WHITE HILLS v STRATHFIELDSAYE
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A boundary off the last ball of the day to bring up Gavin Bowles’ third century of the season capped a superb day with the bat for White Hills against Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo District Cricket Association.
In a pivotal clash between two finals aspirants at Glen Loddon Homes Oval on Saturday, the Demons cracked 4-318, highlighted by another Bowles’ ton.
Bowles ended the day unbeaten on 102 after starting the final over – bowled by Andrew Stove (1-82) – on 98.
Team-mate Adrian Holland (6 n.o.) scored a single off the first delivery, before Bowles played four-consecutive dot-balls.
However, he hit the final ball of the day straight down the ground for a boundary to notch ton No.3 for the season, and No.8 in his career.
Bowles – who now has 603 runs for the season at an average of 100.5 – has also made unbeaten hundreds this summer against Bendigo (115 n.o.) and Sandhurst (128 n.o.).
Bowles hit nine boundaries in his 160-ball innings.
With two rounds still left – and potentially finals – this is already a career-best season for Bowles, whose previous best summer was 518 runs in 2009-10.
Sam Stagg fell seven short of what would have been a second century of the season when he was adjudged lbw to Brad Rohde for 93.
Stagg’s innings featured four boundaries and two sixes – one of which he got off the mark with.
Opening the batting, Stagg put on 109 for the first wicket with the elevated Rhys Irwin (48) and 90 for the second wicket with Bowles.
Oliver Geary later added a quickfire 35 off 23 against a Strathfieldsaye line-up that had just Rohde (2-98 off 23) as a multiple wicket-taker.
HUNTLY-NORTH EPSOM v EAGLEHAWK
Eaglehawk’s Cory Jacobs and Richard Tibbett snared nine wickets between them against Huntly-North Epsom at Poyser Motors Oval.
The bottom-of-the-ladder Power dug in against the much-vaunted Hawks’ bowling attack, lasting into the 83rd over before they were all out for 164.
Jacobs’ 5-26 off 13 overs was the medium-pacer’s best haul of the season.
His scalp’s included the first three of the day when he dismissed Ash Gray (38), Linc McRae (7) and Brodie McRae (0).
Tibbett’s solid season continued with his bag of 4-43 off 19.3 overs, all of which were unassisted – two lbw and two bowled.
Gray and Elliott Massina (36) got the Power away to a strong start with a 56-run stand for the first wicket, before Jacobs did his damage with three quick wickets that left the home side 3-66.
Captain Michael Hanson (30) and Massina added 52 for the fourth wicket, while Brett Elvey (15) and Lachlan Brook (11) both later defied the Hawks for more than an hour each.
KANGAROO FLAT v BENDIGO UNITED
Bendigo United’s Leigh McDermott cracked the highest score of the season, smashing 162 against Kangaroo Flat at N8 Health Oval.
McDermott’s innings helped the Redbacks to an imposing 9-322 after coming in with his side 3-50, in which captain Ben Gunn (4) and Heath Behrens (0) had both fallen cheaply.
McDermott’s 162 surpassed what was the season’s previous highest score of 161 – which he made against Sandhurst in round two – and took his tally of runs to 469.
He scored at almost a run-a-ball, facing 166 deliveries and crunching 13 boundaries and three sixes.
McDermott put on 100 for the fourth wicket with teenager Riley Treloar (58, seven fours), who made the highest first XI score of his short career.
McDermott also added 50 for the fifth wicket with Mark Di Fede (17).
His innings came to an end when caught by Brent Hamblin off Dylan Klemm (3-43).
Klemm was the Roos’ leading wicket-taker, while Hamblin (2-106) and Chris Barber (2-91) snared two each on what became a long day for the Kangaroo Flat after a positive start.
SANDHURST v GOLDEN SQUARE
Opening bowlers Scott Woodman and Josh Blencowe combined for eight wickets against Sandhurst on a rare day where ball dominated bat at Bendigo Door Centre Weeroona Oval.
Sandhurst had gone into the game averaging 282 on its home ground this season, but the Dragons could muster just 166 in what’s a crucial battle between two of the seven teams fighting for the last two spots in the finals.
For the second game in a row Woodman snared a five-wicket haul, while Blencowe continued his breakout season with three wickets.
Woodman jagged 5-46 off 19 overs, which included claiming four of the first five wickets to fall.
His bag followed 5-43 in the first innings against Bendigo last round.
Blencowe took his tally of wickets for the season to 21 with his return of 3-51 off 19 overs.
The innings got off to a solid start for the Dragons with a 42-run opening stand between Eli Bowe (23) and Manning Walsh (17).
But after Woodman got the first breakthrough when Bowe was caught by keeper Scott Johnson, wickets fell regularly for the rest of the innings.
There were plenty of starts in the innings – seven players made double figures – but only Brett Tory (33) made more than 30.
At stumps Square was 2-38 off 13 overs, with Scott Johnson (10 n.o.) and Jason Johnson (4 n.o.) unbeaten.
BENDIGO v STRATHDALE-MARISTIANS
Bendigo’s Adam Ward and Strathdale-Maristians’ Jake DeAraugo played starring roles with bat and ball in their battle at Provincial Home Loans Oval.
Ward scored a ton for the Goers, while DeAraugo ended the day with a haul of six wickets for the Suns.
Ward’s 115 was the backbone of the Goers’ 229 after they won the toss and batted first.
The skipper scored 115 of the Goers’ 147 runs while he was at the crease after coming in with the score at 1-6 and being dismissed with the tally on 153.
It was the first century scored by a Goers’ player this season and continues his good form since returning from Victoria Country duties.
The Goers’ innings also featured a knock of 39 from Nathan Fitzpatrick, 25 from opener Kyle Chant and an unbeaten 21 from James Ryan.
Opening bowler DeAruago was the chief destroyer for the Suns with his bag of 6-88 off 19 overs, removing Ward, Xavier Ryan (11), Fitzpatrick, Mark Ryan (2), Ryan Trickey (8) and Jotham Higgs (1).
He now has 20 wickets for the season, including 14 in the four games since the Christmas-New Year break.
The Suns ended the day at 1-23 off 12 overs.