THE top grades of the Diamond Valley Cricket Association finished off for 2025 in style, with some competitive games and big scores across the board.
Mernda fell short of taking top spot at Christmas in Money Shield, falling four wickets short of victory over Banyule at Beverley Road.
Gareth Sharp helped set things up for the Demons with his 43, while Max Russell added 36. However, Michael Edwards gave the Demons a good finish with 45 to help set 211 for victory, the Demons finishing on 5/210.
Edwards continued his good form with the ball, taking 2/26 off eight overs, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Bears chased down Mernda’s target with seven balls to spare, scoring 6/213.
In Mash Shield, Laurimar missed out on finishing the calendar year in the top four, losing to Keon Park at home by six wickets.
Luke Richardson led from the front with 39 runs, while Rian Boddy was a good middle-order contributor, scoring 49 runs and falling just short of a half-century, with the Power finishing on 139.
Despite Jonathon McAleer and Jayden Clifford taking two wickets apiece, the Power was no match, with Keon Park chasing down the target with 15 overs to spare.
South Morang fell to Hurstbridge by six wickets at Mill Park Lakes.
Adam Huybers made a solid 28, while Karl Heckmann was terrific once again as his 63 helped the Lions set 6/152.
Heckmann continued his job with the ball, taking 2/24 off eight overs, but Hurstbridge was far too strong, chasing down the target with four overs to spare.
In B grade, Mernda survived a thriller with Montmorency, holding on by two runs.
Andy Evans was terrific in helping the Demons get to 8/168, scoring 79 off 95 deliveries, while Chris Smith added 25.
In response, Montmorency looked comfortable at 74 without loss, but it was Evans who delivered with the ball on top of his sizeable contribution with the bat, taking 4/18 off eight overs to change the game, while Jarmyn Marshall took 2/45.
A dramatic run out helped the Demons secure victory with three balls left, bowling Montmorency out for 166.
South Morang was no match in C grade for Bundoora United, falling by 30 runs.
Matthew Kiriakopoulos, Nick Terpou and Elakian Elango took two wickets apiece to help restrict Bundoora United to 8/166, but while Adwait Vaidya scored 44 and Suresh Thavaraj scored 32, the Lions largely struggled and were bowled out for 136.
Laurimar scored a 17-run win over Bundoora Park in D grade.
David Crain’s crucial 58 runs in the middle order helped Laurimar score 148 in its batting innings, and an even bowling performance was key, with Crain, Jake Keena, Darren Jenkins and William Nyman taking two wickets each to help restrict Bundoora Park to 131 in response.
Mernda was not the place to be for a nervous disposition following its B grade result, and that was only exacerbated by its E grade thriller, winning by three runs over Riverside.
Christopher Scully scored 50 at the top of the order, while Andrew Edwards’ 44 and Geordi Summers’ 33 also helped as Mernda scored 5/174.
With Riverside on 3/128, it looked as though Mernda would struggle to get a result, but Summers helped turn the tide, taking three crucial wickets, while Jordan Krake also executed a crucial run-out to keep Riverside to 8/171.
South Morang was no match for Lower Eltham, losing by 54 runs.
Pirasath Vasanthanathan was the only bowler to keep Lower Eltham in check, taking 2/32 off seven overs as the Lions could not stop their opponents from scoring 5/213.
The Lions made an encouraging start, with Atinder Singh scoring 41 and Michael Didilis scoring 33, but a middle order collapse meant the Lions were rolled for 159.
All other grades are done for the calendar year, set to return in 2026.
