By JARROD POTTER
Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association – South East 1st XI Round 8 (One day)
AN ALL-ROUND master class from Marasinghe Perera (117 not out and 4/28) guided Noble Park (6/233cc) to a huge one-day win over Ormond (143) to kick-start the New Year.
The bleak forecast and the loss of two early Bulls’ wickets didn’t deter Perera from piling on his best VSDCA score and second century in as many seasons.
The revival started with an 83-run third wicket partnership between Perera and Ash Bradshaw (32) turning the tables on Ormond.
The pair feasted on Richard Stanyon (1/59) and Cameron Doherty (1/65) as the Bulls upped the run-rate past five-an-over.
The lower order backed their number four after Bradshaw fell to Stanyon, as Noble Park ran up the scoreboard to 233 by innings end.
Rizan Mawzoon (24 not out), Paul Hill (19) and Chris Lee (11) smashed anything in their wheelhouse and rotated the strike back to their centurion as he raised the bat and left Ormond with a pile of runs to hunt down.
Perera (4/28) would not end his stellar match after putting the pads away – instead rattling through the Ormond tail with his spin to leave the result well beyond doubt as the Monds.
Mawzoon (2/10) and Sean Schubert (2/18) were equally impressive as they smashed past the Ormond top order.
ENDEAVOUR HILLS v BOX HILL
ENDEAVOUR HILLS (150) did not fare as well in their four-wicket loss to Box Hill (6/152) as the top order collapsed.
The wickets fell rapidly on the slow deck at Sydney Pargeter Reserve as the Eagles’ top order fell to 6/56.
Ben Swift (17) toiled to stay at the crease, but struggled to get his cut shot working and had the benefit of luck from a couple of French cuts and top edges. Similar work from Justin Merlino (15) to hold on kept a true collapse unfolding before the duo succumbed.
Swift’s innings would draw to a close off Robert Fortington (3/22), leaving the work up to the lower order.
The Eagles found plenty of life in the tail as Vaughan Baxter (30), Richard Saniga (28) and captain Chris Pereira (14) eked out a 150 par-score on a bleak day.
Endeavour Hills made the Mustangs fight for every run as an inspired knock from Gaurav Parikh (85) proved the difference between the sides. Parikh singlehandedly took on the Eagles’ attack as Periera (2/20) and Alastair Christy (1/30) toiled valiantly. Parikh fell to Christy with 10 left to notch, but the Mustangs lower order completed the task with three overs to spare.
Noble Park now leap into the top six with the win, displacing Endeavour Hills who slide down to seventh.
Heavy rain on Friday and the predicted poor forecast forced the postponement of the remaining Dandenong area fixtures, including the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s turf grades and Victorian Premier Cricket for the men’s and women’s competitions.
