By Marcus Uhe
A clinical all-round performance from Ishan Jayarathna helped Buckley Ridges remain undefeated in the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 cricket on Saturday against North Dandenong.
Jayarathna took 4/54 and hit 72 with the bat as the boys from Park Oval downed North Dandenong by five wickets at Lois Twohig Reserve.
North Dandenong was dismissed for 203 batting first with regular wickets inhibiting its ability to build partnerships.
Jawid Khan and Maroons captain Clayton McCartney added 71 for the third wicket in what was the only partnership of significance, before McCartney was bowled by Buckley veteran Michael Davies for 36.
Jayarathna secured the crucial wicket of Khan for 42, reducing the hosts to 5/108.
A welcome return to form from Ramneet Ranaweera (48) helped push the total to 204, the last man dismissed for 48, Davies’ third victim in the 44th over.
The Maroons made a promising start to the defence, the wickets of Jake Cronin, Jayson Hobbs and Roshane Silva early in the innings reducing the visitors to 3/32.
Ben Wright and Troy Aust hit a number of boundaries as they looked to shift momentum back their side’s way, Wright scoring at nearly a run-a-ball for his 44 before trapped LBW attempting a sweep on a full toss from Muhammad Khan’s off-spin.
Aust and Jayarathna then added 92 for the fifth wicket, taking the visitors to within touching distance of the total.
Jayarathna’s innings came to a close with his side at 187, leaving Aust and Davies to hit the remaining 17 runs.
Jayarathna top scored for Buckley Ridges while Aust’s unbeaten half-century will delight those at Buckley, in just the wicketkeeper’s second game of the season.
Sushant Gupta was the best of North Dandenong’s bowlers taking 2/49.
At Arch Brown Reserve, Berwick held off a plucky St Mary’s side gunning for its first victory of the campaign in a three-wicket win on the Bears’ home deck.
A much-improved batting performance from Susantha Pradeep’s Saints saw the visitors post 9/192 batting first, which Berwick eclipsed in the penultimate over seven wickets down.
Safaras Moahomad was the lynchpin of St Mary’s innings in the middle order with 53, supporting Saveen Nanayakkara at the top of the order with 42.
But constant wickets from the Berwick bowling attack saw a steady stream of new batters come to the crease, each needing to find their feet and start from scratch, Nanayakkara and Wendyl Pires’ 51-run partnership the biggest of the innings.
Elliot Mathews was the primary reason why, the off-spinner taking 4/44 from his 12 overs, including the key wickets of Moahomad and Nanayakkara along the way.
The Saints will have been disappointed to have not capitalised on their foundations, having reached 1/75 before Nanayakkara was dismissed.
Berwick’s chase wobbled at stages, Jordan Cleland’s dismissal for 29 reducing the hosts to 4/68 after single figures scores to Jake Hancock and Matt Robertson, and with Matthew Hague on the sidelines as he recovers from a calf injury.
Mitchell Shirt was the steady head required in the middle order, however, hitting 61 in solid partnerships with Ash Henry and Lachlan Brown to guide the side to safer waters.
Pradeep was the pick of St Mary’s bowlers, taking 3/34.
