, before bowling economically against Dandenong West.
GROUP 2
Silverton (T3); Lynbrook (T3); Berwick (T1) at Fotheringham Reserve
Quarter-finalist: Berwick
Results:
Lynbrook defeated Silverton by 91 runs
Berwick defeated Lynbrook by 131 runs
Berwick defeated Silverton by eight wickets
Summary:
The gulf between the three clubs in this group was gaping. Lynbrook was on top from start to finish against Silverton as Jay Walia (23) and Tajbir Powar (38) set the foundations, Lynbrook going at more than eight runs per over throughout the innings. There was little resistance with the blade for Silverton, which was bowled out for 71 as constant wickets fell, led by 3/8 off four by Devanandh Chandrasekar. But then the game one winners were well outclassed by Berwick which went at more than nine an over, before not allowing any Lynbrook batter to exceed 10. Berwick was led by Nathan Walsh’s 71 and Riley Siwes’ 4/7. In the next game, Silverton’s total of 118 was made to look meek, with Berwick cantering to the total inside 14 overs with Walsh’s 38 again top-scoring.
GROUP 3
Cranbourne (T2); Hampton Park (T3); Springvale South (T1) at Casey Fields
Quarter-finalist: Springvale South
Results:
Cranbourne defeated Hampton Park by two wickets
Springvale South defeated Hampton Park by seven wickets
Springvale South defeated Cranbourne by 63 runs
Summary:
Missing the Sweeney brothers in the first game, Harsaroup Singh carried Cranbourne to a tight victory over Hampton Park, his 4/33 leading the bowling attack with quick Tim Fathers who claimed 3/15. Singh’s 62-run opening partnership at better than a run a ball with Taylor Blackman then set the run-chase up, Hampton Park skipper James Kellett the most likely bowler in a losing cause. Batting first against Springy South, Hampton Park was then outclassed in all facets, bowled out for 59 before Jordan Wyatt’s 31 off 19 got Springvale South home inside eight overs. In the final game, Wyatt again got Springvale South off to a fast start against Cranbourne with 22 off 15 while Mitch Forsyth also played a good role at the top with 41 off 37. Cranbourne, however, was able to keep the score to a chaseable 9/148, but four wickets to Yoshan Kumara and good team-bowling skittled Cranbourne for 85.
GROUP 4
Buckley Ridges (T1); Coomoora (T3); Narre South (T1) at Park Oval
Quarter-finalist: Buckley Ridges
Results:
Buckley Ridges defeated Coomoora by 152 runs
Narre South defeated Coomoora by 228 runs
Buckley Ridges defeated Narre South by 56 runs
Summary:
It was always going to come down to the two Turf One teams as Coomoora showed little resistance against the might of the Turf-One mainstays. It was Buckley Ridges that won the crucial game against Narre South to progress to the quarterfinals. Ben Wright was the player that had the most fun on the day, propelling Buckley Ridges to 6/249 against Coomoora with a 49-ball 122. Jayson Hobbs (58 off 33) strengthened his team’s stranglehold over Coomoora, which was bowled out for 97 inside 17 overs. Things got worse for Andy O’Meara’s men from there as Narre South reached 3/365 in its 20 overs in game two – a run-rate in excess of 18. Jeevan Mendis pumped 14 sixes en-route to a 33-ball 116 and his opening partner Morteza Ali also inflicted 103 runs of damage off 40 balls, before Harsha De Silva rubbed salt into the wound with 88 off 28. Jawed Hussani claimed four wickets for Narre South but Coomoora, led by a half-century to Liam Hard, batted out the 20 overs. In the deciding rubber, both Turf One teams capitalised on the tiny boundaries, Wright unbeaten on 97 as Buckley Ridges posted 5/239. Undoubtedly the highlight of the innings was spectacular late-order hitting from Michael Davies, who, after not playing the first game, faced 13 balls and sent 10 of them to or over the fence in a knock of 57 to give Buckley Ridges all the momentum at the innings break. Narre South opener Jonty Jenner punched 84 off 31 to give his team some hope there was little else for Narre South as Davies backed up his quickfire cameo with four wickets.
GROUP 5
Lyndale (T2); Heinz Southern Districts (T2); North Dandenong (T1) at Barry Powell Reserve
Quarter-finalist: North Dandenong
Results:
Heinz Southern Districts defeated Lyndale by 12 runs
North Dandenong defeated Heinz Southern Districts by three wickets
North Dandenong defeated Lyndale by 18 runs
Summary:
In probably the tightest of the eight groups, it came down to small moments in each of the games to determine the winner. Triyan De Silva found form for HSD against Lyndale, scoring a half-century to lead his team to 8/163, before picking up two wickets including the crucial scalp of big-hitter Himesh Galhenage Don, who scored a 29-ball ton earlier in the DDCA season. Lyndale’s Girish Chopra played an enterprising hand with 69, but he couldn’t establish a partnership, with HSD’s Ryan Patterson carrying his DDCA form over and claiming three wickets. The game between HSD and North Dandenong was another tight one, with no-one able to play a match-winning knock for either side but North Dandenong just having a few more cameos throughout the order to lift them to victory. At 6/79 and 7/143 the Turf One team looked in trouble as Jackson Philpin and Logan Downe inflicted the damage for HSD, before Muhammed Dawa Khan, batting at seven, and number nine Zarak Aseel combined for 37 runs to see them to victory. With all teams still a chance to progress heading into the final match, North Dandenong set Lyndale 134 for victory as Rajio Fernando (4/22) and co. never let Dandy North get away. With Keith Ash (22) and Satnam Singh (43) putting on 46 for the first wicket, Lyndale looked well on track, but the momentum stalled after that as they lost wickets at regular intervals, and disciplined bowling dried up the run-scoring.
