By Marcus Uhe
Buckley Ridges need only a further 103 runs next week against Narre South to maintain its undefeated streak in DDCA’s Turf 1 but will need to do so with only six wickets in hand after a poor evening session at Strathaird Reserve.
The visitors will begin day two at 4/64 with four of the top five already dismissed, including Roshene Silva, Ben Hobbs and Jake Cronin, for low scores.
Alex Cruickshank and Callan Tout removed both openers to have Buckley at 2/9 in the seventh over, bringing Ben Wright and Silva together to begin the revival.
They added 41 before Jeevan Mendis got through Silva’s defences, and last season’s Wookey Medal winner grabbed the huge wicket of Jayson Hobbs late in the day after a patient 1 off 27 deliveries.
Much will fall to the not-out Wright and the returning Michael Davies to steer the chase home as the two senior remaining batters in the lineup.
167 is the target after the Buckley bowlers had an excellent day with the ball.
Only English pair Callum Nicholls and Cruickshank made it above 30 on a tough day for the Lions, who lost 4/10 at one stage in the middle order.
Nicholls and Harsha de Silva’s 54-run partnership for the fourth wicket was the only to breach the 50-run mark.
Nicholls showed his class with two sixes and seven fours in his 58.
Hussain Ali, Ishan Jayarathna and Faridullah Jabbar Khil shared the spoils with the ball, taking three wickets each.
St Mary’s posted its highest score of the season to date, setting Hallam Kalora Park 159 to win next week.
Despite the absence of Hawks’ strike bowler William Whyte, the Hawks had no trouble taking the Saints’ 10 wickets at Thomas Carroll Reserve, with only four players rolling their arm over.
Lauchlan Gregson took four and Jordan Hammond took to new ball duties with ease, snaring 3/17 with 14 maidens, while spinner Charith Keerthisinghe also took three.
Susantha Pradeep led the way for his side with a fighting 45 but lacked support from his fellow batters.
Deeshan Umagiliyage and Chameera Fernando put high prices on their wickets to stave-off the Hawks from having the chance to bat in the evening but the damage had been done earlier in the day, having begun their partnership with the Saints teetering at 8/131.
North Dandenong is 140 runs shy from a maiden win in the new Turf 1 campaign but lost three key wickets to close an otherwise positive day at home against Beaconsfield.
Quick Sushant Gupta took 4/58 and Syah Shah 3/13 to help the Maroons dismiss Mark Cooper’s side for 174 in 64 overs but fell to 3/34 in the 16 overs before stumps.
Cooper (44) and Tyler Clark (43) did the bulk of the scoring for the Tigers as the middle order continues to fight for comfort at Turf 1 level.
Tigers’ strike bowler Kevin Seth then grabbed the wickets of Jurgen Andersen and Syed Mehmood for just two runs each in an excellent start to the defence.
Jawid Khan and Gupta are the not out batters with Ramneet Dhindsa and Clayton McCartney among the key men still to come.
