Sub-District cricket: Record falls as Noble Park star Sahan Perera surges past 1000-run mark

The single in Saturday’s preliminary final against St Bernard’s took Noble Park star Sahan Perera’s 2024-25 aggregate to 958, passing Mick Allen’s high mark of 957.

There was more to come from the left-hander with the penchant for big scores.

He became the first VSDCA player to reach 1000 runs in a season and went on to his fourth century, a chanceless 105 that smoothed Noble Park’s passage to another grand final.

Going into the decider against Preston at Preston City Oval, Perera has 1058 runs at an average of 96.18.

Parkers president Craig Ortland said Perera had displayed “remarkable consistency’’ – and declared he doubted anyone would beat the new record.

“It’s hard to see it ever being broken, to be honest,’’ he said.

“He could have actually made a few more. He didn’t bat in one game – it was washed out on the second day – and then against Taylors Lakes he was 20-something when we chased 70.’’

Asked if Perera had any weaknesses, Ortland said: “He can look a bit scratchy in the first 10 or 15 balls. He just watches the ball so intently, straight on to his bat. Incredible, to be honest.’’

To go with Perera’s runs, he’s taken 35 wickets at 18 with his left-arm spin, including four on Sunday against St Bernard’s.

VSDCA president Phil O’Meara said Perera had put together an “unbelievable season’’.

He said he had never seen a batter score runs so consistently.

“His record will stay for a long time,’’ O’Meara said.

Perera joined Noble Park from Premier club Dandenong before last season and arrived with the bang of 816 runs, 39 wickets, a premiership, the Val Holten Medal as VSDCA player of the year and a slew of club awards.

He’s performed even better this season.

Apart from his four centuries across the home-and-away rounds and finals, he hit tons in the representative match against Vic Country, against Endeavour Hills in a Subbies T20 and as a marquee player for Kooweerup against Clyde in a Casey Cardinia association Twenty20.

All up this season he has scored more than 1400 runs and taken 43 wickets.

Noble Park coach Matthew Crozier said it would take an “exceptional player’’ to threaten Perera’s new mark.

“I’ve never seen a guy churn out runs like this,’’ he said.

“I thought (Luke) Wintle and Issi (Perera) made runs for fun. This bloke makes them left, right and centre.

“He’s obviously very talented and he’s very dedicated. He’s always training and always playing. Craig made a comment yesterday that if he could play cricket eight days a week, he would. He’s got to be the biggest cricket nuffy I’ve ever met.’’

Perera, who came to Australia from Sri Lanka in 2018 on a scholarship to Swinburne University to study geotechnical engineering, also had a 1000-run season in country cricket in 2021-22, cracking 1013 runs at an average of 101.3 for Leongatha Town.

Noble Park will be chasing its fifth VSDCA flag when it meets minor premier Preston.

The Parkers played their first grand final in 2002-03; this weekend will bring their seventh decider in 22 years.

“It’s a good effort. Everyone talks about the Oakleighs and the Caulfields and whatever. We’ve been up with them, basically,’’ Ortland, in his 28th year as president, said.

Crozier figured in Noble’s first flag and coached the club to last season’s grand final victory over Ormond.