Plenty Valley’s Lahiru Opatha smashes his way into VSDCA club’s record books
In just his fifth game for Plenty Valley, Lahiru Opatha etched his name into club history, smashing a blistering century against Ivanhoe.
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In just his fifth game for Plenty Valley, Lahiru Opatha smashed his way into the club’s record books on Saturday.
The former Sri Lanka Under-19s bat plundered an incredible 167, the fifth highest score in the Bats’ VSDCA history.
Opatha hit the Ivanhoe attack to all parts of War Memorial Park, his better than a-run-a-ball 163-ball knock including 17 boundaries and a half-dozen sixes.
Jamaican Lorenzo Ingram holds the club record with 184 not out in 2013-14, while club greats Sean Ayres, Brad Mitchell and Ryan Pearson are also among the top-five.
Opatha’s giant score helped the hosts reach 294 all out.
Plenty Valley was in early trouble at 4-27 before Opatha was joined by Alex Cole (16), the pair putting on a 89-run fifth-wicket stand.
Opatha then combined with captain Simon Black (16) for a 75-run stand and Tobias Raper for a 50-run partnership before falling to former Bat Troy Haynes.
Raper and Musaddiq Ali Hamza were the next best scorers with 31 apiece.
Bats coach Mihiraj Jayasekara said it was an awesome display of attacking cricket.
“We were struggling but he stood up and scored a brilliant hundred,” Jayasekara said.
“He scored 50 off 55 or 56 balls and the same when he got to a hundred, a five or six-ball difference.
“He just kept attacking, the opposition couldn’t make proper line and length against him.
“We didn’t throw away his wicket, he was attacking smartly.
“He got good support from others, Alex Cole was there for 76 balls and Simon Black was out there for 50 balls.
“Toby and Hamza, down the order, he got some good support.”
Opatha joined Plenty Valley this season after an impressive campaign for Mt Eliza in Mornington Peninsula Peninsula Division, scoring 586 runs at an average of 39.
He also represented the MPCA at Country Week.
He reunited with his old coach Jayasekara at War Memorial Park.
“I coached him at school in Sri Lanka,” Jayasekara revealed.
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“I was the batting coach and we were playing under-19s, we were searching for outstanding players and he came in 2013 as a 17-year-old.
“When I joined Plenty Valley I got him to sign, which has been very good.”
Plenty Valley will look to secure a sixth win of the season this coming Saturday to keep it’s undefeated record in tact.
For Ivanhoe, Haynes was the best with the ball, claiming 4-55 from 17 overs, while Ed Withington snared 3-56.
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