Zaen Taleb was the ice man with three late wickets as Old Paradians/St Francis beat Research/Eltham Collegians by four runs in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association’s Barclay Shield on Saturday.
REC was 3-105 chasing 137 before collapsing to 132 all out in the final over.
Taleb (4-17) captured three of his wickets in the dying stages, wrapping up the tail as REC lost 7-27.
Glen Turner’s 70 had held the REC innings together before his wicket at 5-120 was followed by five more in quick succession.
Bundoora suffered the embarrassment of being rolled for just 42 by Diamond Creek at Coventry Oval.
Jason Kaminski (11) was the only Bundoora batsman to make double figures and the paltry total was passed two down by Diamond Creek on its way to 7-126 from the full 40 overs in reply.
At Epping, Riverside’s 6-147 was enough as the home team made only 132 in reply. John Lever (46) top-scored for Epping but his team lost 7-42 to be all out by the 38th over.
Elsewhere, Lower Eltham (9-146) beat Plenty (9-128), North Eltham Wanderers (7-146) beat Mernda (113) and Macleod (8-161) beat Rosanna (160).
In Money Shield, 115 was enough for Bundoora United to win as South Morang fell for just 79 in reply.
Toby Johnston (30) and Simon Peat (30) saved United’s innings from 8-56 with a 59-run partnership. Peat then backed up his effort with the bat by taking 4-9 as best of the United bowlers.
Visiting Greensborough won a thriller by one wicket against Lalor Stars at WA Smith Reserve.
Glen Drummond (56) top-scored as the Stars posted 8-173 batting first. But Con Kalogiannis (17no) and Shane Ellis (1no) were the heroes as their 15-run partnership for the last wicket got Greensborough home with four balls to spare.
Camrea Taipans (8-185) proved too good for Lower Plenty (7-144).
Taipans captain Dhushanta Ranatunga top-scored with 56, while Tim Bennett (38no) inspired lower-order runs after the innings had started shakily at 5-34.
Two-day games begin in Barclay Shield this weekend, with Bundoora hosting Research/Eltham Collegians, Epping hosting Diamond Creek, Old Paradians/St Francis playing Macleod, Riverside hosting Rosanna, Plenty playing Mernda and Lower Eltham playing North Eltham Wanderers.
