Harry the hero

A SUPERB unbeaten knock from teenager Harry Donegan denied Huntly-North Bendigo a long-awaited Bendigo District Cricket Association win on Saturday.In just his fourth first XI innings and with Bendigo United staring at the prospect of becoming the first team in almost six years to lose to Huntly-North Bendigo, the 16-year-old made 69 not out to steer the Redbacks to a thrilling two-wicket win at Strauch Reserve.After the Power made a competitive 7-175 off its 45 overs, it made a brilliant start with the ball in the Redbacks’ innings.Inside the first five overs the Power had dismissed Heath Behrens (2) and Nick Crawford (0) to have the Redbacks at 2-7.That later became 4-68 in the 20th over when Redbacks coach Leigh McDermott (24 off 50) holed out to deep square leg and was caught by Sam McRae off the spin of Power captain Linc McRae (1-30).The fall of McDermott brought Donegan to the crease, who earlier in the day had made a golden duck in the under-17s.Donegan and captain Matt Pinniger took the score to 118, before the Power claimed the big wicket of Pinniger (31 off 48).Pinniger was well caught low to the ground at mid-wicket by Nick White off off-spinner Adrian Tuddenham (1-12) in the 35th over.Pinniger’s dismissal was quickly followed by three more wickets as Chris Pinniger (7), Byron Perrin (0) and Rod Doak (3) were all dismissed in the following six overs to leave the Redbacks staring down the barrel at 8-144 in the 41st over.Donegan should have been amongst that string of wickets to fall when Linc McRae grassed a skied shot at cover off him with the Redbacks still 40 runs from victory.With the Redbacks eight wickets down, but Donegan still at the crease, the two other batsmen left were Marcus Smalley and No.11 Miggy Podosky, who between them had a combined first XI batting average of 5.42, and hadn’t made a run this season.But with the Redbacks in dire straits, Donegan stepped up and elevated his game to another level, and Smalley held his nerve.With three overs remaining, Donegan and Smalley had whittled the target down to 20 runs required.The pair then scored eight off the 43rd over, bowled by Clinton Lloyd (2-37), to cut the chase down to 12 runs needed off two overs.The 44th over was bowled by Sam McRae (1-50), which had 11 runs hit off it by Donegan - two courtesy of overthrows after McRae had a shot at the bowler’s stumps on the second ball after fielding his own ball.With 11 runs scored, that left the scores tied at 175 entering the final over, which was bowled by Lloyd.Fittingly, Donegan hit the winning runs off the first ball of the 45th over when he lofted Lloyd over mid-wicket, ensuring the Redbacks got out of jail with a score of 8-179.“Harry is a super talent and there’s no doubt if it hadn’t been for his maturity with the way he played, we would have gone down,’’ Matt Pinniger said.Donegan’s 69 not out came off 88 balls and included nine boundaries.Smalley finished four not out.Although he didn’t take a wicket, Matt Rule bowled an outstanding spell for the Power in conceding just 11 runs off nine overs.Earlier after winning the toss and batting, the Power’s 7-175 was set up by contributions from its top-order.Ryan Grundy (26 off 44), Linc McRae (12 off 31), Josh Collinson (32 off 58) and Brodie McRae (53 off 84, including eight boundaries) all batted in the top-four and ensured the Power made a total that was almost enough to win its first game since February 2004.Smalley (2-31) and Crawford (2-18) were the multiple wicket-takers for the Redbacks, who remain a game outside the top four with four rounds to play. Strathdale-Maristians maintained its position in the top four after defeating Sandhurst at Bell Oval.Batting first, the Suns compiled 8-208 at home.Craig Howard (46 off 73) was the top-scorer for the Suns, who also had five players score in the 20s - Cameron Taylor (20), Dom Taylor (26), Jonathan Davidson (28), Ben DeAraugo (20) and Braden Hocking (20 n.o.).Opener Tim Robertson (4-42) was the pick of the Sandhurst bowlers.In reply, Sandhurst’s top-order failed for the second week in a row as it crashed to 4-22, and later 5-46, before reaching 8-164.Captain Brenton Jones (39) and the returning Andrew Sheehan (39 n.o.) top-scored for the Dragons.Robertson backed his four wickets up by making 27 at No.8.Teenager Hocking (2-30) bowled well with the new ball, removing opener Brett Polson (2) and Nick Scullie (9), while Jacob DeAraugo took two wickets.