There were plenty of highlights in the first round of the DDCA T20 competition. Narre South put on a whopping 3-365 against Coomoora, while Beaconsfield rolled Turf 1 outfit St Mary’s for 55.
With sudden death cricket lying ahead in the quarter finals, and the stakes even higher, it’s sure to excite.
Read The Sporting Landscape’s preview below.
Beaconsfield vs North Dandenong
Venue: Perc Allison Oval
Players to watch: Beaconsfield skipper Mark Cooper took two wickets and made 70 against St Mary’s, proving his credentials as a matchwinner and threat with both bat and ball.
Jack Burchill is another bowler to watch for the Tigers having taken 4-21 against Hallam, while Tyler Clark struck 41 and 59 in the two outings, and has a Turf 2 century to his name this season.
North Dandenong are a difficult team to read as no player’s excelled dramatically, instead they’ve relied on consistent performances across the board. No bowler’s taken more than two wickets in an innings, and Ramneet Dhinsda’s 46 is their highest score with the bat. While it’s a positive that everyone’s contributing, this can be a double-edged sword as there’s a lack of matchwinners in their line-up, which can be decisive in the T20 format.
Prediction: A very exciting contest awaits when Beacy take on North Dandenong, as we see the Turf 2 high-flyers pitted against a smaller Turf 1 club who weren’t overly convincing in their round robin victories.
North Dandenong scraped to victories over Turf 2 sides HSD and Lyndale, whereas Beaconsfield knocked off the more fancied Turf 1 outfits of Hallam and St Mary’s, most notably skittling St Mary’s for 55.
Beaconsfield are sitting pretty on top of the Turf 2 ladder and have T20 form on their side, showing they’re no stranger to taking down stronger opposition. They also have a sprinkling of proven game-breakers in their line-up, and the home ground advantage. Expect Beaconsfield to prevail.
Berwick vs Springvale
Venue: Arch Brown Reserve
Players to watch: Berwick possesses plenty of high quality starpower, with names such as Andrew Perrin and Jake Hancock that were playing Premier Firsts for Prahran not long ago. Matt Chasemore is another one to watch, can and has won plenty of games off his own bat.
Unfortunately for Berwick, their marquee player Nathan Walsh - who scored 71 and an unbeaten 38 in the first T20s - is unavailable as he’s representing Country Victoria in the Australian Country Cricket Championships.
For Springvale, bowler Lalanka Dhanasekara Mudiyanselage has proven himself as someone who doesn’t shy away from big scalps. Against Dandenong West, he had 2-7 off 3 overs, his victims none other than Sri Lankan international Malinga Bandara and Nuwan Kulasekara.
Prediction: Berwick have fallen from their premiership heights of 2019/20, slumping to sixth in Turf 1 with just two wins to date. In the T20s they’re yet to be tested however. Made to go through Turf 3 sides Silverton and Lynbrook to reach the quarter finals, they now face another Turf 3 side in Springvale, and should win comfortably.
Doveton vs Springvale South
Venue: Alex Nelson Reserve
Players to watch: Reigning Turf 1 champs Springy South present plenty of quality, most notably skipper Jordan Wyatt. Wyatt was solid without setting the world on fire in the first T20s, registering an unbeaten 31 and 22. However he hasn’t been dismissed below 20 in any format this year and is averaging a very handy 52.4.
With ball in hand for the Bloods, look out for Blade Baxter and Yoshan Kumara. Baxter picked up 2-2 and 2-13 in the first T20s, while former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumara had 2-8 and 4-11.
For Doveton, you can’t look past blaster Simon Mackie who struck 114 against Narre Warren, including a remarkable 14 sixes. Kenneth Smart also picked up 4-10 in that game.
Prediction: While Doveton impressed in the round robin stage, defeating Turf 1 outfit Parkmore by 40 runs and thumping Narre Warren by 128, they’ll meet their match in Springy South. The Bloods are the benchmark in Turf 1 and haven’t lost a game all season. Will be seeing them in the semis.
Buckley Ridges vs Parkfield
Venue: Park Oval
Players to watch: Buckley’s Ben Wright - who played County Cricket for Glamorgan and represented England’s Under 19’s - was on fire in the round robin matches (also at Park Oval). Wright blasted 122 against Coomoora, and followed it up with 97 not out against Narre South. Could well be on for another very big score.
Parkfield’s marquee player Sachin Halangode was their highest scorer against Fountain Gate with 32 not out. Interestingly, he’s been named to play again in the quarter final, meaning he’ll forgo tonight’s VSDCA T20 for his home club Bayswater, who are unable to reach the quarter finals.
Prediction: With Parkfield battling to avoid relegation from Turf 2 and Buckley Ridges a Turf 1 powerhouse, it’s an uneven match up on paper, and should play out that way.
In the round robin matches at Park Oval, Buckley scored 239 and 249. If they bat first, a 250+ score could be on the cards.
To watch the vodcast preview, which includes a re-cap of the round robin stage, click here
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