Cricket Southern Bayside: Fire stops game but Bentleigh’s march to finals continues

A nearby fire halted a Cricket Southern Bayside match at Bentleigh as the race for finals reached boiling point.

Bentleigh opener Rob Ciccarella on the drive against Murrumbeena. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Flames and thick black smoke caused the Bentleigh versus Murrumbeena CSB Championship game to be stopped briefly on Saturday afternoon.

Bentleigh was batting at the time when a fire in a rubbish skip bin on a building site escalated next to Bentleigh Reserve.

Concerned umpires halted play while the situation was assessed.

The fire brigade was quickly on hand to extinguish the flames and play resumed.

Bentleigh skipper Jarrad Dowling praised the umpires for stopping play as aerosol cans were “popping’’.

“The flames got reasonably big and we thought, what the hell is that?,” he said.

“And everyone realised that is not a contained situation.

“But there are a lot of dog walkers over there that got onto it and by the time we called the firies which was quickly it was already reported.

“The umpires were very good, they said players move away because there was a pop, I think there might have some aerosol cans in there which were popping.”

Black smoke from the fire at Bentleigh.

There was no cooling Bentleigh’s red-hot form, the Demons making it five wins from their past six games with a crushing eight-wicket win over Murrumbeena.

After rolling the Beena for 100, with teenagers Jake La’Brooy (3-31) and Tully Foot (3-15) bowling superbly, Bentleigh coasted to 1-101 in 24.5 overs, with opener Rob Ciccarella unbeaten on 42 (with 3 sixes) and Dowling 25 not out.

Bentleigh lost star Brendan Drew before the game, into isolation.

Demons skipper Jarrad Dowling. Picture: Valeriu Campan

A splendid unbeaten half-century by opener Lewis Mildenhall (57no) and a vital 31 off 35 balls by tailender Jonathan Curtis helped get South Caulfield home against Beaumaris.

Beauie batted first and put up 6-165, with No.3 Lachlan Fryer batting beautifully to make 81 not out off 94 balls and opener Sam Coates 39.

In reply, Souths were wobbling slightly at 4-55 but recovered to achieved victory in the 39th over, finishing 7-167.

Mildenhall, who is having another golden summer with 473 runs, at 78.83, held the innings together and received good support from Curtis and Kanishka Alvitigala (23).

A strong batting display set up Carnegie’s 55-run win over Mordialloc.

Suraj Nageswara Rao (44), Mayank Srivastava (56 off 44 balls), Lex Middag (34), Vinay Tripathi (28no) and Tarun Rabari (12no) helped the Neggie put up 5-192.

Mat Campbell and A K Tyrone took two wickets apiece for Mordialloc, which made a good start to its run chase but crashed from 2-88 to all out for 137.

Carnegie’s bowlers applied the pressure to cap off a good day, with Tripathi grabbing 4-20 and Rahul Chauhan 3-31.

Chamindu Mathra top scored with 30 for Mordialloc, which has lost five in a row.

Manjula Guruge bowling for Murrumbeena. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Bonbeach claimed its third successive bonus-point victory when it easily accounted for Hampton.

The Sharks skittled Hampton for 100 - Jack Plom (2-28), Harley Dale (2-16) and Daniel Van Hees (2-7) doing the damage - and then hurried to victory in only 17 overs, making 5-102.

Skipper Tom Smith blasted 45 off 24 balls, with 3 sixes and 5 fours.

In Division 1, ladder leader Mentone produced another powerful batting display to beat Brighton District and make it five wins in the spin.

The Tigers batted first and put up 5-224, led superbly by top order men Simon Cormie (79), Matt Walker (41) and Comrey Edgeworth (73no).

The trio belted 6 sixes between them.

In reply, Brighton District put up a gallant effort, making 203, with Andrew Lasky (60) and Scott Gordon (50) registering half centuries.

Mentone’s new ball bowlers Ed McGarry (4-36) and Walker (3-39) got good reward.

McKinnon opener Luke Heath scored a patient 71 not out to guide his side to victory over St Brigid’s St Louis with two balls to spare.

The Saints made 152, with Jeremy Heys (37), Liam Harris (40) and Lochie Brodie (30) doing best.

Heath paced McKinnon’s chase beautifully, with support from Jack O’Shea (20) and Tiron Fernando (22).

Saints young gun Trae Love-Linay nearly dragged his side back with his first ever five wicket haul, 5-24 off eight overs.

Clayton District chased down Parkdale’s 8-199, replying with 5-201 in 35.1 overs.

Brendan Lazarus smacked 61 off 54 balls to propel the winners, with Kevin Harris completing the job with 41 not out.

Earlier, Parkdale opener Dale Elmi 81 off 63 balls.

Dingley stormed into the top four with an eye-popping win over Parkdale United.

The Dingoes went at better than a run a ball to put up 5-255, with opener Bevin Corneille showing the way with 80 off 59 balls (10 fours, 4 sixes).

Ryan McLean (60 off 48), Jay Jhamb (48 off 34) and skipper Calvin Barlow (25) also hit the ball crisply.

Parkdale United replied with 6-221, Kaleb-John Tymko (71) and Ben Marsh (59no) posting half centuries.