By Tara Murray
Rivergum survived its biggest scare of the Diamond Valley Cricket Association Mash Shield season on Saturday to remain undefeated.
Thomastown United pushed the Kookas all the way on day two of their match, but the Kookas experience shone late to hold on.
A run out in the final over was the difference in the end.
Kookas coach Corey Altis said Thomastown United kept coming at them.
Chasing 222, Thomastown United was in control with the bat at 0-87.
Altis said it was very similar to their innings when they got off to a flier.
Things then started to turn in favour of the Kookas as they took 5-14.
“We were able to break through and take some wickets,” he said. “The wickets didn’t come easy and we had to really work into it.
“Matt Perri and Jarrod Bannister bowled some tight overs in the middle.”
Dulanga Lakmal was keeping United in the game and was batting with patience.
It took a terrific caught and bowled from Sean Neary to end his day nine runs from victory.
It meant the game went down to the final over with the Kookas needing one wicket.
They got it on the second last ball to bowl United out for 219.
Bannister took four wickets for the Kookas while Suvra Saha took two.
Altis said matches like these were the ones they needed to help prepare them for finals.
The win takes them to a 7-0 record and nine points clear at the top of the ladder.
Having moved from the North Metro Cricket Association in the off season, it’s been a season of the unknown for the Kookas.
“We didn’t know anything about the opposition,” Altis said. “If you’d said at the start of the season we would be on top of the ladder, we would have taken it.
“We’re not the finished product and we’ll work week to week to get better and get contributions from everyone and win games.”
The Kookas still have Gary Bell and Paul Unkles to come back into the side as well after Christmas.
They face Mernda in a one-dayer this Saturday before the Christmas break.
The two sides then face off in the first round after the break.
“They’re starting to move up the ladder,” Altis said. “They’re dangerous with both the bat and ball.
“We’ll find out a bit about them in the next couple of games. I think they will be up there.”
In other results, Mernda beat Hurstbridge, South Morang beat Mill Park, Thomastown lost to Dennis and Laurimar beat Panton Hill.
