By Lachlan Mitchell
VSDCA
Endeavour Hills Cricket Club has continued to go from strength-to-strength and currently sit firmly atop the VSDCA North/East division ladder.
One of the many keys to success is Indian International Akshay Ballal who is currently averaging 86.8 with the bat
Ballal, who is under the Global Talent Entertainment Agency banner along with captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, has currently played seven games for the Eagles this season top scoring with 84. The young star is also playing his part with the ball taking 12 wickets this season.
“When I was in India I was watching matches on YouTube and was asking my manager to get me to play in Australia,” Ballal said.
“The team was very supportive in getting me over and we have been getting right behind each and everyone’s performance in the side.”
Akshay has played first-class cricket in India before making the move to Australia for his stint at Endeavour Hills.
“It’s been good to play a lot more pace bowlers, because in India you only play spin bowlers and they bowl maybe 20 -25 overs in an 90-over game,” he said.
“I have seen a lot of good batters in Australia and the way they bat is so good to watch because of the pitches.”
Akshay’s runs this season have been calculated down to a fine art and he knows where to pick up singles to boost the run-rate.
“I calculate when I bat, and if I have 25 overs left to bat I try to get as many singles each and every ball, fours and sixes can be hit by any batsman. Taking singles is the most difficult thing to do, every batsman can hit fours and sixes,” he said.
“As a bowler if someone is trying to take a single off me every ball I’m going to get frustrated…I try and get five or six runs an over.
“In the last five overs I try and get some runs.”
Endeavour Hills this season has been led by former Sri Lankan international Tillakaratne Dilshan who has brought his experience to the side which is a massive bonus.
“To have Dilshan on our side is a big thing for us, the amount of runs he has made on the international level, the amount of experience he has had, he is such an amazing captain, and he has an incredible ability to read the game,” Ballal said.
The ladder leaders aren’t taking their enviable position for granted with only two weeks to finals.
“We have won the last nine games, we are taking each game one week at a time and then we can see how it goes from then,“ Ballal said.
Endeavour Hill currently sit equal on points with Kew at the top-of-the-ladder, on equal points, but lead on percentage. Kew is led by former Australian all-rounder John Hastings. The Eagles lost to Kew in round two of the season.
WDCA
Catani was looking to break into finals contention when it came up against bottom-placed Warragul on Saturday.
The Cats won the toss and elected to bat, posting 231, helped along by a Josh Bethune 58 at the top of the order.
Tyler Constantine was the best of the bowlers for the away side taking 4/59 in his eight overs.
Warragul looked on top early with the willow but lost crucial wickets and struggled to keep ahead of the run rate.
Constantine tried his best to blast his side home with a quick-fire 47 off 28 balls but it wasn’t enough to see the Gulls home.
Ladder-leaders Hallora took on Drouin who currently sit just outside the top four, one win behind Neerim District who currently hold onto that final spot.
Hallora opener Damon Healy looks a keeper at the top of the order, blasting his way to 143 off just 110 balls in a convincing display of power and talent.
Paul Timewell did his best with ball in hand to minimise the damage for his side taking 4/53.
Drouin looked outclassed from the get go and didn’t get close to the reaching the mammoth target.
Jonathan Bell (54) was the only positive take away for the Ducks. Drouin fell 114 runs of the target.
Joint ladders-leaders Ellinbank took on Buln Buln who have only managed to register one win this season.
Ellinbank looked slow and sluggish getting off the mark when opener Matthew Brewer fell for naught.
The Eagles own Nicholas Fairbank took matters into his own hands making 42 off just 29 balls to get his side to 239 after 40 overs.
Buln Buln did its best with the bat but fell 69 runs short. Corey Jagoe (39) was the only shining light for away side, while Curtis Howell (4/51) continued his run of good form taking his 12th wicket of the season.
Neerim Districts spot in the final four got a whole lot more shaky after falling 11 runs short of Yarragon at home.
Yarragon posted 212 anchored by a Gamini Kumara run-a-ball 81.
Neerim District couldn’t have gotten off to a better start in reply, putting on 95 for a first-wicket stand.
The Stags horn’s quickly fell off from that point forward, losing 2/10 and causing a catastrophic collapse in the middle order.
The unenviable task of hitting the winning runs was left up to Aaron Fawcett and Liam Garlick-Adams who couldn’t get the job done.
