By Jonty Ralphsmith
Box Hill comprehensively defeated Dandenong by eight wickets in the first round of the Vic Premier Cricket season.
Dandenong was never able to sustain momentum in its innings, with an inability to capitalise on starts keeping it to just 5/111.
Four of the six batters reached double figures, but youngster Nilakshi Perera was the top-scorer with 28 runs at a strike rate of 88.
Opener Jess Bohn crashed the first ball of the innings to the boundary and her partner Vanchitha Pathania did likewise twice in the second over to give their team a launch-pad.
But after 17 runs off the first two overs, the next seven yielded 2/23 which put pressure on the middle order to catch up the run-rate.
Sophie Strickland and Perera offered some spark, with the former’s last eight balls netting 18 runs, but it was too little too late against a well-disciplined home side.
Wickets to Bhanu Mahendran and Emma Gallagher in the first three overs consigned the hosts to 2/14, but they were then able to stabilise.
Thivyaa Mahendran’s built up dots in both her overs, but with the run rate required below five by the time she came on, the batters were able to see her off and pick their balls.
Box Hill did it with 24 balls to spare.
