In the first edition of Let’s Talk Sport for 2023, STAR NEWS regulars Dave Nagel and Jonty Ralphsmith welcome Marcus Uhe to the sports desk. The team also discuss the current state of play in Dandenong District and Casey Cardinia cricket and also provide their thoughts on the players that will have league medals hanging around their necks at season’s end.
DAVE: Hi boys, it’s great to be back for our second season of Let’s Talk Sport, we’re all refreshed and ready to get stuck into it. A fair bit has happened since we last put ink to paper, with Tyler Lewis leaving us and being replaced by a very special talent in Marcus Uhe. And that’s our first topic for the week…
…MARCUS!
MARCUS: Thanks Dave, first time contributor, long time reader, and it’s an honour to be joining the highly-esteemed award winning sports team at the Pakenham Gazette.
DAVE: There’s a segue if I’ve ever heard one.
MARCUS: I guess I’ll lay my sporting credentials on the line straight away. The highlight of my sporting career would probably have to be my match-winning performance with both bat and ball in my grade six cricket grand final. We batted first; it didn’t go well, before I ran three byes off the last ball to sneak us up to 71. I took three wickets in the ball and we ended up winning by two runs. I guess you could say I hit the winning runs.
DAVE: Well those byes sounded very important by the sound of it.
MARCUS: Exactly right. I bring to the team six 5-a-side soccer premierships. I dislocated my thumb in one grand final while goal-keeping, which was a pretty heroic effort if I must say so myself, but we managed to hold on, and our second-most recent premiership we won in golden-goal extra-time. I saved a penalty in the second half which I think changed the momentum…but who am I to say. And I’ve won a best and fairest in the thirds in year-11 in school footy.
DAVE: Jonty, what do you think mate…has he got what it takes?
JONTY: He brings a lot more from a pure playing side of things than I did when I was inducted this way Dave, but I think that’s more of an indictment on my sporting ability than it says anything about his.
DAVE: Laughs.
MARCUS: I don’t know how to take that Jonty, but I’ll take it as a compliment.
DAVE: Jonty, while we’ve got this little back-slapping exercise going on here, we had a little success of our own before Christmas didn’t we.
JONTY: Yes we did, one of segments, Volunteer of the Week, came second in the Best Column category at the AFL Victoria Media Awards, which was great, because it gave us the chance to shine the light on people that fly under the radar at football and netball clubs. That was nice recognition, and Dave, one of your stories about Tooradin-Dalmore winning their premiership also came second in the Outstanding Feature Story category. Tell us about that one?
DAVE: Mate, anyone could have written that story, the drought had been brewing for 25 years and there were so many elements to the victory. Joy, despair, that club has it all for a quarter of a century, and my story just spoke of how the fabric of the club had been built and how it was never going to be pulled apart on grand final day. But, more importantly, from a team point of view, we took out the best coverage for a Football Focussed Publication at the awards. That was pretty exciting.
JONTY: Yeah it was; Lachie and Tyler were in the seat before I joined the team so it was a good nod to all involved. But the way I look at it, we need to send a very big thankyou to all the coaches and players that help us out when we can’t get to games.
MARCUS: I’ve only just joined the team Jonty, but I think you’ve lefty out a couple of key contributors. Do Stewart Chambers and Rob Carew get a mention on your list? The two best photographers in the business…and only 25 years of service from Stew, that’s not too bad!
JONTY: Good point (highly embarrassed).
DAVE: Boys, let’s take a pat on the back but let’s get into the real stuff, let’s get into the current state of play in cricket. Marcus, after a short time to acclimatise, how does the DDCA Turf 1 competition look right now?
STATE OF PLAY
MARCUS: There’s a significant gap between the top three or four and the bottom four, and leading the way is Springvale South. They’ve gone undefeated, they’ve got the best top-end quality in guys like Ryan Quirk, who is leading the run-scorers, and they’ve got a really experienced bowling attack. Blade Baxter bowling his left-arm seamers, Jarryd Straker left-arm orthodox, Jordy Wyatt in the middle order, they just seem to have all bases covered. It’s an easy option to pick a team on top of the ladder, going for back-to-back premierships…maybe I need to pull the splinters out of my arse there, but it’s hard to argue for anyone else.
DAVE: Who plays off with them?
MARCUS: I’m going to give Buckley (Ridges) the slight edge as second favourite. They play Springy South this week so we’ll probably find out more about both teams, assuming we get on the park.
DAVE: It was great to see Mitch Forsyth get his first ton last week as well.
MARCUS: We nearly had his brother Brett make a hundred for Dandenong on the weekend as well, but he shouldered arms to Fawad Ahmed on 97 and that was the end of that.
DAVE: What about you young man, Jonty, let’s start with Turf 2.
