By JARROD POTTER
INTERLEAGUE success greeted the Dandenong District Cricket Association, as the DDCA lads held on to a nail-biting two-run win against the South East Cricket Association (SECA) in a 40-over match on Sunday, 8 February.
Sent in by the SECA, the DDCA rallied around Mordialloc’s Damith Mapa Ralalage (41) and captain Steve Spoljaric (36) to start the innings off on the right track.
With some slogging from Spoljaric’s Cranbourne team mate Te Ahu Davis (25) at the death, the DDCA set 6/216 for SECA to hunt down at Mordialloc’s Ben Kavanagh Reserve.
With the sun baking the pitch rock solid, the runs were there for the taking as the SECA mounted a remarkable comeback.
With 59 needed off the final five overs – after Springvale South’s Ruwantha Kellepotha (4/32 off 8 overs) and Berwick’s Dushan Wickramarathna (2/38 off 8 overs) the SECA found its second wind and with it some lusty hitting.
Switching from a one-day to Twenty20 mindset, the SECA boys went along steadily and needed 28 off two overs, then 18 off the last over.
SECA punished 15 off the over and only a good save on the boundary, saving two, prevented a tie.
The DDCA would hold on to restrict SECA to 6/214 from their 40 overs to take the match and the bragging rights and with any luck, hope to maintain their winning ways next year if the interleague clash returns.