GROUP 6
Doveton (T2); Parkmore (T1); Narre Warren (T2) at Robinson Reserve
Quarter-finalist: Doveton
Results:
Doveton defeated Parkmore by 48 runs.
Doveton defeated Narre Warren by 128 runs.
Summary
Doveton pulled off two impressive victories to give it some confidence for the rest of the DDCA season and progress itself to the quarterfinals. Marquee player Dale Tormey scored twin half-centuries, offering important batting sturdiness to a bowler-heavy team. Sent in by Parkmore in the first game, Simon Mackie combined with Tormey for 59 runs to elevate Doveton to 9/148. Multiple wickets to Ryan Hendy, Trent Rolfs, Tormey and skipper Nathan Wilson meant Parkmore never threatened the total. Mackie backed up against Narre Warren with a blistering 114 which included 14 sixes and he again combined with Tormey, this time for 99 runs. Against an under-strength Narre Warren, Doveton put 5/225 on the board and Kenneth Smart, the only bowler who missed out against Parkmore, got four wickets for the hosts.
GROUP 7
Beaconsfield (T2); Hallam Kalora Park (T1); St Mary’s (T1) at Hallam Recreation Reserve
Quarter-finalist: Beaconsfield
Results:
Beaconsfield defeated Hallam Kalora Park by four wickets
Beaconsfield defeated St Mary’s by 109 runs
St Mary’s defeated Hallam Kalora Park by 15 runs
Summary:
Beaconsfield was arguably the big winner of the day, proving to itself and everyone that its cricket well and truly stacks up to a high level. In a group with two Turf One teams, Beaconsfield was too good on both occasions. Jack Burchill claimed 4/18 against Hallam Kalora Park in a performance that is sure to please skipper Mark Cooper who has discussed increasing the club’s bowling depth. Burchill’s spell helped restrict the hosts to 9/118, and then Turf Two leading run-scorer Tyler Clark proved he could do it in the T20 format with a controlled 59 off 48 as Beaconsfield got it done in the 19th. Batting first against St Mary’s, Cooper and Clark combined well like they have so often in the DDCA season, putting on 117 as Beaconsfield got to 3/164. Three wickets to Jake Cutting then led the rout of a listless St Mary’s, which won the dead rubber against the home team by 15 runs. An 81-run partnership between Susantha Pradeep (65 off 46) and Raveen Nanayakkara (48 off 15) helped St Mary’s to 180 and Hallam Kallora Park could not inject that sort of free flowing run-scoring into its innings.
GROUP 8
Parkfield (T2); Berwick Springs (T3); Fountain Gate (T3) at Parkfield Reserve
Quarter-finalist: Parkfield
Results:
Parkfield defeated Berwick Springs by 49 runs.
Berwick Springs defeated Fountain Gate by 12 runs
Parkfield defeated Fountain Gate by six wickets
Summary:
Parkfield was clinical in front of its home crowd, putting a strong team on the park that was far too good for the two visiting lineups. In the first game against Berwick Springs, Dishan Malalasekera scored his fourth half-century of the summer, his 72 coming in several meaningful middle-order partnerships to smash the Bears to 5/186. Malalasekera then did it with the ball, claiming three scalps alongside Travis D’Souza to keep Berwick Springs at bay. Berwick Springs rebounded in the second match, with a strong bowling performance. Berwick Springs was bowled out for 132, with Archit Vora (48 off 36) receiving little assistance from his teammates. But Fountain Gate never really got their run-rate above six an over despite contributions from Davandeep Premi, Abid Mirranay and Rodni Kumara in the middle order. Jashan Grewal got three of the first four wickets and the key scalp of Premi in a critical spell of bowling. Premi played a lone hand under lights against Parkfield, making 51 off 35 as his side crawled to 9/128. Matthew Goodier, Malalasekera, D’Souza and co. helped Parkfield get there inside 15 overs.
FULL LIST OF QUARTER-FINALISTS
Springvale (T3), Berwick (T1), Springvale South (T1), Buckley Ridges (T1), North Dandenong (T1), Doveton (T2), Beaconsfield (T2), Parkfield (T2).
