The Redbacks defeated Eaglehawk by five runs; the Suns beat Kangaroo Flat by three runs; and the Jets scraped home by one run against Sandhurst.

At Canterbury Park, Bendigo United ensured Heath Behrens’ record-breaking 250th game for the Redbacks was one to remember with its win over the Hawks.

The ladder-leading Redbacks successfully defender their score of 9-173 and head into the extended Christmas-New Year break 7-1 and in a strong position to finish top two.

As he has done so often during his 250 games for the Redbacks, Behrens top-scored in his milestone match with his fourth half-century of the season.

Coming in at 2-83 after the Redbacks won the toss and batted first, Behrens made 50, with other contributions coming from Wayne Fidler (38), Ben Gunn (29), Nick Crawford (20) and Mark Di Fede (16).

The Redbacks had one stage been 4-154, before the Hawks hit back, finishing the innings by taking 5-19.

Richard Tibbett (3-29 off 9) and Cory Jacobs (3-36 off 9) took three wickets each for the Hawks, while wicket-keeper Matt Fitt claimed four catches.

After defeating Kangaroo Flat by one run last week when it chased down an almost identical score to Saturday, this time the Hawks were on the wrong end of a tight result when they fell five runs short.

Having been 4-110, the Hawks lost 6-58 to be bowled out for 168 with one over still remaining.

Coach Marcus Smalley took the match-winning wicket for the Redbacks when he bowled one of the Hawks’ 10th-wicket batting heroes of last week, Tibbett (3).

Opener Fitt (57) made his third half-century of the season for the Hawks, while all-rounder Aaron Monro (34) was the only other player to make more than 20.

Fitt - whose 57 was the highest score in the BDCA first XI for the day - and Monro put on 44 for the fifth wicket, taking the score from 4-66 to 110.

Smalley’s 3-40 off seven overs were his best bowling figures of the season, while Miggy Podosky (3-21 off 9) continued his fine form.

The Hawks’ first four wickets were all catches taken by Di Fede.

• Kangaroo Flat suffered a second agonising defeat in a row against a top-four side when it fell just short of beating Strathdale-Maristians at N8Health Oval.

A week after losing to Eaglehawk by one run, the Roos were defeated by three runs.

The Suns compiled 8-170 off their 45 overs after they were sent in.

The innings featured plenty of starts, but no-one going on and making a big score.

One of the points of interest of the game was Suns’ opener Andrew Hosking for the first time taking on the side he won back-to-back premierships with in 2004 and 2005.

Hosking top-scored with 31, with Jake Klemm claiming his wicket when he was caught at backward point by Brent Hamblin.

Sam Johnston (27), elevated up the order to No.3, Jono Davidson (24 n.o.), batting down the order at No.8, and Jacob DeAraugo (22 n.o.) all scored in the 20s for the Suns.

The Suns at one stage lost 4-0 mid-innings as they crashed from a comfortable 4-119 to 8-119.

However, Davidson and Jacob DeAraugo batted the Suns to what would prove to be a winning score with a 51-run stand.

Adam Burns was superb for the Roos again in taking 3-12 off nine overs, with all three wickets during the period when the Suns lost 4-0.

Jake Klemm (2-23) was the only other multiple wicket-taker.

On debut, Dylan Klemm took 1-31 off four overs, with his maiden first XI wicket that of Suns’ skipper Linton Jacobs (15).

The Roos’ run-chase appeared in tatters when they crashed to 7-93 against a Suns’ attack led brilliantly by Ben DeAraugo.

However, Tim Robertson (38), in his first game of the season, and Hamblin (29 n.o.) gave the Roos hope of an upset with a 66-run stand for the eighth wicket that took the score to 159.

Robertson’s 38 was the highest score of the match.

But after battling hard to get back into the game, it was another near-miss for the Roos as they finished at 9-167 to lose by three runs - Kangaroo Flat’s third loss by seven runs or less this season.

DeAraugo was sensational for the Suns, who bowled 37 extras.

A week after making his maiden century, DeAraugo bagged 6-55 off nine overs.

DeAraugo’s six wickets - the 14th time he has taken at least five in an innings - featured two bowled, three caught and one lbw.

Among his wickets was that of Robertson to finally end the partnership that had propelled the Roos back into the game.

The win was the Suns’ first in a one-day match this season after losing their previous two to Huntly-North Epsom and Golden Square.

• Strathfieldsaye inflicted more heartbreak on Sandhurst with a one-run victory at Flight Centre Park.

Having been sent in to bat, the Jets, led by Bodee Scullie and Xavier Crone, recovered from 7-104 to post 8-192.

Batting at No.8, Scullie top-scored with 49 as his solid form continued, while Crone - back from representing Victoria at the Under-17 National Championships - finished unbeaten on 41.

Together, they put on a crucial 67 for the eighth wicket.

The only other players to score in double figures for the Jets were coach Greg Lyon (27) and skipper Ben Devanny (13). 

Nick Scullie, batting against his former side for the first time, was dismissed by Rhys Smith for six.

Smith (2-19 off 8) was one of four Sandhurst players who took two wickets, along with Ned Slater (2-23 off 9), Eli Bowe (2-39 off 9) and leg-spinner Liam Bowe (2-52 off 9).

Sandhurst’s run-chase continued what has become a common theme in recent games.

The Dragons had been on the backfoot at 7-115, but rallied late through Liam Bowe and Clinton Botham, only to fall just short.

