Kew routs Endeavour Hills to secure second straight VSDCA grand final
“Complete” Kew needed just 39 overs – total – to rout flag rival Endeavour Hills and book its return to the VSDCA grand final stage.
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It took Kew just 39 overs to utterly destroy Endeavour Hills on Saturday.
Not 39 overs of one innings, 39 overs total, 39 overs of a match meant to last 90.
Saturday’s eight-wicket semi-final victory was one of the most brutal performances in recent Sub-District finals history.
Kew captain Chris Weeks labelled it “one of the most complete performances” he’s seen at Kew as the visiting Eagles were routed for 75.
Will Sist (3-12), John Hastings (3-21) and Tom Chalkley (3-34) ripped through the Endeavour Hills batting order, captain and Sri Lanka great Tillakaratne Dilshan providing the only resistance before falling for 21.
Andrew Chalkley (39) then made light work of the chase to guide Kew into a second straight grand final with redemption on offer.
Weeks said it was a special performance given the opposition and stakes
“It’s one of the most complete performances that I’ve been a part of at Kew,” he said.
“It’s all well and good but we’ve been in this position before and I think the boys are very excited to have another chance at it next weekend.
“As a side we’ve been threatening to do that for a while.
“I say this to a lot of people, our bowling attack is a very good attack.
“People talk about our batting but our bowlers can hold their own against anyone in the competition.
“It was a great performance, I was really proud of the guys, and I think it’s another step in the development of the group.”
Tom Chalkley came out firing at Victoria Park, removing Tyrell Panditharatne, Navishta de Silva and dangerman Akshay Ballal in quick succession to have Endeavour Hills 3-32.
Hastings then joined the party with the wickets of Susantha Pradeep and Dilshan before running out Chenutha Wickramasinghe as the visitors crumbled to 6-50.
Sist then wrapped up the tail to complete a near faultless bowling performance.
It took just 12.3 overs for Kew to wrap up the win as Chalkley launched eight boundaries in his 31-ball stay before Weeks (21 not out) and Matt Brown (15 not out) guiding their team home.
The victory sees Kew return to the grand final stage against Subbies newcomer Strathmore.
The Mores have enjoyed an extraordinary debut season in the competition and edged St Bernard’s by one wicket in a thriller.
The two teams met just four weeks ago as Kew eased to a seven-wicket win at Lebanon Reserve.
However, Weeks knows it will be a far tougher task come Saturday.
“We had a pretty comprehensive win but they had a few guys out. Their team’s changed a bit,” he said.
“They’re obviously new to the competition and they’ve had a remarkable season.
“I don’t know much about them, we played them maybe four weeks ago, and it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Last season’s grand final loss to Werribee still lingers but it is being used as motivation and a timely reminder not to lose focus.
“We’re confident going into next week, we obviously need to turn up and play the way we play,” Weeks said.
“We’ve had that disappointment and now we’ve done the hard yards to get back again and hopefully we don’t let it slip.
“One-day cricket, if you’re not on your game, anyone can beat you and that obviously got proven last year.
“As long as we learn as a side, that’s been the most pleasing thing for me, the group has developed so much.”
After missing out on silverware completely last season, Kew already has two trophies in the cabinet after the club’s Third and Fourth XIs triumphed in Division 1 grand finals on Saturday.
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Eddie Hogg (62no, 2-15) led the Third XI to a 60-run win over Yarraville, while Neil Adams (45) was man of the match in the Fourth XI’s 33-run win over Werribee.
“It’s great for the club,” Weeks said.
“It’s great for a guy that does so much for the club, Ben Smith captains the Threes and is vice-president, and our chairman of selectors was man of the match in the Fours as well.
“They’ve been challenging since I’ve been at the club without the ultimate success, so it’s great for the club.”
“REALITY CHECK” SHARPENS KEW’S FINALS FOCUS
A “reality check” five weeks ago has pushed Kew to within one game of a second straight VSDCA North-East group grand final.
Being bowled out for just 90 in a seven-wicket drubbing from Box Hill on the eve of finals ensured Kew regained focus and has the club in peak condition.
It will need to be in top form as it enters a sudden-death semi-final against Endeavour Hills, which it pipped to the minor premiership by just 0.02 of a per cent.
The Eagles were shock qualifying final losers last week, setting up what many believed would have been the grand final showdown.
For its part, Kew proved too good for Croydon, running out 125-run winners, with David Wildsmith scoring 80 and Jack Carroll taking 5-25.
Kew captain Chris Weeks was expecting a response from Endeavour Hills.
“It’s sudden death this week and you’d expect Endeavour Hills to bounce back, they’ve got some quality throughout their line-up,” he said.
“We’re up for the challenge though, after our hiccup against Box Hill we’ve played some really good cricket.
“Particularly after last year, it was good to get that reality check.
“No one likes losing but if you can take a positive out of something like that, that’s the way we’ve looked at it as a group.”
Kew defeated Endeavour Hills in their earlier meeting, all the way back in Round 1.
Sri Lanka Test batter Lahiru Thirimanne featured that day and impressed with 64 before falling to Carroll.
Weeks and John Hastings made half-centuries as Kew claimed a 74-run win at Victoria Park.
“It was such a long time ago, a lot’s happened since then,” Weeks said.
“To be fair, we did play them when they had Thirimanne playing, a bloke that’s playing Test cricket currently.
“It was good for us to see how someone like that goes about it and we’re fortunate to have played a lot of cricket with guys that have played at the next level.
“The guys have learnt so much from Hasto, particularly the bowling group, and then there’s guys like Browny that have played a lot of high level cricket.”
Carroll finished with three wickets in the season opener and now has 26 after claiming his maiden First XI five-wicket haul against Croydon.
“Jack Carroll was such a highlight for the club and him personally (on Saturday), taking his first five-for at First XI level,” Weeks said.
“That’s bloody exciting for the club, a guy that’s come through the juniors, and on the back of a really good finals campaign in the Seconds last year as well.
“He’s developing quite nicely.”
With the bat, Andrew Chalkley has scores of 101, 45 and 78 since that Box Hill loss and Matt Brown has back-to-back 40s.
However, it’s been the form of Wildsmith has been equally impressive with 44, 20, 80 and Matt Brown has back-to-back 40s.
After top scoring against Croydon, Wildsmith that has been arguably the biggest factor in Kew’s success.
The Kew stalwart has sent the competition a reminder of his class this season with just one score under 20 in 10 knocks.
“Wildy’s a very, very good player, probably goes under-rated in the competition,” Weeks said.
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“He complements our line-up very well, goes about a little bit differently but he’s in some serious touch.
“He’s such a talented sportsman, he had one hit before Round 1 and he’s got a young family and finds it hard to get to training because he lives over in Essendon and works in Caroline Springs.
“So it’s a testament to him and it goes above and beyond what he offers on Saturday, he’s someone I lean on heavily as a captain, he’s certainly highly rated around our club.”
The winner of the Kew-Endeavour Hills clash will face the winner of Strathmore and St Bernard’s in the group grand final on March 26.
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