Full match wrap and reaction to come tonight.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Thanks for tuning into the coverage.
Unfortunately, not the result we were after.
4:56pm: Cameron Taylor man of the match for his unbeaten 97.
4:54pm: Post-match disappointment for Bendigo.
4:47pm: Got a bit frenetic there at the end, Bendigo finish 8-237, losing margin is 12 runs.
4:44pm: Congratulations to Sale-Maffra, too good on the day.
Entertaining final with 488 runs scored.
Ball 6 - Taylor 1. Bendigo finishes 7-238 and is beaten by 11 runs. Cam Taylor is unbeaten on 97.
Ball 5 - Taylor 2, 7-236. He is 96 with one ball left in innings and on strike.
Ball 4 - Jacobs run out by Benfield for 0. 8-234. Taylor regains strike, he's 94 with 2 balls to go. Gavin Bowles new batsman, but it's a lost cause now.
Ball 3 - Taylor 1, 7-234. Must hit 3 sixes off last 3 balls to win.
Ball 2 - Burns run out by bowler Benfield for 3. 7-233. Captain Linton Jacobs new batsman. Cam Taylor has strike on 93.
Ball 1 - Burns 2, 6-233. All 9 fielders on the fence.
50th over to be bowled by Benfield.
BENDIGO NEEDS 19 OFF LAST OVER TO WIN, OR 18 TO TIE - 3 SIXES WILL DO IT!
Ball 6 - Taylor 2, 6-231.
Ball 5 - Burns 1, 6-229.
Ball 4 - Taylor 1, 6-228.
Ball 3 - Taylor dot ball.
Ball 2 - Sam Johnston caught for a duck. Bendigo 6-227. Cam Taylor is on 90. New batsman in is Adam Burns. 23 needed off 10 balls. Tough ask now.
Ball 1 - C. Taylor 1, 5-227.
49th over to be bowled by B. Scott.
48th over - Bendigo 5-226.
24 needed off the last 2 overs to win, 23 to tie, which would be equivalent of a win.
Ball 6 - Johnston dot ball.
Ball 5 - Taylor 1, 5-226.
Ball 4 - Taylor 2, 5-225.
Ball 3 - Taylor 2, 5-223.
Ball 2 - Taylor dot ball.
48th over - Ball 1 - 1 to Taylor, but DeAraugo run out going for second. 5-219. Sam Johnston new batsman.
Benfield is bowling this over.
47th over - Bendigo 4-219.
Taylor 84; DeAraugo 7.
30 needed off last 3 overs.
Will do ball by ball coverage for last 3 overs.
47th over - I haven't got a good feeling about this at the moment about how this may end up for Bendigo.
46th over - Bendigo 4-213.
Taylor 81; DeAraugo 3.
37 needed off last 24 balls.
Need a big over.
45th over: Just hit some technical problems here, but Pappin has been caught in the deep for 12.
Pappin had been dropped twice before he was caught.
Ben DeAraugo new batsman.
Bendigo 4-208 in 45th.
4:19pm: Some rain starting to fall here. Only light drops at this stage.
44th over - Bendigo 3-200.
Taylor 72; Pappin 11.
6 overs to get 50. but 49 will also do as Bendigo wins with a tie.
44th over - Pappin just dropped in outfield again. He's now on 10 and been dropped twice. Bendigo 3-197.
43rd over - Pappin just dropped in outfield and it goes for 4. Moves him to 6 and Bendigo 3-193 in 43rd.
42nd over - Bendigo 3-184.
Taylor 67; Pappin 1.
66 off 48 required.
41st over - Adam Ward out, caught at long-off for 20 off 21.
Bendigo 3-182.
The hard-hitting Adrian Pappin makes way to the crease.
Taylor on 65.
40th over - Bendigo 2-176.
Taylor 65; Ward 14.
10 overs left in the chase and Bendigo needs 74 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Starting to get windy here at Albert Ground, plus it's quite dark.
Sale 5-187 at some stage.
39th over - Bendigo 2-173.
Taylor 64; Ward 13.
Some good running that over from the Bendigo lads. 8 off it.
77 needed off 66 balls.
38th over - Bendigo 2-165.
Taylor 58; Ward 11.
85 needed off 72 balls.
Looks like Pappin may have got the message to pad up.
37th over - Bendigo 2-160.
