In a thrilling Melbourne Country Week Provincial Group grand final that wasn’t decided until the last over of the match, Geelong was victorious by four wickets on Friday.

Geelong answered Bendigo’s 7-233 with 6-237 at an immaculate Albert Ground.

Geelong started the last over of its innings – to be bowled by Adam Burns – needing five to win or four to tie, which would have been enough to claim the title courtesy of their top-of-the-ladder finish.

However, off the first ball of the over Geelong’s Daniel Weigl broke Bendigo’s hearts when he hit Burns through mid-wicket for four to tie the scores and ensure Geelong couldn’t lose the title.

A dot-ball followed, before Burns claimed wickets on consecutive deliveries when he had Weigl (13) caught at short fine leg by Ben DeAraugo, and then bowled Jack Spence (0).

But there was no hat-trick for Burns. Instead new batsman Brad Hauenstein (4 n.o.) hit him straight down the ground for four for the winning runs.

Earlier, the match-winning partnership for Geelong was a 141-run stand for the fourth wicket between Andrew Ferguson and Leigh Kentish.

They came together with Geelong having just lost 3-14, falling from 0-51 in the 11^th over to 3-65 in the 15^th.

The pair ticked the runs over without risk, keeping the run-rate required at less than six an over.

Ferguson finished unbeaten on 84 off 117, while Kentish made 68 off 80 after surviving a caught behind shout off Liam Smith early in his innings.

Burns was the only multiple wicket-taker for Bendigo with 2-50 off 8.5 overs, while spin trio Smith (1-37 off 10), Liam Bowe (1-37 off 10) and Cameron Taylor (1-44 off 9) took one each. 

After winning the toss and batting, Bendigo’s innings of 6-233 featured a century from Taylor and a half-ton from Gavin Bowles.

The pair put on 144 for the third wicket after the dismissals of captain Linton Jacobs (6) and Ben Gunn (18) had Bendigo 2-29 in the sixth over. Gunn had looked ominous with three boundaries in his 18, before being caught in slip.

Taylor and Bowles took the score to 173 before Bowles was caught at long-on in the 40^th over for 58.

Bowles hit three fours and one six in his 93-ball innings.

Jayden Hicks (5) – a former Geelong player at Melbourne Country Week – and Josh Collinson (0) followed soon after, before Taylor’s innings came to an end in the 46^th over when caught in the deep for 102.

Taylor – who was awarded man of the match – faced 129 balls, striking six boundaries and one six. It was a second grand final man of the match in a row for Taylor after he made 97 n.o. in last year’s loss to Sale-Maffra.

Outgoing captain Chris Bambury finished with 4-33 for Geelong, which won its fourth title in six years.