VSDCA 2022-23: Livera, Dias and Wijeratne set up Moorabbin’s win over Oakleigh

Roshan Livera’s eight-wicket haul in Subbies was capped off when a quick-thinking club president made a dash after play to secure a special memento.

Moorabbin’s Roshan Livera took an eight-wicket haul. Picture: Hamish Blair

A masterly spell by Moorabbin medium pacer Roshan Livera sealed a rousing win for the Binners over respected rivals Oakleigh on Saturday.

Cutting the ball around, Livera captured a career-best 8-55 off 32 overs to dismantle the finals-bound Oaks for 192, in reply to 229, at Warrawee Park.

And he will have a special memento to remind him of his big day after quick-thinking Moorabbin president Alan Marion made a dash after play to snaffle the match ball, which he will have mounted and made into a trophy for Livera.

“I grabbed it off the Oakleigh blokes and they were fine,” Marion said.

“I teed it up with the Oakleigh president (Peter Webb).”

Moorabbin president Alan Marion.

Marion said Livera bowled superbly in tandem with Binners captain Renaldi Dias, who took the other two wickets and finished with 2-75 off 26.4 overs.

“Roshan cut the ball around and he kept the pressure on and the captain at other end bowled beautifully,’’ Marion said.

Marion proudly pointed out it was Moorabbin’s second successive win over Oakleigh.

The Binners’ victory was set up on day one by the brilliant batsman-keeper Vishva Wijeratne, who made 108, his second century for the club in his 36th match.

“Vish comes out each year from Sri Lanka and now he’s moved here so we hope to have him for a long time,” Marion said.

“He has beautiful hands as a keeper and bats very well.”

Renaldi Dias in full flight. Picture: Hamish Blair

It was Moorabbin’s fifth win of the season. The Binners are in ninth spot in north-south section, with three matches remaining.

Marion said the club was on the right track, with talented juniors making their way through the grades.

“We’re developing from the bottom up,” he said.

“And we’ll have an announcement about two of the best coaches you’ll ever see in Sub District next year and they’re both ex-Moorabbin players.

“We need to invest in getting the right coaches.

“Four or five years ago we were a bit of a mess and now we’re financially stable and we’re not turning over players like we used to. That’s a good sign.’’

Next season is Moorabbbin Cricket Club’s 100th year. A gala dinner is planned after the first game.