Taylor 54; Ward 10.
90 needed off 78 balls.
Reckon we need to get some pads on Pappin.
36th over - Bendigo 2-157.
Taylor 53; Ward 9.
Gav Bowles padded up next.
93 needed off 84 balls.
Couple of big overs would be handy here to get the run rate back under 6.
35th over - Bendigo 2-152.
Taylor 51; Ward 6.
Less than 100 now to get for Bendigo off last 15 overs.
Word is the radar looks horrendous.
35th over - Cam Taylor brings up 50 with his second boundary.
34th over - Bendigo 2-144.
Taylor 46; Ward 3.
Drinks break.
106 needed off last 16 overs after drinks.
Set for a cracking finish.
33rd over - Bendigo 2-141.
Taylor 44; Ward 2.
109 needed off the last 17 overs.
32nd over - Gunn just out, caught by keeper for 76.
Bendigo 2-136.
Gunn faced 81 balls, he hit 5 fours in his knock.
Major breakthrough for Sale.
Adam Ward new batsman in.
Gunn and Taylor put on 96 for second wicket.
Taylor on 41.
31st over - Bendigo 1-134.
Gunn 74; Taylor 41.
Gunn has now passed 300 runs over the past 3 days.
3:31pm: Seems to be a thought around the ground that we may cop rain before game is due to be finished.
If the game gets washed out, Bendigo wins.
30th over - Bendigo 1-129.
Gunn 71; Taylor 30.
Good over for Bendigo with 9 coming off it.
Bendigo has scored 44 off last 10 overs.
30th over - Sale has just conceded its first sundry of the innings in 30th over.
A leg bye brings up Bendigo's 126th run.
Bendigo conceded 17 sundries earlier.
29th over - Bendigo 1-120 off 29.
Gunn 64; Taylor 38.
130 needed off 21 overs, run-rate up over a run a ball.
28th over - Bendigo 1-117.
Gunn 61; Taylor 31.
Sale doing a good job of tightening the screws here.
133 needed off 22 overs... 133 needed off 132 balls.
27th over - Bendigo 1-115.
Gunn 59; Taylor 38.
Partnership of 75 for the second wicket between the two.
135 needed off 23 overs... or 135 needed off 138 balls.
Adam Ward padded up next for Bendigo.
3:20pm: Wet weather could be on the way here to the Albert Ground.
26th over - Bendigo 1-111.
Gunn 57; Taylor 36.
139 needed off 24 overs.
25th over - Bendigo 3-109.
Gunn 57; Taylor 34.
That's the halfway mark of the innings. 141 needed off last 25.
23rd over - 100 up for Bendigo for loss of one wicket.
23rd over - 50 up for Gunn in the 23rd over, Bendigo 1-99.
22nd over - Bendigo 1-97.
Gunn 49; Taylor 30.
Gunn just hit boundary to break run of 18 singles in a row and Cam Taylor is out of the 20s.
Just caught my mate Gazza Piggott dozing off under the tree here at the Albert Ground.
21st over - Bendigo 1-87.
Gunn 43; Taylor 26.
It is being done in singles at the moment.
Gunn 17 singles in a row; Taylor 9 singles in a row #picketfence
20th over - Bendigo 1-85.
Gunn 42; Taylor 25.
Bendigo has scored 30 off the last 10 overs, after scoring 55 off the first 10.
The big question now is can Cam Taylor get past the twitchy 20s.
He has been out in the 20s in all four of his innings.
Sale 3-84 at the same stage, so almost neck and neck.
19th over - Bendigo 1-83.
Gunn 41; Taylor 24.
Gunn's last 14 runs have all been singles.
18th over - Bendigo 1-80.
Gunn 40; Taylor 22.
17th over - Bendigo 1-79 at first drinks break.
Gunn on 40; Taylor on 21.
Sale-Maffra was 2-70 at same stage.
Great start to the run chase for Bendigo.
Gunn and Taylor in control for Bendigo.
They have put on 39 of the second wicket so far.
15th over - Bendigo 1-77.
Gunn 39; Taylor 20.
Both batsmen working the ball around nicely.
Gunn has faced 42 balls for his 39 and Taylor 33 for his 20.
Stepein's 18 earlier came off 21 balls.
14th over - Bendigo 1-73.
Gunn 37; Taylor 17.
Couple of spinners operating for Sale at the moment.
