Ash Perera doubles up as Noble Park names team of the third decade

The Parkers have hit 30 years in Sub-District cricket and marked the milestone by recognising their best players from the past 10 years.

Ash Perera was named in two of Noble Park’s best teams.

Left-arm, tall and quick, Ash Perera was a fine fast bowler for Noble Park.

He was named in the Parkers’ team of the second decade when it celebrated its 20th year in Sub-District cricket.

And last Saturday night he was selected in the club’s team of the third decade when it staged a major function to mark its 30th year in Subbies.

Perera just scraped in: he played 25 matches in the third decade, and 25 matches was the qualification mark for selection.

Perera shares the best bowling figures at Noble Park, 8-26, taken in 2015-16.

A decade earlier he was involved in a remarkable grand final against Malvern in which he and former Test man Damien Fleming combined to reduce the Roosters to 9-16.

Perera went on to the Canberra Comets, with whom he was contracted when he played for the Australian Invitational XI against India in 2007-08. Perera’s three wickets in the match included the great Rahul Dravid, caught behind.

On returning to Melbourne he gave stout service to Casey South Melbourne.

He returned to Noble in 2014.

Dean Edmunds, the captain of the club’s 2013-14 premiership, was named skipper of the team of the third decade, which was announced before a large crowd at Club Noble.

Noble’s two Val Holten Medal winners, Issy Perera and Mevan Fernando, also featured in the side.

The great Issy Perera lets go with a leggie for Noble Park.

Craig Ortland, who has been president of Noble Park for 23 years, said the club had more than held its own since entering Sub-District cricket in 1990-91.

Last Saturday the Parkers qualified for their 14th finals series in 30 years.

“When we started off we struggled. We made finals three times in the first decade and four times in the second decade and now we’ve made them in seven of the last 10 years,’’ Ortland said.

“That’s a pretty good effort.’’

The club clinched two championships, has won three premierships and played in two other grand finals.

It has also produced four competition medal champions: Warren Whiteside and Steve Croft (Hatch Medal), and Issy Perera and Fernando (Holten Medal).

Issy Perera counts as one of Noble Park’s greatest cricketers.

Recruited from Heatherton, where he had put up ridiculously good numbers in the VTCA, he has won six club championships and will almost certainly make it seven this season on the strength of 537 runs and 27 wickets. He will also give the Holten Medal a shake.

Noble will visit Yarraville in an east-west section quarter-final this weekend.

NOBLE PARK TEAM OF THE THIRD DECADE

Dean Edmunds

Mevan Fernando

Luke Wintle

Issy Perera

Nilochana Perera

Robert Johnston

Paul Hill

Rizan Mawzoon 

Kalhan Sineth

Andrew Berman

Ashley Perera   

FROM THE ARCHIVES

SPRINGVALE TIMES, MARCH 29, 2006

They’ll be talking about this for as long as Sub-District cricket is played. It’s astonishing stuff, just staggering. Next thing, cows will be jumping over the moon.

Noble Park won the Subbies south-east group final after dismissing Malvern for 58 at Malvern City Oval on Sunday.

But here’s the thing: replying to 134, Malvern had to bat for 17 overs to complete Saturday’s play and 400 spectators watched gobsmacked as the reigning premier crumbled to 9-22. Yes, 9-22.

An hour after stumps many observers were still unable to comprehend what they had seen.

On a hard, fast pitch that offered seam, new-ball pair Ash Perera and Damien Fleming swept through the Roosters with all the fury of a cyclone. Malvern lost 5-0 in 13 balls to be 6-7 off seven overs.

Perera had four scalps, including star pair Ranga DeSilva and Nuwage Kalpage, and Fleming, swinging the ball and getting it to lift, was virtually unplayable in taking two from the other end. Malvern found it difficult to put bat on ball, let alone score.

There were more wickets to come. When Fleming got one through the dangerous Monto Perera the home team was 7-11, and the former Australian Test man struck again in the 13th over, leaving the innings a wreck at 8-16.