ECA Dunstan Shield 2020-21 finals guide: East Doncaster the flag favourite
With the semi-finals set, we assess the match-ups and who the match-winners could be in the Eastern Cricket Association’s top grade.
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The Eastern Cricket Association’s Big Four will vie for the premiership.
While Old Carey and Marcellin OC threatened to displace the Dunstan Shield pacesetters, familiar foes will do battle in the coming finals series.
But it promises to be a cracking finish to the season, with East Doncaster, North Balwyn, Canterbury and Mont Albert making up the top four for a second consecutive summer following Saturday’s final round.
East Doncaster was also a runaway minor premier in 2019-20 before it was knocked off by eventual premier North Balwyn in the semi-final.
But the pair will only meet again this season if they advance this weekend.
East Doncaster scored an emphatic win over Old Carey in the final round of the home-and-away campaign, finishing with a 12-1-1 record and 18 points clear on top of the table.
The flag favourite put up 7-135 before rolling the visitors for a paltry 78 in 31.1 overs.
Skipper Matt Vaiano fired with 5-12 from eight overs, removing Old Carey’s top-three batsmen. Kyle Hoath (2-8) and Rob Sayer (2-26) also impressed.
Shaun Morris (28 wickets at 9.89) and Sayer (28 at 11.93) finished the regular rounds as the competition’s equal leading wicket-takers, while Vaiano (23 at 8.61) is also enjoying a fine season.
East Doncaster also boasts three of the top nine run-scorers in star recruit Peter Dickson (394 runs at 49.25), Matt Bremner (342 at 31.09) and Vaiano (296 at 26.91).
It will tackle Mont Albert in a cut-throat semi at Zerbes Reserve after prevailing in two tight matches this season.
Mont Albert (8-193) recorded a two-wicket victory over Marcellin OC (7-192) in Round 14.
Jack Woods (47) and captain Jack Joslin (46) led the way with the bat for the winners.
The duo have been their team’s top performers with the bat, Joslin putting up 306 runs and Woods 281.
Former Prahran skipper Nathan McNally (20 wickets at 14.55) and Andrew Padbury (14 at 11.50) are Mont’s main threats with the ball.
Defending premier North Balwyn and last season’s runner-up Canterbury will do battle in the other semi.
They will meet for the second consecutive week after the Bulls won by five wickets on Saturday.
North Balwyn enters finals in good form having not lost since January 23, when it suffered a 90-run defeat to East Doncaster.
Lachlan Streat (66) and Levi King (43) steered the Berries to 6-165 in the weekend’s fixture, with Alex Smith returning a tidy 2-12 from eight overs for the visitors.
Max Tomkinson led the response with a fine 74 and found support from Elliot Brandon-Jones (39) as the Bulls reached 5-167 with 27 balls remaining.
North Balwyn captain Nitesh Patel has enjoyed another standout season, topping the run-scoring charts with 400 at 36.36, while Brandon-Jones has 321 runs to his name.
James Binney (21 wickets at 14.05) and Smith (19 at 17.21) have been the best at the bowling crease.
Michael Forwood has been Canterbury’s leading batsman with 284 runs, while skipper Andy Mills (22 wickets at 13.18) and Steve Duckworth (20 at 15.55) are likely to provide constant headaches.
North Balwyn also won the Round 7 clash between the two teams by four wickets, but a close contest looms.
The semi-final clash will be staged at Kew’s Stradbroke Park.
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