Gunn's tally of runs over the past 3 days currently stands at 270.
Bit of Geoff Marsh in Gunny's stance at the crease.
12th over - Bendigo 1-62
Gunn 35; Taylor 9.
8th over: Bendigo 1-48.
Gunn 28; Taylor 2.
Richard Tibbett walking around with ice on his ankle.
7th over: Stepien out, caught for 18 at midwicket.
Bendigo 1-40.
Cam Taylor the new batsman in.
7th over: Stepien survives after Sale drop tough chance at mid-wicket.
Would have been a screamer had it been taken.
6th over: Bendigo 0-37.
Gunn 21; Stepien 16.
Good cricket here, no risk and punishing the bad ball. A joy to watch.
5th over: Bendigo motoring along early in chase at 0-33.
Gunn 19; Stepein 14.
Gunn just took 10 off J. Rietschel's firsst over.
20 of Bendigo's 33 runs so far in boundaries.
Hope Johnny Hewitt doesn't mind... just snuck a couple of his lolly snakes.
4th over: Bendigo 0-23.
Stepien 14; Gunn 9.
Three boundaries already for Stepien early in his innings.
3rd over: Bendigo 0-12.
Stepien 6; Gunn 6.
Smooth sailing so far for both batsmen.
Target to win is 250.
2nd over: Bendigo 0-10.
Stepien 5; Gunn 5.
Gunn played a couple of nice shots through the led side that over. Looking good early.
1st over: Bendigo 0-6.
Stepien 5, Gunn 1.
Can Benn Gunn make it three tons in three days? Don't want to put any pressure on him though.
1:53pm: There is rain forecast to hit Melbourne this arvo I believe.
If we get washed out here, Bendigo wins courtesy of top of ladder.
Hopefully, rain is no factor.
1:50pm: Brayden Stepien and enter arena ready to open batting for Bendigo.
Stepien will be champing at the bit. He was the the designated batsman and therefore didn't field.
1:47pm: Wrap of the Sale-Maffra innings:
After winning the toss and batting, Sale-Maffra compiled 249 off its 50 overs.
On a belter of a wicket at the Albert Ground, Sale-Maffra got off to a flyer, scoring 29 off the first four overs.
Matt Dowsett took the attack to Bendigo from the outset, belting Adam Burns for a boundary and two consecutive sixes, but tried one too many big shots and was bowled for 20 off 11.
Dowsett’s quickfire 20 was one of plenty of starts in the Sale-Maffra innings, with eight of their batsmen scoring in double figures.
But only No.3 B. Scott made a half-century as he top-scored for Sale with a well-made 52 off 69 (five fours).
The Sale-Maffra innings included seven partnerships of at least 20, with the best stand being the 59 captain Jack Tatterson (45 off 53) and Rohan. Diamond (5 off 40) put on for the sixth wicket that took the score from 142 in the 33rd over to 201 in the 44th.
Five of Bendigo’s six bowlers took a wicket.
Sam Johnston picked up 3-50 off 10 overs, while Burns (2-47) was the other multiple wicket-taker.
Having earlier conceded 20 runs off his first two overs, Burns finished with 2-47 off 10.
As well as the early wicket of Dowsett, Burns later claimed the key scalp of captain Tatterson in the 44th over with the first ball of his second spell.
Burns also took the catch in the outfield to dismiss Scott off the bowling of Cameron Taylor (1-44).
Left-arm spinner Liam Smith (1-37) and opening bowler Richard Tibbett (1-32) took a wicket each, while Ben DeAraugo has had better days with the ball after being hit for 26 off his three overs.
The Sale-Maffra innings included two run-outs in the final over.
After winning the toss and batting, Sale-Maffra compiled 249 off its 50 overs.
On a belter of a wicket at the Albert Ground, Sale-Maffra got off to a flyer, scoring 29 off the first four overs.
Matt Dowsett took the attack to Bendigo from the outset, belting Adam Burns for a boundary and two consecutive sixes, but tried one too many big shots and was bowled for 20 off 11.
Dowsett’s quickfire 20 was one of plenty of starts in the Sale-Maffra innings, with eight of their batsmen scoring in double figures.
But only No.3 B. Scott made a half-century as he top-scored for Sale with a well-made 52 off 69 (five fours).
