Saints stun Premiers

By Steve Brown
ST JOHNS Tecoma fast bowler Danny Pearce was instrumental in his team inflicting the second defeat in a row for reigning champions Rowville to complete FTGDCA Round 4 of the Knox Tavern Cup.
The Saints, defending 226 were well in control at the tea break with the Hawks reeling at 7/120. However, a gutsy rear guard action by 16 year old Nick Dunn (39) and Gupta (56) saw Rowville fight it out right to the end until Pearce clean bowled Gupta to win a great game by 5 runs. Pearce, an FTGDCA representative in 1997 and who has spent the past 8 years in the UK, finished with figures of 6/63 from 32 overs.
Johnson Park, set 172 by Belgrave were well in control at tea (3/170) and concluded the day all out for 316. Dulip Samaraweera (124) and keeper Elliott Hind (65) shared a 200-run partnership to lead the Sharks to their fourth win of the season. Nick Bole-Brown finished the day with 5/36 from 17 overs.
Mountain Gate (250) are hovering under the radar, defeating Knoxfield (163) by 87 runs with skipper Athula Samarasekera collecting 70 whilst young Burley collected 3/39 for the Knights.
Ferntree Gully’s Mark Butters had a field day against Eildon Park claiming match figures of 11/55 routing the Panthers for 82 and 43 to win outright.
Eildon Park must regroup and put this game behind, having defeated Rowville the previous match.
Lysterfield, 7/47 last week and chasing The Basin’s 161, never really got going and were bundled out for 117 with Leigh James (6/25) doing the damage.
Upwey (218) were dismissed just before 5pm in reply to Upper Gully’s 127 and collected first innings points with Brendan Heath in good touch with a half century. For the Kings, Nathan Chrystal toiled hard for 5/52 from 26 overs.
The highlight in Division 2 saw Knox Gardens win a thriller by 3 runs over Ferntree Gully despite the double of Gully’s David Anstey (39 and 5/36).