STRATHFIELDSAYE and Huntly-North Epsom fought out a thrilling tie in their Bendigo District Cricket Association match on Saturday in a game highlighted by an eight-wicket haul from Jets captain Ben Devanny.

The Power resumed their innings at Tannery Lane at 4-78 in pursuit of the Jets’ 158.

With the game evenly-poised at the start of play, it later appeared Strathfieldsaye would march to victory when the Jets took 4-9 to have the Power on the ropes at 8-127.

However, the Power’s Quinton Bentley (6) teamed with Matt Rule to add 23 for the ninth wicket to push the score to 150.

When Bentley became Devanny’s eighth wicket, it left the Power needing nine to win with Rule and Tom Wilson (0 n.o.) at the crease.

With Rule doing all the scoring, the Power worked their way to 158, but couldn’t add the one run needed to win after Rule was bowled by young quick Xavier Crone (1-44), resulting in the tie.

Rule was gallant in making 28. He scored 28 of the Power’s last 37 runs after coming in at 7-121.

Earlier, Power coach Adam Ward, who started the day on 43, scored 72 in what was his fifth half-century of the season, while Lachlan Brook, who came in last week with the score 4-33, made a patient 18.

But it was Devanny who was the star of the game in another outstanding performance.

After taking four wickets last week, Devanny added another four on day two as he claimed a club-record 8-51 off 21 overs.

Of Devanny’s eight wickets, six were bowled, one was lbw and Greg Lyon took one catch.

Having also made 95 n.o. last week out of 158 runs, it doesn’t seem fair that Devanny will only get one more vote than the next best performer.

Devanny’s brilliant 8-51 surpassed Strathfieldsaye’s previous best bowling performance of Chris DeAraugo’s 8-54.

As well as already having scored a club record 602 runs this season, Devanny now has 26 wickets.

The Jets - who moved to third with the tie - batted 24 overs in their second innings, scoring 2-96.

The tie was the seventh in the BDCA since 2000.

• Resurgent Bendigo has won four games in a row for the first time since the 2000-01 season and is now just percentage outside the top four after beating Eaglehawk at Provincial Home Loans Oval.

The Goers successfully chased down Eaglehawk’s 181, answering with 6-182 before pulling stumps with 17 overs left to preserve their percentage.

The Goers had five players score between 22 and 38 - Kyle Chant (38), veteran Mark Ryan (33 n.o.), captain Marcus McKern (25), Alex Pearson (23) and Mitch Blackman (22).

As well as moving the Goers to the cusp of the top four, it also ensured Glenn Franzi celebrated his 300th first XI BDCA game with a win.

Franzi made 13 in his milestone.

Richard Tibbett (2-45), Cory Jacobs (2-38) and Brodie Hawke (2-39) took two wickets each for the Hawks as they lost their second game in a row, putting their spot in the top four under pressure.

• For the first time in a decade, Kangaroo Flat has beaten its nemesis Bendigo United.

Defending 219 at Harry Trott Oval, the Roos had the Redbacks on the backfoot from the outset and never relinquished the advantage, bowling Bendigo United out for 128 to win their third game.

Brent Hamblin (3-25 off 14) and captain Adam Burns (3-39 off 22.3) took three wickets each for Kangaroo Flat.

The Redbacks slumped to 4-38 early - among those wickets the dangerous Ben Gunn, caught and bowled by Hamblin for a duck.

The only partnership of any significance for the Redbacks - whose score was their lowest since they were bowled out for 126 by Eaglehawk in the final round of 2009-10 - was the 50 Heath Behrens and the returning Harry Donegan (27) put on for the seventh wicket.

The game will go down in the BDCA history books as the match in which Behrens became the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer.

According to historian Darren Rodda’s records, with his score of 42 off 115, Behrens took his career tally of runs to 10,426, surpassing the previous BDCA record of 10,417, held by the late Leon Grose.

Behrens passed Grose’s record just before tea break when he hit a three.

Kangaroo Flat’s win came on the weekend the Roos celebrated the 10-year reunion of their 2004-05 premiership.

That 2004-05 premiership season was the last time the Roos had beaten the Redbacks.

Kangaroo Flat’s victory came on the back of losing its previous two games to Strathdale-Maristians and Eaglehawk by a combined four runs, while the 91-run loss was Bendigo United’s second of the season and cost it top spot.

• Strathdale-Maristians won its sixth game in a row and moved to the top of the ladder after defeating Sandhurst by 18 runs at Bendigo Door Centre Weeroona Oval.

Chasing the Suns’ challenging 266, the Dragons were again competitive, but unable to take the next step.

Having one stage been 4-203, the Dragons were dismissed for 248 to suffer their seventh loss in a row.

Lucas Hutchinson (67 off 98, six fours) and Seb Greene (23 off 77) got the Dragons away to a solid start with a 93-run opening stand.

Hutchinson’s 67 was his third half-century in his past five games.

Dragons’ skipper Craig Howard later made his highest score of the season.

Playing against the side he previously won three flags with, veteran Howard cracked 86 off 161 (eight fours, two sixes), and while he was at the crease the Dragons were always a chance.

But when he was dismissed by Sam Johnston with the score on 247, the end quickly came for the Dragons, who lost 3-1 to be all out in the 83rd over, with their cause not helped by the unavailability of Liam Bowe as they batted one short.

Johnston (2-48), Cam Taylor (2-62) and Jack Neylon (2-38) took two wickets each for the Suns.

• Golden Square ended its worst losing streak for 15 years with a 129-run hiding of White Hills at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.

Chasing the Demons’ 131, Square - having lost its previous four games - clubbed 260 after resuming at 1-33.

The Demons gave themselves a small glimmer of hope when Square was 5-100, but Scott Johnson and Scott Trollope batted the visitors to victory, each making half-centuries.

They put on 91 for the sixth wicket, with Trollope cracking a career-high 92 for Square.

Trollope belted eight fours and four sixes during his innings, while Johnson’s 62 (seven fours) was his fourth half-century of the season.

Travis Colley (3-37 off 15) and Mitch Winter-Irving (3-33) both claimed three wickets apiece for White Hills.

Colley bowled all three of his victims - Liam Smith (8) last week, Johnson and Scott Woodman (0).

He dismissed Johnson and Woodman in consecutive deliveries, but missed out on his hat-trick ball, faced by Square captain Tim Wood (10) in his first game back.

Demons captain Rhys Irwin was at his economical best, taking 2-31 off 22 overs, including 11 maidens.