CRICKET season is back for the Diamond Valley Cricket Association (DVCA) with all grades getting out onto the field after a first round washout.
In the Money Shield, Mernda was hoping to set off on the right foot following a fourth-placed finish last year as it hosted Riverside at Waterview Reserve.
The visitors chose to bat first but it looked to have backfired when Mernda’s Nathan Aston removed the dangerous opposition captain Nathan Chrimes for just one in the third over.
Riverside, who dropped back from the Barclay Shield this season, then poured the runs on during a huge 211-run partnership where opener Mackenzie Stanley smashed 136 not out and set Mernda 247 to win.
In reply, Gareth Sharp held his nerve as batting partners fell around him before eventually being dismissed for 52 as the game fizzled to a close.
Mernda finished 8/134, 112 runs in arrears.
In the newly minted Dyson Shield, South Morang couldn’t reel in Dennis, falling six runs short at Mill Park Lakes Recreation Reserve.
Tight bowling kept Dennis’ batters to just 134 after 40 overs, but it proved a difficult wicket to score freely on and other than Karl Heckmann’s 29, no one scored more than 20 for the Lions as they reached 9/128 when time ran out.
Laurimar didn’t have any luck either, falling to Lower Eltham by 54 runs in an away game.
Lower Eltham’s Kynon Whitcher peeled off a century to help his team to 2/214 at the end of the innings, and the mountain proved too tall to climb for the Power’s batters.
Unbeaten knocks from Andy Evans (41) and Saurin Sandeep Sharma (34) showed promise for the year ahead, but weren’t enough to secure a win on the day.
Laurimar finished 4/160 in the run chase.
In the lower grades, Mernda’s 2nd XI couldn’t reach Diamond Creek’s target of 169 in B grade, falling 18 runs short.
D grade cricket offered up the first win of the year for South Morang’s 2nd XI thanks to a top scoring effort from Rohin Sidhu which helped his side to a 40-run win over Hurstbridge.
Captain Darcy McLean snared 2/20 from his six overs and was ably assisted by Matthew Jones’ 2/28 to keep their opponents at bay.
It was a great start for Laurimar’s 2nd XI in E grade who secured a 54 run win over Keon Park.
A half century to openeing batter Seth Thomson and the stifling bowling partnership of Jack Sheahan (4/33) and Thomas McCumber (3/24) were pivotal to the Thunder’s win.
Meanwhile in F grade, Whittlesea’s top side pulled off an impressive chase against Riverside, getting the runs with three wickets left in the shed.
Riverside put together a very competitive score of 5/215 on its home ground of Whatmough Park and an early wicket had them well ahead of the game.
Mohamed Isak Rafeek compiled a well-struck 50 including seven fours and two sixes but he needed someone to go with him, and that’s exactly what Chamith Dinusha did.
Coming in at number seven in the batting order, Dinusha notched his first 50 for the club and steered them home with eight overs to spare.
It’s a good start for the Eagles who are looking for more success following their F1 grade premiership last year.
Elsewhere, South Morang and Mernda’s 3rd XI sides went down, while South Morang’s fourths dealt with Laurimar’s 3rd XI by five wickets.
Whittlesea’s 2nd XI couldn’t get the win while a sterling 82 from captain Stephen Solyom wasn’t enough to get Mernda’s fourths past Plenty, going down by 14 runs.
In the one-day competitions, Laurimar and Mernda’s sides were all unsuccessful while South Morang and Whittlesea secured a win each.
Two day games start this weekend for each town’s top grades. Mernda will host Rosebank and Laurimar welcome Old Ivanhoe Grammarians while South Morang heads to Thomastown.
Whittlesea’s 1st XI will face Lower Eltham at home.