For the second time in three games, the Dragons were beaten by one run as they answered with 8-191.

No.9 Bowe was brilliant for the Dragons in finishing unbeaten on 46 as his breakout season continued.

Before Saturday, Bowe’s highest first XI score in 24 innings had been 10.

And Botham also produced a career-high knock in making 33, with he and Bowe adding 65 for the eighth wicket to give the Dragons a pulse.

Bowe’s innings included a four off the final ball of the match to reduce the margin to just one run.

Ben Devanny (3-25) was the sole multiple wicket-taker for the Jets, with all his scalps top-order batsmen - Lucas Hutchinson (10), Joel Schneider (9) and Dragons skipper Craig Howard (16).

The defeat continues a season of what-ifs for the Dragons, who are now 2-6 - a record that, like Kangaroo Flat, doesn’t do justice to how competitive they have been.

In their past three games, Sandhurst’s losing margin has been a combined nine runs - two one-run defeats and one by seven runs last week against White Hills.

While the Dragons are left to ponder what could have been, the Jets reach the mid-season break in fourth spot with a 5-3 record.

The last time the Jets had at least five wins after eight rounds was their premiership season of 2000-01.

The Jets have only made the finals once since that premiership season.

They would be bitterly disappointed to miss out again from here considering of their four remaining games, Eaglehawk is the only top-four side they play.

• The rejuvenated Bendigo’s winning form continued as it defeated Golden Square by four wickets at MyJet Oval.

The victory was Bendigo’s third in a row and the Goers are now 4-4 and still within a game of the top four.

Golden Square’s defeat was its fourth in a row, with Square now on its worst losing streak since the 1999-2000 season.

Batting first, Golden Square was bowled out in the 45th over for 143.

For the second game in a row Square didn’t have a player make more than 30, with No.8 Jamie Bysouth top-scoring with 26.

Bysouth is one of the most consistent lower-order players in the BDCA this season, with his past five scores 26, 23, 23, 24 and 27.

Wickets tumbled regularly throughout the Square innings, with the best partnership being the 33 stand-in skipper Grant Connelly (20) and Liam Smith (18) put on for the fourth wicket after the side had been 3-32.

In what was a blend of youth and experience, Nathan Fitzpatrick (3-39 off 6) and the wily Brett Andrews (3-14 off 9) picked up three wickets each for the Goers.

Opening bowlers Alex Pearson (2-15 off 8) and Mark Ryan (2-21 off 8.3) both took two wickets.

Bendigo was well in control in its run-chase after captain Marcus McKern (22) and Kyle Chant (28) got the Goers away to a strong start with a 55-run partnership for the first wicket.

McKern and Chant set up the successful chase, while veteran Mark Ryan (38 n.o.) helped finish it off.

The Goers passed their target in the 41st over, winning with 26 balls to spare as they answered with 6-144.

Scott Trollope (2-5 off 4), Bysouth (2-23 off 5) and Mathew Christie (2-19 off 6.4) jagged two wickets each for Golden Square.

Golden Square at one stage took 4-32 when Bendigo fell from 0-55 to 4-87.

Last season’s grand finalist, Square is now 3-5 and two games outside the top four with four rounds remaining.

Bendigo’s win was only its third against Golden Square in their past 16 encounters.

• Huntly-North Epsom secured a much-needed win with a comprehensive victory over a disappointing White Hills at Poyser Motors Oval.

The Power ended a four-game losing streak with the eight-wicket victory.

The Demons were restricted to 9-145 batting first against a Power attack led superbly by coach Adam Ward.

Ward snared 4-16 off nine overs, including the key wickets of Mitch Winter-Irving (5) - who was trapped lbw for the fifth time this season - and Gavin Bowles (1).

Dylan Gibson (2-37 off 9) and Tom Wilson (2-15 off 4) picked up two wickets each.

Demons’ opener Brayden Stepien after being given an early life when dropped by Ward top-scored with 44.

Paul McKenzie (34 n.o.) and Adrian Holland (21) were the only other Demons’ players to make more than 20.

Playing against his former side for the first time, Ryan Grundy was one of Ward’s four wickets when he was dismissed for 10.

Grundy was also one of four catches for Lachlan Brook.

Five of the White Hills’ players were dismissed for scores of five or less.

The Power, who have struggled with the bat for most of the season, didn’t waste any time in chasing down their target.

The Power took just 29 overs in answering with 2-149.

Ward, after coming off three single-figure scores in a row, returned to his early-season form with a knock of 52 - his fourth half-century.

The only other Power players required were Michael Hanson (36), Harry Whittle (28 n.o.) and skipper Josh Collinson (28 n.o.).

Captain Rhys Irwin (1-33) and Josh Matthews (1-21) in his first game in the first XI for the season were the only players to take wickets for the Demons.

Both the Power and Demons are 3-5 following Saturday’s result.

• Saturday was the third and final round of one-day matches for the season.

One-day records: Bendigo United (3-0); Huntly-North Epsom (3-0); Bendigo (2-1); Golden Square (2-1); Strathfieldsaye (2-1); Eaglehawk (1-2); Sandhurst (1-2); Strathdale-Maristians (1-2); Kangaroo Flat (0-3); White Hills (0-3).

The BDCA season will resume on Saturday, January 17.

Round nine games: Sandhurst v Strathdale-Maristians; Strathfieldsaye v Huntly-North Epsom; White Hills v Golden Square; Bendigo v Eaglehawk; Bendigo United v Kangaroo Flat.