By Jonty Ralphsmith
WARRAGUL DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Half-centuries to Drouin’s Damon Healy and Aravinda Akurugoda has led it to a win over Neerim District, chasing 198 for victory.
Drouin denied Neerim District any momentum all day with each partnership worth at least 20, preventing the hosts from ever truly applying the brakes and building pressure.
Healy’s knock came off just 68 balls which eased any perceived scoring expectation off the rest of the order, while Akurugoda controlled the back-half of the run chase.
Meanwhile, a Dom Pullen four-wicket haul helped Longwarry defend 161 against Ellinbank.
Daniel Pandolfo and Curtis Howell faced 103 and 93 balls respectively in long stays in the middle, but they made just 27 and 23 collectively, their wickets then cuing a collapse as Ellinbank lost 6/16.
Number-eight Sahan Jayawardana offered some resistance with 22 but with wickets falling around him, he couldn’t get his team the rhythm it was searching for, Ellinbank bowled out for 106.
Hallora was never any chance of reaching Western Park’s 9/269, reaching just 96 as usual suspects Sam Batson and Ellis Whiteford kept it tight, Hallora facing 47 overs.
Meanwhile, Catani’s Nathan Goodes finished with the enviable figures of 4/6 off 6.4 overs against Yarragon.
At 4/112, Yarragon looked a chance of reaching the target of 182, before set batters Kasun Ranusinghe and Lahiru Jayakody were dismissed in quick succession.
Jayakody was the first of Goodes’ wickets and he claimed four of the last five, ensuring Catani finished it off quickly with the last six wickets falling for just 13 runs.
So what does it all mean?
LAST SPOT IN FINALS: Drouin and Ellinbank will this week face off in what will effectively determine which team reaches finals. Drouin (fourth) sit a game ahead of Ellinbank (fifth), but behind second-placed Catani on percentage meaning a win could propel them as high as second on the table, if both Catani (second) and Hallora (third) lose. Ellinbank will also be barracking for a Hallora loss, as it would mean if they qualify, they climb to third, avoiding a difficult clash with Western Park, which has lost just once this season, first up.
TOP-OF-THE-TABLE: A one versus two clash headlines the final round, but with Western Park two-and-a-half games clear on top, it will be playing only to dent the confidence of Catani, knowing the pair will likely face off again in finals. For Catani, there is much more on the line. Just a game clear of fourth and with an inferior percentage to the three teams behind them – Hallora, Drouin, Ellinbank – it needs a win to hold its seeding. A loss would see Catani fall as low as fourth and face Western Park for a second consecutive week if Hallora defeated Yarragon and Drouin also won. Catani would fall to third if one of those results occurred, and would remain second if neither Hallora nor Drouin win.
VICTORIA SUB-DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Three late wickets has Endeavour Hills well-positioned in its clash with Box Hill.
The hosts were bowled out for 181 inside 59 overs, with five players scoring between 25 and 40 but none going on to anchor the innings.
Opener Chris Ryan scored 39 off 49 to lead the way with the batting, but it’s the bowling of Shehan Jayewickreme (2/16 off seven), Hemantha Jayasundera (0/5 off eight) and Akshay Ballal (1/9 off six) that helped build pressure and see Endeavour Hills find the breakthroughs.
