By Marcus Uhe
There are mass vacancies across the pinnacle of the Dandenong District Cricket Association T20 landscape as compelling opportunities present themselves for up-and-coming T20 sides.
Joining last summer’s competition winner, Springvale South, on the sidelines, eliminated from proceedings at the conclusion of the group stage on Wednesday night, are the Bloods’ slain opponent in the final, HSD, and the other two sides to advance to the competition’s final day, in St Mary’s and North Dandenong.
North Dandenong succumbed to a Silverton side extracting full value for money from marquee allrounder Talwinder Prince, the hero in the Bakers’ upset of the Maroons at Lois Twohig.
Prince took 3/24 as one of the best-performed bowlers in Silverton’s hit-or-miss attack, took three catches and made 72, as his side chased North Dandenong’s sizeable total of 9/170 with one delivery remaining.
No other batter scored more than 20 but six scores in the teens and some lusty blows from Harkanwal Singh to close the innings was enough for the Bakers to cook up the upset.
That group, with Berwick Springs, appeared North Dandenong’s to win comfortably before the competition began as the sole Turf 1 side among two clubs from Turf 3, but the Bakers rose to the occasion to send the enigmatic Maroons packing.
St Mary’s fell victim to a barnstorming Hallam Kalora Park, making up for lost time after the Saints clipped their wings 12 months ago.
Hallam Kalora Park scored the biggest total of the summer thus far, reaching 8/235, and dismissing the Saints for just 96 in reply for a 139-run hammering.
Wicketkeeper batter Damith Perera accounted for 111 of the Hawks’ runs, reaching his hundred off just 46 balls in a destructive performance.
The 12th over the innings, bowled by Junaid Kari, bled 29 runs, with Perera smashing four sixes and a four as he moved through the gears.
He reached the milestone with a sweetly struck pull shot towards his new teammates, growing further and further enthused with their burgeoning talent with every performance in the brown and gold.
He and Jordan Hammond laid an ideal platform for the team, with Hammond making 54 off just 22 balls in a 87-run opening partnership for the Hawks inside the opening seven overs.
Pleasing for the Hawks is their ability to pile on the runs despite Casey-South Melbourne import Matthew Calder making a golden duck.
Hawks teenager Ariaan Carim then played a key role with the ball, taking 5/18 to help dismiss St Mary’s early.
Lynbrook got the better of HSD by keeping the Cobras’ power-packed top order to a combined 29 runs.
Mackenzie Gardner, Zahoor Sarwari (two runs each), Triyan De Silva (15) and marquee Brodie Symons (10) were each removed in the first seven overs, as the Cobras crawled to 9/118 batting first.
Jattinder Singh and marquee Tajbir Powar then scored the bulk of the runs, making 44 and 38 respectively.
Tight bowling from HSD ensured the chase went the distance, with the Lakers needing all 20 overs to prevail, reaching the target with three balls to spare.
Joining Berwick, Silverton, Hallam Kalora Park and Lynbrook in advancing to the next round of the competition is Dandenong West, Parkmore, Cranbourne and Coomoora.
Dandenong West orchestrated a ridiculous turn of events against Narre South, digging itself out of major trouble after falling to 5/30 during the first innings.
Nuwan Kulasekara and Nathan Power then both reached half-centuries, combining for an unbeaten 119-run stand to post 5/149.
Four Bulls bowlers then took two wickets apiece to sniff-out any threat of the Lions roaring home, bowled out in the 19th over of play.
4/14 from Harrison Carlyon and 2/21 from Harsaroup Singh were instrumental in Cranbourne keeping Beaconsfield to just 129, with the two then combining for 98 runs in the chase to ensure the Eagles’ progression at home.
Four ducks in Narre North’s top six put it on the backfoot chasing Coomoora’s 148, after marquee Brendan Rose hit 74 from 53 balls for the Roos batting first.
79 from the returning Amal Athulathmudali and an unbeaten 71 from Kyle Gwynne, meanwhile, provided the backbone of Parkmore’s imposing 4/182 against Lyndale.
The Dales reached 9/137 in reply, with Satheesh Fernandu and Athulathmudali both taking three wickets.
The draw for the next round of fixtures, set to be played on Tuesday 14 January, is yet to be released.
Eight teams will become four, before the finals day at Shepley Oval on Sunday 2 February.
DDCA T20 RESULTS
Lynbrook 5/119 (Jattinder Singh 44) def HSD 9/118 (Harry Funnell 44, Harjinder Sohal 3/17).
Cranbourne 1/130 (Harsaroup Singh 62) def Beaconsfield 7/129 (Harrison Carlyon 4/14, Andrey Fernando 42).
Parkmore 4/182 (Amal Athulathmudali 79) def Lyndale 9/137 (Satheesh Fernandu 3/29).
Hallam Kalora Park 8/235 (Damith Perera 111) def St Mary’s 96 (Ariaan Carim 5/18).
Coomoora 6/148 (Brendan Rose 74) def Narre North 108 (Malan Madusanka 4/16).
Silverton 8/172 (Talwinder Prince 72, Muhammad Dawa Khan 3/22) def North Dandenong 9/170 (Tahsinullah Sultani 54, Harkanwal Singh 3/30).
Dandenong West 5/149 (Nuwan Kulasekara 60) def Narre South 105 (Peter Atkinson 2/18).
Buckley Ridges 1/130 (Matthew Montgomery 45) def Springvale South 7/128.