The Sale-Maffra innings included seven partnerships of at least 20, with the best stand being the 59 captain Jack Tatterson (45 off 53) and Rohan. Diamond (5 off 40) put on for the sixth wicket that took the score from 142 in the 33rd over to 201 in the 44th.
Five of Bendigo’s six bowlers took a wicket.
Sam Johnston picked up 3-50 off 10 overs, while Burns (2-47) was the other multiple wicket-taker.
Having earlier conceded 20 runs off his first two overs, Burns finished with 2-47 off 10.
As well as the early wicket of Dowsett, Burns later claimed the key scalp of captain Tatterson in the 44th over with the first ball of his second spell.
Burns also took the catch in the outfield to dismiss Scott off the bowling of Cameron Taylor (1-44).
Left-arm spinner Liam Smith (1-37) and opening bowler Richard Tibbett (1-32) took a wicket each, while Ben DeAraugo has had better days with the ball after being hit for 26 off his three overs.
The Sale-Maffra innings included two run-outs in the final over.
1:26pm: Bendigo bowling figures:
R. Tibbett 1-32 off 7
A. Burns 2-42 off 10
L.Smith 1-37 off 10
S. Johnston 3-50 off 10
C. Taylor 1-44 off 10
B. DeAraugo 0-26 off 3
1:23pm: Bendigo leaves the field after bowling Sale Maffra out for 249.
50th over - Bendigo will need exactly 250 to win the Country Week title.
Sale all out 249. There were two run outs in the last over.
According to my maths, Bendigo needs to score at 5 an over to win.
49th over - Sale 8-242 with 1 over left.
Adam Burns to bowl last over.
49th over - A third wicket for Sammy Johnston.
He has bowled Bolton for 24.
Sale 8-238 in 49th over.
Rurawhe who retired hurt earlier back in.
48th over - Sale 7-229.
Two overs left in the innings.
47th over - Sale 7-223.
Sam Johnston got the seventh wicket that over, removing Diamond for 25, ct Cam Taylor.
That's now two wickets for Johnstonn
46th over - Sale-Maffra 6-215.
Diamond on 25; Bolton on 5.
Hopefully, Bendigo can hold Sale to under 240.
45th over - Sale-Maffra 6-210.
Sam Johnston has 1-30 off 8.
44th over - Sale 6-206.
Sammy Johnston back into attack.
43rd over - Burns first ball of second spell has immediate success, bowling Tatterson for 45.
That's Burns' 2nd wicket today, and 102nd career wicket at MCW.
Sale-Maffra 6-201.
Burns now has 2-28 off 6.1.
42nd over - 5-200 Sale-Maffra.
Tatterson on 44, Diamond on 20.
They have put on 56 so far for the sixth wicket.
Cam Taylor has bowled his 10 overs, taking 1-44.
38th over - Sale 5-182.
DeAraugo 0-26 off 3.
Cam Taylor bowling his 9th over now.
37th over - 5-170.
Would like to see the back of Sale captain Tatterson sooner rather than later.
He's on 24, Diamond on 12.
DeAraugo has 0-18 off 2.
36th over - Sale 5-164.
Cam Taylor has 1-27 off 7.
This is my office today.
35th over: Sale-Maffra bring up their 150 this over.
250 probably going to be about a par score on this deck.
Sale captain Tatterson on 16, Rohan Diamond on 3.
12:21pm: Ladies and gentleman, please welcome into the Bendigo attack Ben DeAraugo.
Or Ben DeRoogoo as the Sale-Maffra scorer thought his name was.
Lino Jacobs keeping up at the stumps.
Rurawhe suffered a side strain earlier.
34th over - Sale-Maffra 4-147 at second drinks break.
Bendigo bowling figures:
Tibbett 1-32 off 7
A. Burns 1-28 off 6
L. Smith 1-37 off 10.
S. Johnston 1-21 off 5.
C. Taylor 1-24 off 6.
Sale's score in 5 over blocks
5 overs - 1-34.
10 - 1-46.
15 - 2.64.
20 - 3-84.
25 - 3-101.
30 - 4-124.
33rd over - Richard Tibbett snares his first wicket.
Clean bowls Jake Benfield for 23.
Sale-Maffra 5-142.
All bowlers now have a wicket for Bendigo.
30 overs - Sale 4-125, Tibbett back into attack.
