A FAST and furious final one-day match signified the end of the Diamond Valley Cricket Association (DVCA) home-and-away season.
Laurimar had a dominant day against Thomastown at Main Street Reserve to land a second place finish in the Mash Shield, keeping their hopes alive of an immediate bounce back to Money Shield.
The Power had their best outing of the season with the ball at the right time, bowling Thomastown out for 45 in 23.4 overs, before needing just 13.1 overs to chase down the target, winning by eight wickets.
All four of the Power’s bowlers were dominant, but it was Travis Baker taking 4/15 and Patrick Richardson 3/13 who provided the show stopping numbers, while with the bat, it was Luke Richardson who scored 18 runs to lead the way.
Mernda will finish third in Mash Shield, successfully defending 127 to defeat Dennis by 21 runs at Waterview Reserve.
It looked as though the Demons would struggle when three quick wickets left them 9/107, but a crucial 20-run partnership between Callum Dean and James Baker helped the tail wag, while Michael Edwards’ 39 runs and Max Russell’s 29 anchored the middle stages of their innings.
With the ball, it was Lachlan Taylor who did the job, taking 4/20 off eight overs, while Edwards took 2/21 and Noah Dodd 2/24 as the Demons took a memorable victory.
In a high-scoring afternoon at AE Cracknell Reserve, South Morang fell 20 runs short of Panton Hill’s imposing 6/279, scoring 8/259 in response.
Karl Heckmann scored 61 runs and Jacob Davidson 62, while Ricky Lee scored 36 and Trent Harvey 30, but the Lions didn’t quite have the middle order support they needed to counter the Redbacks.
Theiveekan Theivanesan took 3/55 off eight overs to lead the way with the ball.
Whittlesea’s Firsts XI’s season is over, despite the best efforts of Lachlan Heaney, who scored a heroic unbeaten 98 out of their 8/148.
Dennis chased down their target with ease, winning with eight balls to spare by seven wickets.
In other results around the DVCA, Mernda’s Second XI was no match for Riverside, losing by 99 runs.
Lucas Ward and Caleb Leckstrom took two wickets apiece as they restricted Riverside to 7/183, but the Demons were bowled out for 84 in response.
A youthful Laurimar Second XI’s season ended, falling just 13 runs short of North Eltham.
Cooper Lewin took three wickets and Harry McKeown two as the Power held North Eltham to 8/169, but while David Sinclair scored 27 and McKeown 34, they weren’t quite able to meet the target and were bowled out for 156.
Whittlesea’s Second XI’s season is over, but not without finishing their season with a distinct positive by scoring a 10-wicket win over Eltham.
Tharindu Harith Withana and Gavin Butler took three wickets each as they helped the Eagles restrict Eltham to 115, but it was Jack Jerabek who again performed well.
Jerabek took two wickets with the ball, before scoring an unbeaten 50 off just 28 balls before retiring not out, while Ben Pratt (33) and Neil Kellie (20) finished off the job in just 19 overs.
South Morang’s Second XI scored a 39-run win over Rosebank to ensure they finished third in the D Grade competition, lining up a semi-final clash with Hurstbridge next week.
Brad Riley’s 58 helped anchor the Lions as they scored 6/166, before Darcy Kay’s five-wicket haul ensured the Lions would bowl Rosebank out for 127 in response.
With finals on the horizon, all eyes appear to be on Mash Shield’s semi-final clash between Laurimar and Mernda, with the two local rivals set to lock horns in search of a grand final spot.
