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KANGAROO Flat’s Bendigo District Cricket Association finals hopes remain alive thanks to a captain’s century from Adam Burns on Saturday.
The Roos - who won just two of their first eight games - have moved within five points of the top four with one round remaining in the season.
Chasing Bendigo’s 171 at Provincial Home Loans Oval, Kangaroo Flat recovered from a disastrous 3-2 to answer with 6-207 and win its third game in a row - a feat it last achieved in the 2007-08 season.
Burns’ fighting 113 n.o. was his second century of the season to go with his 39 wickets.
The skipper faced 215 balls and struck 11 boundaries and two sixes in his season-saving innings, while receiving key support from Mitch Collins (24 off 87), Jake Klemm (21 off 80) and Chris Dixon (31 off 45).
Burns shared in partnerships of more than 50 with each of those three team-mates - 57 for the fourth wicket with Collins, 65 for the fifth with Klemm and 83 for the sixth with Dixon.
Burns had a slice of luck when he was dropped on 99 at mid-wicket by Alex Pearson in what was one of many grassed chances for the Goers that proved costly.
Earlier, the Kangaroo Flat innings had been in tatters after Pearson’s dynamic start with the ball when he removed Steve Newlan (0), Josh Newlan (2) and Daniel Barber (0) to have Kangaroo Flat reeling at 3-2.
Pearson finished with 3-49 off 15 overs to go with his 73 n.o. last week as for the second game in a row he not only top-scored for the Goers, but also produced the best bowling figures.
Nathan Fitzpatrick (2-32) was the other multiple wicket-taker for the Goers, who are now nine points outside the top four and, while it’s still mathematically possible, need a miracle to play finals.
• Eaglehawk routed a disappointing Strathfieldsaye for 55 on the back of a seven-wicket haul from Shaun Knott to lock up its finals berth.
Knott ripped through the Jets at Flight Centre Park, taking 7-30 off 20.4 overs as the Hawks easily defended their score of 178.
Knott’s seven wickets followed his bag of 6-50 against White Hills last round and took his tally of scalps in his first season for the Hawks to 30.
Knott’s haul featured five caught, one bowled and one lbw, with only Richard Tibbett’s 8-32 against Strathdale-Maristians two seasons ago better bowling figures by an Eaglehawk player since 2000.
Tibbett was also superb with the ball, claiming 2-12 off 13 overs.
The Jets’ innings was finished in the 42nd over just after tea, with their 55 the club’s lowest first XI score since it was bowled out for 41 by Kangaroo Flat in 2002-03.
Only opener Luke Jones (14) made double figures in an ugly looking scorecard.
The Jets lost wickets with the score on 1, 5, 19, 36, 37, 39, 39, 45, 49 and 55.
Stumps were pulled at 4.05pm, with the Hawks not pursuing an outright win or second innings bat.
While the win secured the Hawks a top-four berth, Strathfieldsaye must beat Sandhurst in the last round to be guaranteed just its second finals appearance since 2001.
The Sandhurst-Strathfieldsaye game will be played as a Saturday-Sunday game next weekend as Weeroona Oval is unavailable the following week.
• Bendigo United skipper Leigh McDermott fell agonisingly short of what would have been his second century of the season in his side’s win over White Hills.
McDermott was dismissed for 99 as the Redbacks answered White Hills’ 110 with 9-276 at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.
McDermott’s innings ended when he skied a ball to mid-off and was caught by Josh Matthews off the bowling of Adrian Holland (1-55).
Batting at No.5, McDermott came in with the score at 3-49 after the Redbacks had lost three early wickets having started the day at 0-33.
McDermott and Heath Behrens batted the Redbacks to victory with a 143-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
McDermott faced 150 balls, hitting 13 boundaries and one six in his innings, which was the BDCA’s first 99 since Eaglehawk’s Sam Walker fell one shy of a ton against Sandhurst in round three of the 2009-10 season.
Behrens’ 47 off 129 (three fours) was his third consecutive innings dismissed in the 40s, while Miggy Podosky continued his push for all-rounder status with some late-innings fireworks when he smacked four sixes in his quickfire 34 off 26.
In his return to the side, White Hills veteran Glenn Roulston claimed 3-49 off 18 overs, including the wickets of Mark Di Fede (11) and Riley Treloar (0) in consecutive balls, but missed out on a hat-trick.
Travis Colley was economical in finishing with 1-19 off 18 overs, bowling 10 maidens and taking the key wicket of Ben Gunn (30).
• Top side Strathdale-Maristians extended its winning streak to eight with an 86-run triumph over Golden Square at All Seasons Oval.
Chasing Square’s 138, the Suns replied with 9-224 after beginning the day at 1-35.
The Suns made a shaky start when Charlie Garratt (9) was caught by keeper Jake Higgins off Josh Blencowe off the first ball of the day.
The Suns later passed their target five wickets down in an innings that had six double figure scores, but only Ben DeAraugo posting a half-century.
DeAraugo scored 50 off 71, with 42 of his runs coming in fours and sixes - five sixes and three boundaries.
Captain Linton Jacobs (32) and Jack Neylon (27) put on 67 for the third wicket in the best partnership of the innings.
Left-arm spinner Liam Smith was a workhorse for Golden Square, bowling 34 overs and taking 3-50, including the wickets of the Suns’ two leading run-scorers this season, Nick Baker (18) and Cameron Taylor (8).
Square's Blencowe (2-47) and debutant Jaydon Abbott (2-20) took two wickets each, while another youngster in Connor Miller conceded just three runs off eight overs and also dismissed Jacobs.
The defeat was Golden Square’s sixth in its past seven games.
• Sandhurst made its highest score of the season, but fell 79 runs short against Huntly-North Epsom at Bendigo Door Centre Weeroona Oval.
Chasing the Power’s daunting 352, the Dragons answered with 273.
The Dragons' chances of successfully chasing their target suffered a blow when they lost stand-in skipper Shane Robinson (0), Joel Schneider (49) and Anthony Medhurst (2) in quick succession to fall from 2-121 to 5-124.
The win was the Power’s fourth of the season and featured captain Josh Collinson (3-30), Tom Wilson (2-26), Quinton Bentley (2-30) and Harry Whittle (2-47) all taking multiple wickets.
Collinson’s three wickets came on the back of his 133 last week.
One of the highlights for the Dragons was 15-year-old Manning Walsh in his second first XI innings making a half-century.
Walsh top-scored for the Dragons with 52, while Schneider, Seb Greene (44) and Ned Slater (42) were all dismissed in the 40s.
Walsh, Schneider, Greene and Slater all made their highest scores of the season.
Huntly-North Epsom’s win was its seventh in a row against Sandhurst.