By Iain Harley
BOTTOM side Knoxfield Knights won their first match of the year when they defeated last season’s runners up beating Ferntree Gully by 74 runs.
Trentin Scholfield was back in the results page with a well-compiled 93 while former Northcote spinner Andrew Field took 5/48.
It was a hard day at the office for the Blues who simply did not have enough runs on the board.
Mountain Gate’s Athula Sameraseekera almost single-handily stole the show at HV Jones Reserve chasing Johnson Park’s 235.
The Gators were in all sorts of trouble at 4/40 before big Sam took to the crease.
However while in the 40s he suffered a hamstring tear and completed his innings with the aid of a runner.
He was finally dismissed for 116 with Mountain Gate falling 19 runs short. Fast bowler Steve Bowen took 4/50 for the Sharks.
Upwey was facing an uphill battle against Eildon Park chasing 293, which proved to be to big a task being dismissed for 169.
Lomax Medallist Aaron Powell pierced the Tigers line-up snaring the best figure of the day with 6/65.
Man of the Match Marc Hardy added 89 runs to his 4 wickets last week to help St John’s Tecoma in an upset win over the highly fancied Monbulk. Belgrave were back in the winners circle with a hard fought win with two wickets in hand against The Basin Huntsmen.
Belgrave faces a tough task next week at home facing Rowville. The Hawks managed a gutsy win over Upper Ferntree Gully who had the runs on the board.
Former Johnson Park players Peter Dunlop and Mark Winton were involved in a small piece of history while playing for premier club Fitzroy Doncaster against Dandenong.
The pair combined to dismiss Warren Ayres for 149 thus being the first player in district cricket history to reach 15,000 runs. Winton bowled well to take 4/47.
Scores
Knox Tavern Cup: Eildon Park 4/292 d Upwey159 (A. Powell 6/65).
St John’s Tecoma 275 (Hardy 83, Pitts 78) d Monbulk 157.
Belgrave 8/197 d The Basin 191.
Rowville 6/249 d Upper Gully 245.
Johnson Park 8/235 d Mt Gate 216 (Samaraseekera 116 , Goddard 22, Bowen 4/50, DeSilva 3/38).
Knoxfield 223 (Scholfield 93, Pryers 33, Field 5/48, McIntyre 3/51) d Ferntree Gully 149.
Decoite Shield: Upwey 249 d Eildon Park 153 (Bates 40, Zareski 3/43, Joyce 4/40).
Knoxfield 134 (Lewis 40, Everitt 3/19, Mazanatti 5/19) v Ferntree Gully 2/61.
The Basin 105 (Hall 3/31) v Auravale 5/58 (Winter 4/18).
South Belgrave 219 d Johnson Park 197 (Devonish 32, Simm 31, Maxwell 4/46, Cockrell 4/48).
Lysterfield 277 (Dempsey 46, Synman 44, Moody 60*, Finch 70, Wild 5/70) d Knox Gardens 114 and 0/50
Footballers 245 d Knox 107 (Smith 34, Carey 6/25) and 1/69 (Maslen 41*).
