VSDCA: Moorabbin shoots out Ormond for 98, Spotswood and Hoppers Crossing batters score centuries
A hostile spell by a Moorabbin quickie fired it to its first win of the VSDCA south-west season, while classy centuries by Spotswood and Hoppers Crossing batters lit up Round 5 action.
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The Saints were singing on Sunday afternoon.
Moorabbin broke through for its first win of the Victorian Sub-District Association south-west season after knocking over Ormond for 98 in the Saturday-Sunday Round 5 clash.
Paceman Navdeep Singh ripped the heart out of Ormond as it chased 164, returning the stunning figures of 6-21 off 10 overs.
Singh had Ormond reeling at 4-20 at Moorleigh Community Village Reserve.
Moorabbin captain Damsara Menuwara also sent down a crucial spell, taking 2-21 off 11.3 overs, and Charles Drayton nabbed 2-14.
Meanwhile, the rain on Sunday held Spotswood from victory over Williamstown.
Spotty, led by gun left-hander Lachlan McKenna (104), set Willy 265.
McKenna struck 17 fours in his 148-ball innings, sharing a 98-run stand with opener Jarrod Martignago (74).
McKenna scored 524 runs across all grades in his first season out of Premier Cricket last year but felt he left runs behind, being dismissed eight times between 20 and 50.
But on Saturday he went big, benefitting from being “a little bit more organised” at the creases.
“Last year while I was able to get to 30 or 40 I didn’t go on with it just because the nuance of how Subbies is played is very different to Premier,” McKenna said.
“Coming into this year I have tried to be a little bit more organised so I can deal with the different bowlers and wickets you come across in Subbies.
“I haven’t been setting the world on fire by any stretch of the imagination but I think I am a bit more organised, it’s been good to start that way but it’s only four games in.
“The way you have to play spin and medium pace bowlers, I guess you have to be more circumspect.
“Last year I probably tried to go a bit too hard against them … I have tried to pick my balls a bit better this year and tried to bat a bit longer.
“I was in and out last year and missed the best times to bat through the middle and end of the day.”
Williamstown finished 9-181 on Sunday afternoon after rain kept play on hold for over an hour.
McKenna said Spotswood veteran Dan Schuppan “was sensational”, bowling 20 overs for a return of 6-45.
“Even though we didn’t get the win and it was a draw, I think we played our most complete game of cricket so far this year,” McKenna said.
“We would feel we have underperformed so far (this season), we certainly haven’t played our best cricket just yet.
“But we’ve been much improved over the past couple of weeks, we played some really good cricket against Melton and in this game.
“I think we bowled really well in this game – Dan Schuppan was unbelievable.
“To be 39 years old and take six-fa on a flat, flat wicket, he was sensational.”
Spotswood takes on the undefeated Brighton next week.
Spearhead Will Sist took rain out of the question in the Tonners’ clash with Port Melbourne.
Sist snared 5-32 as his side dismissed the Borough for 195.
Luke Domaschenz (88) and Nick Benson (41) saved Port Melbourne from a horror showing, putting needed runs on the board after it was 5-57.
Despite each Tonner reaching 16, captain-coach Peter Cassidy was the only batter to go beyond 39 with 43 not out.
The match between Caulfield and Hoppers Crossing was drawn after being in a balanced position.
The Fielders were 3-157 off 53 overs in response to the visitors’ 8-289.
Hoppers skipper Simon Lambert hit 110 off 148 balls on day one while Lachlan Graf was unbeaten on 71 when play was called on Sunday.
Oakleigh, meanwhile, has given its early-season finals aspirations a boost with an significant win over Werribee.
The Oaks, led by 48 from opener Nathan Harford, set the Tigers 8-199 in difficult conditions.
The Tigers were coasting in reply at 3-101 but weren't able to withstand a brilliant spell from coach Matt Grace and off-spinner Madurawalage Jayasundera.
Grace captured 5-44 while Jayasundera took 3-20 as Werribee lost 7-20.
Taylors Lakes had to settle for a draw despite having Elsternwick on the ropes in a rain interrupted match. After putting up 6-333 on Saturday, with skipper Steffan Roberts (84), Nilan Fernando (82) and Jashanpreet Singh (58) in dazzling form, Taylors Lakes had Elsternwick 9-141 on Sunday but couldn’t land the knock-out punch as Elsty tailenders Jackson Hall (0no off 17 balls) and Jacob Kerr (0no off 6 balls) dug in.
Earlier, Taylors Lakes left-armers Saihaj Jaspal and George Sakkas ran through Elsternwick’s top-order. Ethan Just took a brilliant diving catch to give Surrey Second XI player Jaspal (2-34) his first wicket of the day and Sakkas (3-10 off 11 overs) was on a hat-trick as Elsty crashed to 6-55. Left-arm spinner Dhanushka Lahiru Kumara chimed in with 3-18 off 13 overs.
Altona made it two wins in a row with a hard-fought 33-run win over Yarraville. Altona put up 234 on Saturday, with No. 8 Luke Medlock top-scoring with 71 (with 7 fours, 2 sixes), Matt Turcinovich making 60 (7 fours, 2 sixes) and opener Charlie Ward 45 and then Yarraville in deep trouble at 8-79 on Sunday before Michael Sheedy (46) and Akshat Buch (60) led a rebuild with a 95-run partnership. But Altona clinched victory, dismissing the home side for 201. Callum Hands (2-28) and Ben Davies (2-19) did the early damage while Tom McConville finished with the best wicket haul, 3-45, inclu
ding a brilliant legside stumping by Mitchell Grubb to dismiss Ashish Mathew (41).
Randev Pathirana scored a determined, unbeaten 63 off 144 balls to steer Malvern to a five-wicket win over Melton. Left-handed Pathirana hit five boundaries, including several delightful cut shots, as the Roosters, chasing 188 for victory, made 5-189 in 82.3 overs. Alex Moen (26), Max Tryfonos (26) and Nick Taylor (24) were also in the runs for the 4-1 Malvern. Tryfonos was man of the match after taking 5-53 off 24.4 overs with his left-arm spinners on Saturday. For Melton, James Robertson toiled hard to take 3-46 off 23 overs, with 10 maidens.
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