Sydenham-Hillside chase down PEGS to lock in home semi-final

Gunning for back-to-back promotions, Sydenham-Hillside coach Geoff Pretty said a strong win over PEGS would sharpen the club for finals.

Chasing down 285 is an ideal lead into finals, according to Sydenham-Hillside coach Geoff Pretty.

The Storm are eyeing back-to-back promotions this season and have the minor premiership all but secured with one game remaining in the home-and-away season.

A Ishan Peiris century ensured the VTCA Division 1 ladder-leader successfully ran down PEGS’ big first innings total.

Peiris (106) and Anthony Alleyne (88) anchored the chase with a match-defining 150-run second-wicket partnership as Sydenham-Hillside finished 3-302.

The 221-ball, five-hour knock takes Peiris to the top of the competition’s run-scorers charts with 658 runs at an average of 54.83, jumping Storm teammate Gayashan Weerasekara (603). Alleyne is No.5 with 450 runs.

Sydenham-Hillside all-rounder Anthony Alleyne. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Pretty said a challenging win was critical at this time of season.

“It was a good total to chase coming into final, you find out more when you’re challenged than you do when you’re winning easy,” he said.

“We need a couple of tough one coming into finals to keep you focused and making sure things are ticking along as they should be.

“Ish has had a really good year opening and it was really important to get us away to a good start.

“If you put the time and effort in, bat time, then the runs will come. All our guys can catch up, we don’t panic about run rates, we know can score and put the foot down when we need to.

“Anthony is a very good player, they batted with intelligence and when they gave us a chance to score, they scored.”

On Day 1 of the match, Stefon King snared 4-89 as a Carlos Maynard century gave the relegation battlers a sniff of an upset.

However, the reigning Division 2 premier showed its class on arguably the best batting pitch in the competition.

Sydenham-Hillside has three premierships in the last four seasons since crossing from the North West Metro association in 2016-17.

Pretty said the final-round clash against St Francis de Sales would be an ideal preparation for finals but wasn’t looking too far ahead.

“I worry about it game-by-game, let’s win this one then the semi and then let’s see what happens in the grand final,” he said.

“If you look too far ahead you getting bitten on the proverbial.

“Cricket can change very quickly, I’ve played in teams that have gone through undefeated and been beaten in the semi.

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“That’s the aim for the club, to get to Senior Division, hopefully it’s next year.

“You don’t plan for that, you’ve got to work week to week and promotion will take care of itself.”

Elsewhere in Division 1, Doutta Stars (195) jumped into the top four with a comprehensive win over Airport West St Christophers (64 & 4-118).

St Francis de Sales (278) proved too good for third-placed Sunshine (233), Tullamarine (212) kept its relegation survival hopes alive with a stirring win over Seddon (183) and Altona North (7-225) defeated West Coburg (185) thanks to Haydn Wilkinson’s 97.