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.<\/p>\n
Four of the Lions top order recorded half-centuries before being bowled out in the 78th over for a season-high total of 342.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
“We were always going to have a bat anyway,” Yates said. “The wicket was perfectly prepared.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mount Clear showed some fight in the final overs to restrict the asking target from the (near) impossible into the possible range.<\/p>\n
Yates was rapt with his top order at the halfway mark but conceded the game was not over.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“I’m just so happy with the response from the boys.<\/p>\n
“We look to have turned the corner putting everything we’ve spoken about into practice.<\/p>\n
“Our aim was to score freely and have wickets in hand at tea, which we were able to do<\/p>\n
“We need to turn up again next week as a bowling and fielding unit, bowl in partnerships and show patience.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Play resumes on Saturday.<\/p>\n
BCA FIRST GRADE – (ROUND 11 – Day 1 of 2)<\/p>\n
Darley 342, Overs 77.3. D. Chandima 89, N. Yates 76, S. Dissanayake 72, R. Hoey 56.<\/p>\n
Darley (7th) leads by 342 runs.<\/p>\n
BCA SECOND GRADE – (ROUND 11 – Day 1 of 2)<\/p>\n
Darley 246, Overs 67.4. J. Murphy 66, J. Martindale 56.<\/p>\n
Brown Hill 2\/25, Overs 9. M. Ellis 1\/0, M.S eager 1\/7.<\/p>\n
Darley (4th) leads by 221 runs..<\/p>\n
BCA THIRD GRADE – (ROUND 11)<\/p>\n
Delacombe VS Darley<\/p>\n
(no results available at time of print)<\/p>\n
BCA FOURTH GRADE – (ROUND 11)<\/p>\n
Darley 117, Overs 38. A. Kannar 25, B. Densley 22.<\/p>\n
Bacchus Marsh 3\/120, Overs 18.5. Z. Riordan 2\/10, A. Kannar 1\/34.<\/p>\n
Darley (6th) lost by 7 wickets.<\/p>\n
BCA FIFTH GRADE – (ROUND 11)<\/p>\n
Darley 175, Overs 39. Dar. Hynes 59, K. Semmens 24.<\/p>\n
Brown Hill 2\/178, Overs 24.3. A. Semmens 1\/12, B. Woodhouse 1\/35.<\/p>\n
Darley (10th) lost by 7 wickets.<\/p>\n
GDCA – WOMEN’S FIRST XI<\/p>\n
Lancefield Yellow vs Darley<\/p>\n
Darley (1st) returns 2 February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n