Sunshine Heights has raced to the top of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association north west B1 standings after a 234-run domination of Point Cook at Ainsworth Reserve on Saturday.
The Heights posted a humongous 6-463 off 80 overs after a rare display of attacking batting saw them score at a pulsating 5.78 runs an over.
Heights captain Luke Simpson marvelled at some of the shot-making from his teammates.
“It had to be seen to be believed, some of the hitting,” he said.
At the forefront for Sunshine Heights was new import Saman Gonawala.
The No. 4 batsman arrived from Sri Lanka on Thursday and was immediately in the thick of the action, piling on 147, including 20 fours and three sixes, in a brilliant performance.
“He’s probably the classiest batsman in the comp this year,” Simpson said.
Gonawala was certainly not a lone ranger.
Simpson (66), Shane Ramsay (99) and Muhammad Afzal (111) also had big outings with the bat.
Afzal bludgeoned seven fours and nine sixes en route to his century. He is averaging 89 over two matches – not bad for a recruit that “basically walked in off the street”.
Sunshine Heights comfortably defended its large score, but Point Cook at least made it work on day two.
The Warriors survived until the 79th over, making 229.
That was long enough for young Heights left arm orthodox spinner Chien Mayoum to make an impression with 5-53 off 17.2 overs.
Mayoum, just 15 years of age, has taken a combined nine wickets in his first two first XI games for the Heights.
“There’s a lot of talent there,” Simpson
said.
Sunshine Heights will host Newport-Digman in a two-day top four affair at Ainsworth Reserve starting on Saturday.
