By Marcus Uhe
Beaconsfield felt the squeeze of DDCA Turf 1 reigning premiers Springvale South at their strangulating best, dismissed for 189 at Perc Allison Reserve.
The Tigers lasted just shy of an entire afternoon in what was a day of attritional defence and a learning experience for the plucky Turf 2 premiers of last season.
Captain-coach Mark Cooper’s 62 came off 170 deliveries and featured just three boundaries as the innings’ only half-century; an encapsulation of the cautious approach.
His dismissal late in the afternoon threatened to un-stitch the remainder of the innings but an important 47 from Jesse Busacca kept the innings alive.
Right-arm quick Adam Read celebrated his Turf 1 debut with a very tidy 3/31 from his 14 overs and was the co-leading wicket taker for Springvale South, sharing the honours with left-arm seamer Blade Baxter, who took 3/63.
A heavy downpour in Dandenong, meanwhile, prevented any action from taking place at Park Oval between Buckley Ridges and St Mary’s.
Nearby streets experienced flash-flooding in a short and sharp dumping of rain from mother nature shortly before play began.