28 overs - 4-121 Sale after Cam Taylor just dismissed Scott for 52, caught in the deep by Adam Burns at long-on.
Scott hit 5 fours in his knock.
Key wicket for Bendigo.
New batsman is Sale captain Jack Tatterson.
Do oposition players still clap the opposition batsman or is that a thing of the past?
27 overs - Sale-Maffra 3-117.
Setting themselves up to give plenty to chase.
Sale's Bradley Scott has just posted a half-century.
He's 51 no.
A massive thankyou to the BDCA's Travis Harling for his work on the camera today... plus giving me a lift down.
25 overs - Halfway through innings, Sale-Maffra 3-101.
Liam Smith continuing to bowl well, has 1-25 off 8 and keeping it tight.
Cam Taylor new bowler into attack.
Good fightback from Bendigo after Sale-Maffra bolted away early.
23rd over - Sale-Maffra 3-94 approaching halfway mark of innings.
Scott on 37, Benfield on 5.
11:30am: Bendigo takes its third wicket as Sam Johnston bowls Ben Saxon for a duck.
Sale-Maffra now 3-84 in 20th.
11:27am: Rurawhe has retired hurt for Sale with what appears to be a back problem after the 19th over.
19 overs - Sale-Maffra 2-77.
Liam Smith has 1-14 off 5. Keeping it tight from his end and bowling well.
18 overs - Sale-Maffra 2-75.
11:15am - First drinks break after 17 overs.
Sale-Maffra 2-70. Off to a flyer.
16th over - Sammy Johnston into attack for Bendigo bowling his second over, replacing Burns.
Burns first spell 1-28 off 6.
14th over - Sale-Maffra 2-61 off 14.
11:01am - a wicket for Liam Smith when batsman tried a reverse weep and was bowled.
Sale-Maffra 2-59 in 13th.
Lanigan the batsman out. He made 20 off 37.
New batsman is Josh Rurawhe.
12th over - Sale-Maffra 1-57.
Ticking along at just under 5 an over. The word on Sale Maffra is they bat very well, we are seeing that early so far.
Lanigan 19 off 33; Scott 17 off 28.
11th over - Sale-Maffra 1-52.
Spinner Liam Smith just bowled his first over replacing Richard Tibbett.
Tibbett's first spell 0-22 off 5.
9th over - Sale-Maffra 1-45 after 9.
7th over - Sale-Maffra 1-40.
Ticking along nicely early the boys from down Gippsland way.
Tibbett has 0-19 off 4.
6th over - Sale-Maffra 1-34. Tibbett continues for Bendigo.
Burns has 1-20 off 3, Tibbett 0-13 off 3.
Lanigan on 13, Scott on 0.
5th over - Sale-Maffra 1-34 off 5.
B. Lanigan and B. Scott batting.
Adam Burns into his third over.
10:30am - first wicket for Bendigo. Adam Burns bowls Mathew Dowsett in the fourth over.
Big wicket for Bendigo as Dowsett had got off to a flyer making 20 off 11, hitting 2 fours and one six.
3rd over - Sale-Maffra 0-13.
2nd over - Sale Maffra 0-10. Adam Burns bowled the second over for Bendigo.
1st over - Sale-Maffra 0-6.
10:15am - Richard Tibbett to open bowling for Bendigo.
2 slips in place.
10:13am: Bendigo making their way onto the Albert Ground for the grand final.
10:12am: "The boys are all relaxed. They've worked hard all week to get this opportunity. We can't wait to get stuck into it." - Bendigo coach Matt Pinniger.
10:03am: A look at the strip the lads will be playing on today. Great deck.
9:57am: Welcome to today's over by over coverage of Bendigo's Melbourne Country Week grand final against Sale Maffra.
Outstanding conditions for the grand final at the Albert Ground
Bendigo has lost the toss and will bowl first.
Ben Devanny is the unlucky player for Bendigo to miss out on the grand final.
MELBOURNE COUNTRY WEEK PREVIEW: The BDCA squad
DAY 2 WRAP: Bendigo bowlers deliver in stunning win
DAY 3 WRAP: Gunn's ton of class
DAY 4 WRAP: Bendigo advances to MCW final
FINAL WORD: Finish the job lads
SPORT HQ VIDEO: CRICKET CENTRAL
EDITORIAL: SHOT AT TITLE GLORY AWAITS BENDIGO
