Lions top order answers call

DARLEY’S slim finals chances remain within reach following a dominant display with the bat as day one concluded against top side Mount Clear at the weekend.

Four of the Lions top order recorded half-centuries before being bowled out in the 78th over for a season-high total of 342.

At one stage the Lions were eyeing off a score closer to 400 and looking in total control, but lost 7/42 late to leave the door slightly ajar for the ladder leader.

Hindsight can sometimes be misleading, but surely on this occasion there was no doubting the hosts made a meal of their decision to bowl first after winning the toss in what Lions coach Nathan Yates described as “great conditions”.

“We were always going to have a bat anyway,” Yates said. “The wicket was perfectly prepared.”

Opening pair Sajith Dissanayake and Rockey Hoey set the tone for the afternoon, combining for a 93-run stand before Dissanayake was dismissed for a game-changing 72 (50 balls) to have the Lions in the box seat.

When Lachie Herring 6 (seven balls) fell shortly after, Lions leading run-scorer Dilon Chandima joined Hoey to help guide the youngster to his first 50 of the season as they consolidated the innings with a 78-run third-wicket partnership.

Hoey’s mature knock came to an end on 56, paving the way for a middle-order assault as Yates (76) and Chandima (89) made light work of a Mount Clear attack with a century stand (121) before Yates was caught with the score on 300 and 12 overs remaining.

Mount Clear showed some fight in the final overs to restrict the asking target from the (near) impossible into the possible range.

Yates was rapt with his top order at the halfway mark but conceded the game was not over.

“It was probably a 250 (run) wicket,” he said. “So to walk away with 342 it would be fair to say we have our noses in front.

“I’m just so happy with the response from the boys.

“We look to have turned the corner putting everything we’ve spoken about into practice.

“Our aim was to score freely and have wickets in hand at tea, which we were able to do

“We need to turn up again next week as a bowling and fielding unit, bowl in partnerships and show patience.

“It’s a lot to go at five runs an over for the whole day so we will be looking to build pressure with the ball and in the field from the outset.”

Play resumes on Saturday.

BCA FIRST GRADE – (ROUND 11 – Day 1 of 2)

Darley 342, Overs 77.3. D. Chandima 89, N. Yates 76, S. Dissanayake 72, R. Hoey 56.

Darley (7th) leads by 342 runs.

BCA SECOND GRADE – (ROUND 11 – Day 1 of 2)

Darley 246, Overs 67.4. J. Murphy 66, J. Martindale 56.

Brown Hill 2/25, Overs 9. M. Ellis 1/0, M.S eager 1/7.

Darley (4th) leads by 221 runs..

BCA THIRD GRADE – (ROUND 11)

Delacombe VS Darley

(no results available at time of print)

BCA FOURTH GRADE – (ROUND 11)

Darley 117, Overs 38. A. Kannar 25, B. Densley 22.

Bacchus Marsh 3/120, Overs 18.5. Z. Riordan 2/10, A. Kannar 1/34.

Darley (6th) lost by 7 wickets.

BCA FIFTH GRADE – (ROUND 11)

Darley 175, Overs 39. Dar. Hynes 59, K. Semmens 24.

Brown Hill 2/178, Overs 24.3. A. Semmens 1/12, B. Woodhouse 1/35.

Darley (10th) lost by 7 wickets.

GDCA – WOMEN’S FIRST XI

Lancefield Yellow vs Darley

Darley (1st) returns 2 February.