VTCA 2020-21: Keilor recruit, young gun lead way in win over Doutta Stars

After losing three quick wickets, a dominant partnership laid the foundations for Keilor’s VTCA victory over Doutta Stars.

Keilor skipper Nathan Beever in action earlier this season. Picture: Hamish Blair

Keilor won the toss and opted to bat.

But its top-three batsmen departed about as quickly as the coin came down.

Skipper Nathan Beever (1), Rob Clements (6) and Luke Delbridge (6) all failed to contribute double figures as the Blues tumbled to 3-20 in their Victorian Turf Cricket Association clash with Doutta Stars.

Enter recruit Dinuska Malan and 15-year-old Mitch Jamieson.

After three knocks between 37 and 44, Malan hammered 108 from 101 deliveries with nine boundaries and three sixes.

Jamieson helped himself to 79 from 88, more than doubling his season tally in the process and backing up and encouraging hand of 40 the previous week.

The pair put on a 153-run partnership as Keilor posted a formidable 5-222 from its 40 overs.

The Stars were never in the hunt as they were rolled for 129 from 33.5 overs.

Blues coach Duncan Harrison heaped praise on the duo after they spearheaded the club’s second win of the season.

Keilor coach Duncan Harrison. Picture: Supplied

“He’s been promising a really good innings for a few weeks and he’s been working really hard away from the matches and been desperate to show everyone and prove to everyone what he can do,” Harrison said of Malan, who also has nine wickets to his name in 2020-21 to go with 267 runs at 44.5.

“It was an awesome innings. He batted really well.

“He’s quite a handy cricketer.

“We’re trying to give him (Jamieson) as much exposure as we can.

“He’s probably worked his way out of a little tough trot earlier in the year. He batted the house down.”

Keilor produced its best bowling performance of the season to comfortably defend the total.

Luke McManus set the tone by removing Stars openers Jayden Borg and Hamish Moore, returning figures of 2-9 from six tight overs.

Matthew Strachan (3-24), Daniel Stavris (2-29), Matthew Gaskett (1-15) and Ryan Metz (1-27) also fired.

“We got a score on the board so we were able to put some pressure on,” Harrison said.

“The boys got a few early wickets and then really squeezed them.”

Harrison, who is in his first season at the helm, said the win over a quality opponent would “do the group wonders”.

The Blues have won two of their past three games and sit in ninth spot, one game clear of Aberfeldie.

“I think we’ve shown some improvement over the last three or four games,” Harrison said.

“We’ve been really focusing on following a process and a plan, hoping the results then start to come. The last three weeks have been really good.

“The plan is to keep improving for the rest of the year, keep getting games into some of these young guys and keep going forward.

“Definitely the aim is to stay in Senior Division and hopefully get a couple more wins and lock that in.”