DDCA: HSD coach Craig Hookey has identified the area his side must improve
Despite edging closer to another finals campaign, HSD coach Craig Hookey has identified the area his side must improve to contend for the DDCA Turf 2 silverware.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
HSD coach Craig Hookey says his side must improve at least “30 per cent” with bat if it is to contend for the Dandenong District Turf 2 flag.
Despite sitting second on the ladder after Saturday’s win over Narre Warren, Hookey believes the Cobras “haven’t played great cricket” and identifies batting as their issue.
“If I am blatantly honest, batting, we have let ourselves down with the bat in nearly every game we’ve played, except for maybe the two Parkmore games,” he says.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a major concern because we’re winning games but we aren’t playing the way we would like with the stick.
“We need to turn that around and turn it around quite quickly.
“We have the right ways to do that, we’ve shown bits and pieces for 70 per cent of our innings but that other 30 per cent is just not good enough.
“Situations on the weekend where you go from 2-100 to 8-120 – you can’t win games of cricket doing that.
“Luckily for us we were only chasing 125, so we could win, but there’s things we have addressed this week, accordingly.
“I think our bowling attack is the best in the competition, I don’t shy away from that, but we just need to sure up our batting a bit with some better plans.”
The two-wicket win keeps HSD (second) in touch with Dandenong West.
Having overcome the Bulls earlier in the season, Hookey says his side will enter any future clash with the ladder-leaders full of confidence.
“They’re a good team, they have a lot of good players that have played a lot of First XI cricket,” he says.
“We’ve got quite a settled team that has played a lot of cricket with each other, I am hoping that holds us in good stead.
“At the end of the day, both teams have match winners on their side – if it was to come to a finals scenario, I think it would be a fascinating game.
“They’re not unbeatable and I think that’s what we proved when we beat them in that one-day game, they have got some really good players but they are human.
“We have some good players but we are human, anything could happen.”
Parkmore Pirates, meanwhile, kept their finals dream alive with a commanding win over Lyndale.
The Pirates castled the visitors for just 35 and reeled in the target with all 10 wickets in the shed.
Avisha Wilwalaarachchi was chief destroyer for the Pirates, claiming 5-19.
Keysborough breathed life into its season with a win over grand finalists Cranbourne.
The Knights set the Eagles 146 after Mehakdeep Singh crunched an import 46 from no.10.
James Wright then took 5-24 as Keysborough edged closer to Narre Warren in seventh.
The two teams in the final round of the home and away season is sure to decide the relegation battle.
Now third-placed Parkfield was in a strong position in its clash with Dandenong West when rain hit.
The Bandits were 1-112 from just 23 overs before the points were split between the two sides.
Country Week grand finals decided in thrilling circumstances
Melbourne Country Week drew to a close on Friday afternoon and there was a series of stunning grand finals including one which went down to the final. Here’s how they played out.
The issue plaguing Narre South ahead of relegation fight
Narre South captain-coach Jeevan Mendis has thrown down the gauntlet to his batsmen as a four-way DDCA Turf 1 relegation dogfight looms.