For the first time in club history, Deer Park is VTCA Senior Division premier

Twin centuries have powered Deer Park to the top of the VTCA mountain, winning its first Senior Division title against Sydenham-Hillside.

Deer Park celebrates its VTCA Senior Division premiership.

Deer Park is on top of the VTCA mountain.

For the first time in club history, the Lions are Senior Division premiers, erasing last season’s grand final heartbreak.

Centuries from Hashan Wanasekara and grand final medallist Angelo Emmanuel and six wickets from Fawad Malook secured an outright 212-run victory over Sydenham-Hillside.

Wanasekara’s 101 in the first innings and Keon Harding’s 4-66 helped Deer Park take a 68-run first innings lead.

Emmanuel’s colossal 136 from 321 balls then took the game away from the Storm before Allan Wise (4-32) and Malook (4-24) finished it off.

Angelo Emmanuel was named best-on-ground for Deer Park. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Hashan Wanasekara scored a century for Deer Park. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Premiership coach Mick Andriadis said one aspect was especially satisfying.

“It’s very pleasing, especially when you’re champions and premiers,” he said.

“It’s a completely different feeling from last season, the drama with Haig, we snuck in (to finals) with an outright in the last game, but this year we were on top the whole season.

“We lost a couple of games towards the end, which wasn’t a bad thing, because I think we played our best game in the semi and came into the grand final very confident – at home where we haven’t lost all year.

“Proud of the boys, it was a brilliant season, and rapt for Hashan and Ange – you never forget those things.

“Credit where it’s due, Sydenham are a very, very good side, it wasn’t easy.”

On day one of the four-day grand final, Sydenham-Hillside won the toss and elected to bowl.

Deer Park was in a strong position at 1-110 before wickets started to tumble, losing 7-69 in the middle order, before late runs from club great Ricky Suvada (31) and Upul Bandara (17) lifted the total to 225.

Stefon King rolls the arm over for Sydenham-Hillside. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Alex Barlas thought he had a wicket for Sydenham-Hillside. Picture: Josh Chadwick

In response, Sydenham struggled to put partnerships together as skipper Anthony Alleyne played a lone hand, making 84 not out.

Emmanuel snared 2-16 and took that confidence into the second innings.

The Lions opener blunted the Storm attack, facing 32 more deliveries than the rest of the team combined, and was rewarded with best-on-ground honours.

Andriadis was proud of both his openers.

“Hashan batted fantastic, he was a little bit out of form coming into the granny,” he said.

“I didn’t see that one coming, I knew he was capable, but the way he’d been batting previously.

“It was a very brave innings, he took them on and hit boundaries when not many were scored.

“Ange, that was a contrasting innings, he batted time and was brilliant.

“Having the first innings lead, we obviously didn’t need to win, the game was about batting for as long as we can.”

Like Deer Park last season, Sydenham-Hillside was looking to create history by backing up its Division 1 premiership with a Senior Division crown in its first season at the level.

For the Storm, Gayashan Weerasekara narrowly missed a 10-wicket match, taking 7-47 in the first innings and 2-39 in the second to be the leading bowler in the match.

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West Indian Stefon King and Scottish international Adrian Neill both claimed 3-60 in Deer Park’s second dig.

Alleyne’ 84 not out was a standout in the first innings, while Neill top-scored in the second with 30.

Meanwhile, in the Second XI, Yarraville Club is celebrating a Quinn Shield title after a thrilling one-wicket win over Keilor.

Needing five runs with only one wicket in hand, Jacob Jebara (15 not out) and Ben Finlay (two not out) were the heroes for Clubbers.