VSDCA 2018-19: Noble Park knocks Bayswater our of Sub-District Cricket premiership race

Bayswater’s push for a maiden VSDCA premiership ended at the first hurdle after Noble Park eliminated it from the flag race on Sunday.

Ben Osborne cuts in the final against Noble Park. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Bayswater’s push for a maiden VSDCA premiership ended at the first hurdle after Noble Park eliminated it from the flag race on Sunday.

Baysy appeared on track for a big total at 0-50 on day one only to be bowled out 167 before the Parkers passed the total four wickets down.

Noble Park captain Luke Wintle took another star turn in a run-drenched summer, posting his fifth half-century of the North-East section season to help set up a semi-final clash against Mount Waverley.

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Wintle was unbeaten on 72 to take his run tally to 730 for the season, and Kalhath Lippuli Arachige reached his highest score of the campaign as the pair shared a 116-run partnership for the second wicket.

Lippuli Arachige (49 off 133) had passed 20 just once in 2018-19 and had been dismissed for eight single-digit scores, but was ice-cool as he blunted Baysy’s star pace attack of Matthew Gale, Blair Allan and Tim Sugumar.

The game briefly came to life at 3-125 when Sugumar dismissed Lippuli Arachige and Robbie Johnston (0) in consecutive balls, but Isi Perera quickly extinguished Bayswater’s push.

Perera punched his fourth ball to the cover boundary and hit three other fours in his knock of 16, dismissed with Noble Park needing another 18 for victory.

Mt Waverley’s win over Plenty Valley meant Bayswater was bounced from finals in the first week — a disappointing finish to a campaign where some considered it the team to beat.

Bayswater captain Allan said his side was left to rue its performance with the bat.

Three run-outs also proved costly.

Noble Park celebrate a wicket against Bayswater. Picture: Stuart Milligan

“It was a disappointing game. We didn’t make enough runs, we didn’t have enough people apply themselves really and no real large partnerships, which is what our focus was,” Allan said.

“They bowled really well, they tied us up, they bowled to a plan and we just didn’t really get out of that groove. We were probably a little bit timid, we didn’t play the shots we probably could’ve played and then when we tried to play those shots they were the wrong balls and got ourselves out.”

Bayswater had occupied a top-two position for most the Sub-District Cricket season but dropped its final two games of the home-and-away rounds.

Allan said Baysy lost momentum in the final month of the campaign.

“The talent in this room is high so it’s just a real disappointment,” he said.

“Cricket’s all about momentum, we had the momentum at the start of the year and we were playing really, really well and the back end of the year we lost it and it’s really hard to get back.”