Woodman sparks Square in BDCA

YOUNG paceman Scott Woodman injected Golden Square with a much-needed spark on Saturday, snaring five wickets against White Hills in his return to the side.

Having missed the previous four games of the Bendigo District Cricket Association season through illness and unavailability, Woodman gave Square a reminder of what it has lacked in his absence.

Woodman took 5-18 off 16.1 overs, spearheading a Golden Square attack that dismantled the disappointing Demons for 131 at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.

Golden Square lost all four of its games during Woodman’s absence, with Saturday the teenager’s first match since he took 11 wickets against Huntly-North Epsom in round four.

His past three bowling performances have now produced a combined 16-89 off 39.1 overs.

Among Woodman’s five wickets on Saturday were the Demons’ three best batsmen - Brayden Stepien (0), Gavin Bowles (8) and Mitch Winter-Irving (57).

It was another ugly looking batting card for White Hills, which had just three players in double figures, and only Winter-Irving make more than 20 in what was the third time in their past four games the Demons made less than 150 in a first innings.

Winter-Irving came in with the Demons on the backfoot early at 2-12 and batted until he was seventh wicket to fall with the score on 117.

While Woodman was the standout with the ball for Square, Grant Connelly (2-24) and Liam Smith (2-37) took two wickets each, and Josh Blencowe (0-10 off 10) and Connor Miller (0-12 off 8) were both economical.

Golden Square went to stumps at 1-33. Smith (8) is the batsman out, while Hamish Schumacher (16 n.o.) and Jake Higgins (4 n.o.) will continue the innings next Saturday.

• Strathfieldsaye captain Ben Devanny was denied what would have been his fourth century of the season when he was left stranded on 95 against Huntly-North Epsom at Flight Centre Park.

Devanny played a lone hand for the Jets, who were bowled out in the 52nd over for 158.

Devanny started his innings with the Jets under pressure at 2-3 after the Power’s Adam Ward trapped both Nick Scullie (1) and Greg Lyon (2) lbw.

Aside from Devanny, the rest of the Strathfieldsaye players combined for just 62 runs, with six dismissed for two or less.

The Jets - striving to hold onto their position in the top four - had been 9-122, before Devanny and No.11 Chris Cullen (9) added a valuable 35 for the last wicket.

Devanny’s unbeaten 95 takes his tally of runs for the season to 602 at an average of 86.

In games this season where he has scored more than 20, Devanny is averaging 142.7.

For the third game in a row, coach Ward (4-51) took four wickets for the Power, who finished the day at 4-78 in their chase.

Ward is unbeaten on 43, while if his effort with the bat wasn’t enough, Devanny (4-19) has taken all four wickets for the Jets.

The Power had been 4-33 early before Ward and Lachlan Brook (10 n.o.) steadied the innings.

• A quickfire 65 from the hard-hitting Adrian Pappin late propelled Strathdale-Maristians to 266 against Sandhurst at Bendigo Door Centre Weeroona Oval.

Coming in with the Suns 6-152, Pappin blasted 65 off 30 balls.

His whirlwind knock featured 58 runs in fours and sixes - seven sixes and four fours.

Pappin’s 65 was his third dismissal in the 60s this season.

Nick Baker continued his return to form for the Suns with his fourth score above 50 for the season, making 60 off 99 (five fours, one six).

Earlier, opener Andrew Hosking (46 off 158) and Cameron Taylor (22 off 80) put on 58 for the third wicket after the Suns had been 2-36.

The Suns suffered a flurry of wickets twice during their innings, losing 3-11 to fall from 2-94 to 5-105, and later 3-3 as they went from 7-263 to all out 266 in the 85th over.

Young leg-spinner Liam Bowe was outstanding again with the ball for the Dragons.

Two rounds after his six-for against White Hills at Weeroona Oval, Bowe claimed 5-105 off 20 overs, dismissing Hosking, Taylor, Ben DeAraugo (0), captain Linton Jacobs (21) and Sam Johnston (18).

Taylor, Jacobs and Johnston were all bowled by Bowe.

Against his old side, Dragons captain Craig Howard opened the bowling and took 2-71 off 30.3 overs, having earlier started the day with five-consecutive maidens.

• Eaglehawk lost its last seven wickets for 33 to be bowled out for 181 against the resurgent Bendigo at Provincial Home Loans Oval.

The Hawks had been cruising at 3-148, before Goers’ off-spinner Craig Pearce turned the game on its head with a fine spell.

Introduced as the sixth bowler used and only having taken four career wickets in the first XI, Pearce became the latest spinner to take a bag of wickets against the Hawks, picking up 5-25 off 12.4 overs.

Pearce removed Cam McGlashan (16), Sam Williams (3), Aaron Monro (7), Cory Jacobs (2) and Richard Tibbett (7).

McGlashan, Williams and Jacobs were all caught and bowled.

Veteran Brett Andrews was also outstanding with the ball, bowling a marathon 33 overs, including 13 maidens, and taking 3-44.

Anthony West (53) was the best of the Hawks’ batsmen, while Matt Fitt (42) continued his solid season.

West and Fitt put on 79 for the second wicket after the Hawks had been 1-8 following the early dismissal of Jason Abbott (1).

Their partnership ended when Fitt was run out from a direct hit from the boundary from Nathan Fitzpatrick going for a third.

The Hawks side included the return of all-rounder Andrew Smith to the first XI.

Batting at No.8, he was caught by Mark Ryan off Andrews for six - the combined age of the three involved in that dismissal an experienced 126.

Meanwhile, before the Goers and Hawks continue their match next Saturday, they will meet in Wednesday night’s Twenty20 final at the QEO from 7pm.

• A pair of veterans led the way for their teams in the clash between Bendigo United and Kangaroo Flat at Harry Trott Oval.

After winning the toss and batting against a team they haven’t beaten since their last premiership season of 2004-05, the Roos compiled a competitive 219 against the ladder-leaders.

The best of the Roos’ batsmen was 50-year-old Steve Newlan.

Opening the batting, Newlan spent 165 minutes at the crease in making 73 (six fours).

Later in the innings, No.8 Brent Hamblin continued his fine all-round season, making 47 off 99 (two fours, one six).

The chief wicket-taker for the Redbacks was wily veteran off-spinner Nick Crawford.

Crawford bagged 6-71 off 30.3 overs, the third time he has taken at least five wickets for the Redbacks against Kangaroo Flat.

Crawford picked up the scalps of Lachlan Shelton (7), Daniel Barber (22), skipper Adam Burns (14), Chris Dixon (1), Hamblin and Cameron Salmon (0).

Miggy Podosky was also damaging with the ball for the Redbacks, taking 3-48, including the dismissal of Newlan, who he trapped lbw.

The Redbacks suffered an early blow when coach Marcus Smalley dislocated his shoulder while fielding in the third over and was taken to hospital.