Handley hammers ton

By Iain Harley
FERNTREE Gully finished their home and away season with an emphatic win over Mountain Gate the FTGDCA’s round 11 action.
The Blues batted all day to amass 6/349 with youngster Ryan Handley making 123. Binns (47), Teofilo (48) and Black (42) were also amongst the runs ensuring Ferntree Gully top spot and a home final next week.
Knoxfield pulled off a good win over 4th placed Eildon Park to ensure relegation wasn’t a factor. Ben Morris featured with both bat and ball for the Knights with Jason Scanlon their top scorer. After a disappointing showing with the bat last week Mark Porter was the best bowler for the Panthers.
The loss sees Eildon Park drop out of finals contention with other results not going their way.
Johnson Park had a strong hit out against Upwey making 232 and taking the points at the dome. Adrian Romei was the top scorer for the Sharks with assistance from Bryn Gaunt (34) and Lalith DeSilva (48). Pick of the bowlers for the Tigers was Al Zaresky with 5/56. Johnson Park will host Belgrave when finals action commences next week.
A win over the Basin for St Johns Tecoma combined with other results saw them finish in 4th spot and in finals for the first time in the Knox Tavern Cup.
Club stalwart Mark Hardy took 7/77 as the Saints completed their third win in a row to pip Eildon Park at the post. Jayden Turcinovic (35) was the best of the bats for the Huntsmen.
In the other games Belgrave made 6/185 in reply to Upper Gully’s 180. The Magpies’ Scott Vozzo made 78 after earlier surviving a confident appeal for caught behind on 23. Nick Bole-Brown finished up on 30 also. Vozzo took his season’s tally to 650 runs.
Rowville fought back from 5/42 to pass Lysterfield’s score 9 wickets down and finished the day on 188.
In the Decoite Shield, Upwey and Knox Gardens had outright victories, whilst Monbulk, Footballers, South Belgrave and Ferntree Gully finished the home and away season with wins.
Next week’s finals will be Monbulk hosting Knox Gardens and Footballers at home to Upwey.