Check out all the highlights and results from VSDCA North-East group action
TALKING POINTS: Chris Thewlis at his big-hitting best for Brunswick, young guns’ big bowling performances and three teams still perfect in VSDCA North-East.
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Three teams remain undefeated in the VSDCA North-East group.
Plenty Valley, Preston and St Bernard’s retained their perfect records through four rounds.
Meanwhile, there were big individual performances from the likes of Chris Thewlis, Ajayveer Hundal, Ed Withington and Lachlan Fitzpatrick.
Check out all the highlights and results from the weekend’s one-dayers below.
THEWLIS FIREWORKS
Chris Thewlis famously smashed 237 off 72 balls for Camberwell’s Second XI in 2022. He showed off those big-hitting skills again on Saturday for Brunswick. After being sent in by Croydon, the Wicks opener took full advantage blazing 139 from 101 balls – hitting 10 boundaries and nine sixes – before falling. It truly was the Thewlis show as Brunswick posted 5-257. Nicanor Martel scored 24 of a 146-run second-wicket partnership and captain Simon Hill was the next best scorer with 32. Facing a daunting chase, Croydon was never in the hunt, all out 113. First Class paceman Louis Cameron snared 3-21 and debutant Andrew Potter picked up 3-29 to wrap up a comprehensive 144-run victory at AG Gillon Oval.
FITZY SPINS OUT MORES
Lachlan Fitzpatrick ripped through the Strathmore top order to guide Balwyn to a three-wicket victory, taking a leading 4-28 off nine. The off-spinner claimed the scalps of opener Shea Mulkearns and No. 3 Darcy Cotter each for one, before dismissing middle-order bat and Mores’ skipper Luke Bassi (37). Keeper Jack Cook also felt the wrath of the former Premier man, falling for 18 as Strathmore’s 165 total was later overrun. Harrison Goad and Dom Greene put up unbeaten totals of 34 and 29 at the tail end to get the Tigers home while, Greene also took 2-45 off nine.
YOUNG GUN POWERS SAINTS
Ed Withington’s destructive five-wicket haul helped Ivanhoe secure a comfortable seven-wicket win over Coburg at Coburg City Oval. It is back-to-back victories for the Saints. Withington tore through the Lions’ top-order, reducing the hosts to 3-25 and when he removed Coburg captain Hamza Ali, it was 5-76. The Lions were dismissed for 115 in 35 overs. Star import Mo Abbas then blasted an unbeaten 51 – backing up his maiden century last weekend – to finish the chase in 31 overs. Kevin Noronha was Coburg’s best, hitting a team-high 44 runs before taking 1-26.
DREAM RUN HALTED
Bayswater’s Rishi Patel put up 169 and 167 in his opening two outings for his new side – but Noble Park put an end to the English import’s blistering run on Saturday, dismissing the gun recruit for 12 off 25 balls in a six-wicket win. Nilochana Perera was the architect of Baysie’s demise, claiming Patel among a 3-21 haul off nine overs, while Sahan Perera wasn’t far behind with 3-26 off nine. Nilochana also put up an unbeaten 20 with the bat to get the reigning premiers home, while keeper Pawan Dias Edirisinghe topscored with 36 off 49 in Noble’s 4-135 total. Bayswater finished with 131.
SNOWDOGS SURVIVE COLLAPSE, REMAIN PERFECT
St Bernard’s looked like it was cruising towards victory against Kew at Victoria Park. Chasing 178, the Snowdogs were 3-146 but then lost 5-22. However, Tom Winchester (nine not out) and Nathan Johnson (nine) rescued the day and sealed a nail-biting two-wicket win. Earlier, Jack Stewart (42) and Luke Adams (37) guided Kew to 8-178 from its 45 overs. Nish Perera snagged 3-21. Josh Lawrenson then posted a half-century, 56 from 83 balls, to give St Bernard’s a strong platform. Skipper Dan O’Connell scored 33 and Jevon Kett 31.
PRESTON TOO MUCH FOR VALES
Preston remains undefeated in the North-East group after a 94-run win over Donvale at Preston City Oval on Saturday. After being sent in, Bullants skipper Vaib Deshpande continued his strong form with a match-high 65 from 81 deliveries. Openers Shakeel Ahmed (33) and Greg Maratos (31) gave the hosts a strong start and Syed Shah (44) and James Wigginton (32 not out) then provided a hard-hitting finish to see Preston reach 6-255. In response, Jay Singh (40) and Ben Shufflebotham (46) played impressive knocks but couldn’t get Donvale within reach of the target as it finished 7-161. Liam Ingram snared 2-18 from eight overs and Kyle Walsh picked up 2-22 from nine.
MT WAVERLEY’S SWIFT RECOVERY
Madan Basavarajaiah stepped in as Mt Waverley stared down the barrel of a top-order collapse at 2-35 in the weekend’s clash with Box Hill. What followed was an unbeaten 80 runs off 59 balls, smacking 14 boundaries to lift his side to a 5-152 total, toppling Box Hill’s 9-151. Kurt Benjamin also tipped in 31 not-out from No.7 while also taking 2-15 off nine.
HAMZA RESCUES BATS
It took Plenty Valley just 27.2 overs to chase down Endeavour Hills’ 159 for a five-wicket victory at War Memorial Park on Saturday. However, it took a blistering knock from Musaddiq Ali Hamza and a captain’s knock from Simon Black to get the job done. The Bats were in trouble at 5-77 before the pair put on a match-winning 83-run sixth-wicket partnership. Hamza finished unbeaten on 60 from just 48 balls – hitting six boundaries and a trio of sixes – while Black was the straight man, scoring 27 not out from 56 deliveries. An impressive 96 from 108 balls from Ajayveer Hundal wasn’t enough for the Hills. The next best scorer was No.9 Jake Goodson’s 22. Kishor Mahato was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 3-13 from 8.2 overs.
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