Deer Park jumps from eighth into VTCA finals with stunning outright win

Deer Park needed an outright win and three other results to go its way and the Lions’ prayers were answered in a stunning finish to the VTCA Senior Division season.

Deer Park needed a miracle and its prayers were answered on Saturday.

The Lions entered the final round of the VTCA Senior Division in eighth, nine points behind fourth-placed Sunshine United, knowing only an outright win would give them a sniff of finals.

Not only did they need United to lose, they needed St Albans to go down as well and neither Druids nor Craigieburn to win outright.

And that’s how it played out.

A seven-wicket outright win saw Deer Park claim the maximum 10 points and leap-frog four teams to lock in fourth place.

Deer Park captain Roshon Primus rolls the arm over. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“We’d done our sums but we needed to take care of what we needed to do and win outright,” Lions coach Mick Andriadis said.

“We didn’t try to build on the lead in the first innings, we just threw them straight back in, which gave them a chance to win reverse outright but the tactic worked out.

“Last Saturday we’d got our nose in front and then the rain came down and we got called off.

“We had a look at the wicket this Saturday and decided to declare and try to get the 10 wickets and whatever the lead is make those runs.

“All the sides batting this weekend won, so we had the weather gods on our side as well.”

Deer Park skittled Westmeadows for just 70 on day one of the match, Upul Bandera (3-7) and Ricky Suvada (3-5) doing the damage, and reached 6-73 before rain saw the day’s play called off.

The Warriors were asked to bat again at the start of play on Saturday and Suvada once again ripped through the hosts at Willowbrook Reserve.

A season-best 5-29 helped dismiss Westmeadows for 107 and Hashan Wanasekara’s unbeaten 53 then guided the Lions home, finishing 3-105 in 23 overs.

Suvada’s performance sees him finish the season as the competition’s fifth-leading wicket-taker with 26 scalps, while he finished second in the club for runs and 15th overall.

“Rick has had a great season and it’s (giving up the captaincy) taken the weight off him, not worrying about captaining,” Andriadis said.

“He’s made a brilliant hundred, a couple of 50s, a five-for and eight wickets in this game, he’s going great. He’s been a great club person for a long time.”

The win secures the club a semi-final berth against reigning premier and minor premier Haig Fawkner in their maiden Senior Division season.

Haig claimed an eight-wicket win in their only Senior Division meeting this season.

Andriadis said the reigning Division 1 premier would take a free-hit mentality into the match.

“We’ve got a bit of hope, Haig is going to be under-manned a little bit and we’re dangerous,” he said.

“We’re playing some good cricket, the last six games we’ve won four first innings and an outright and the loss was after a bad first day against Abers, so we’ll take a lot of confidence into the semi.

“It’s our first year up and we came from a long way back but we’ve showed signs we’re capable.

TALENT: TOP NAMES TO REMEMBER FROM DOWLING SHIELD

LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL CRICKET NEWS HERE

MPCA: “ONE OF THE BEST” PINES POWERS INTO FINALS

“We’ve had a few bad Saturdays but we honestly believe our best is good enough to beat anyone, we beat Yarraville Club in a one-dayer, Abers has got the wood on us and Haig we played them in a one-dayer a long time ago.

“Sometimes with a nothing to lose mentality sides can be dangerous.”

Elsewhere, Aberfeldie secured a home semi-final with a four-wicket win over St Albans and will play Yarraville Club, which suffered a 21-run defeat to Haig Fawkner.

Druids had an eight-wicket win over Craigieburn and Keilor ended Sunshine United season with a five-wicket win.