JONTY: Turf 2 is a lot more even that Turf 3, and I think the obvious one is Beaconsfield, they’ve been the ladder leaders throughout the season and they’ve got that ultra-sturdy opening partnership of Mark Cooper and Tyler Clark. I suppose the only concern from the Tigers point of view would be if Cooper and Clark knocked over early in a final, do they have the batting depth to get them to a competitive score in the middle order. No-one can be sure about that because they’ve been dominant at the top of the order. One player they do have that hasn’t had much opportunity is Lachie Ramage; he’s got a good technique and could play the role if they’re two for not many in a final. I’ve got them as favourites ahead of HSD, with Cranbourne as the wildcard if it can sneak in over the last three weeks of the season. The Sweeney brothers are peaking at the right time so they could be dangerous.
DAVE: And Turf 3…is it as obvious as it appears on paper?
JONTY: There’s one team to beat and that’s Dandenong West. They’re undefeated; four games clear of Coomoora and Springvale in second and third. Dandy West is clear favourites and will have all the pressure on them in March. It’s really a matter of who is going to face Nuwan Kulasekara and Anthony Brannan in the grand final. It will certainly be one of Coomoora and Springvale I think, with a slight leaning to Springy. What about CCCA Dave?
DAVE: Pakenham has had a fantastic year, been on top all season, but the biggest question mark over them has been the over-reliance on their top-order, similar to Beacy. It was always going to be a challenge for them when they eventually struggled at the top of the order, and that came home to roost on the weekend. They were three for not many, Jason Williams and Rob Elston tried to lift them via a 40-odd partnership, but then that under-exposed mid-to-lower order failed badly. That’s the big worry for Pakky, Dale Tormey and Chris Smith are two of the best players in the comp, but if they fail they could be in a bit of trouble. On the other hand, Tooradin are the reigning champs and appear to have the depth to overcome any obstacles that might get thrown their way. They bat deep, have plenty of bowling options and it’s hard to see them not playing off. I’d have them short-priced favourites ahead of Pakenham, with Kooweerup next best.
LEAGUE MEDALS
DAVE: Boys, in the next few weeks all votes will be locked away for the respective league medals, I want to know who wins these individual awards. Marcus…Turf 1 mate, who has the Wookey hanging over their neck?
MARCUS: This bloke is starting on the back foot, because he did miss some early fixtures, but former Sri Lankan international Jeevan Mendis has been running riot for Narre South. He’s made 308 runs at 44 and taken 18 wickets at 13.5 from his seven games this year. You speak to guys on the sidelines, with your phone in your hand, and all they want to know is “What’s Jeevan doing?” There’s a bit of a fear factor; he took 4/33 and made 63 against Springy South, and nearly won the game off his own bat. But he has missed a few games, and Ryan Quirk has had a great season at the top for the Bloods. There are a few all-rounders from Buckley that will also be in the mix.
DAVE: Jonty…Turf 2?
JONTY: For me it will come to two players, Tyler Clark (Beaconsfield) and Pete Sweeney (Cranbourne). Clark just doesn’t miss out, he’s got a century, three half centuries and four other 40s. And Sweeney, he’s the leading wicket-taker, with his left-arm orthodox, and he’s always bowling his 12 overs. He got a 97 not out in his last game and appears to be hitting form with the bat at the right time.
DAVE: And is it a one-horse race in in Turf 3?
JONTY: Yep. Nuwan Kulasekara took 5/3 on the weekend and that just added to a very long list of achievements this season. He’s done it with bat and ball and is a clear standout. If there is to be an upset, Nuwan Mendis could be the man, but you can inscribe the name Nuwan Kulasekara on the medal right now.
DAVE: Good call Jonty, not sitting on the fence like Marcus did earlier. In Casey Cardinia, I think Dale Tormey from Pakenham is the favourite to receive his second Terry Stephenson Medal. He’s been terrific, but not as dominant as previous seasons with the bat, but it’s his all-round performances this year that I think will set him apart. Josh Lownds from Tooradin has had a great year, opening the batting left-handed and bowling darts off a couple of steps with his right, but he took five wickets and made a century in one game…and you can only get three votes for that. He’s been equally as effective as Tormey, but the Pakky skipper has spread his load more evenly. Luke McMaster from Kooweerup, he took 6/12 on the weekend and made 193 earlier in the season…when he performs he locks in three votes. They’re my three at this stage with Ben Perry and Shalika Karunanayake from Carlisle Park making late runs.
JONTY: Dave, you had a crack at the new guy for sitting on the fence, and you’ve just brought in half of the competition.
DAVE: Jonty, you’re lucky you’re working from home today mate, because that comment could have caused some issues.
Well done boys, we started talking about ourselves but got the job done in the end.
We’ll talk sport again next week!
