VSDCA: Taylors Lakes a club on the rise

Taylors Lakes has much to play for in the remaining weeks of the Subbies season, with five of its six senior sides in finals contention.

Jason Denny of Taylors Lakes batting. Picture: Hamish Blair

Six years after joining the Victorian Sub District competition, Taylors Lakes has rarely been in better shape.

Five of its six senior sides are in finals contention.

And although the Lions’ First XI are unlikely to figure in end-of-season action, they have won three games — and that’s three more than they did last season.

The club’s youthful seconds have pulled off several eye-popping wins to emerge as a strong chance to play finals — they are currently in fifth spot.

Taylors Lakes’ thirds (2nd), fourths (6th), fifths (6th) and sixths (2nd) are also chasing finals spots.

Club president Rob Arnold said new coach Alex Deuchar had raised standards and the players had bought in to his training methods.

“He’s fantastic,” he said of Deuchar.

“I can’t fault the man. We’ve gone another level up in our professionalism.

“I was speaking to one of the players on Saturday night and he said it’s the fittest he’s ever been in a cricket season.”

Alex Deuchar bowling for Mount Waverley.

Arnold said while clubs are often measured by the results of their First XI, Taylors Lakes as a whole was bursting with emerging talent.

“If you drill down a little bit further our seconds have had a couple of magnificent wins where they were chasing over 200,” he said.

“Potentially we could have five out of six sides playing finals.”

Taylors Lakes’ seconds have won six of its 10 games and its past two wins have been something else.

In Round 8, chasing Yarraville’s 223, the Lions crashed to 3-4 but roared to victory on the back of Marcus Just’s brilliant 145 not out off 126 balls (14 fours, 3 sixes).

Just and his younger brother Ethan Just (21no) shared an unconquered 96-run ninth wicket partnership to steer the side home.

Last Saturday, the twos chased down Ormond’s 172, replying with 1-173…Jason Denny (79no) and Ravnoor Singh (55no) putting on 138 unconquered.

“I’m so pleased with the performance of our twos because it’s basically the same young guys that played last year and went through the whole season without a win,” Arnold said.

“And another year of experience and we’ve got one or two experienced players added into that group and they’ve just turned the corner, they are really looking very competitive.”

Luke Denny on the drive. Picture: Hamish Blair

Frank Buttigieg has Taylors Lakes’ thirds sitting second and playing excellent cricket.

In the ones, Luke Denny, with 274 runs, at 30.44, has had a good season.

George Sakkas, Luke Denny and Trent Waring lead the Lions’ wicket tally with 13, 11 and 10 respectively.

In the fifths, Daniel Jovanovski scored his first senior ton, 100no, on Saturday.