Three of Tuesday night’s four games went right down to the wire, with Bendigo, White Hills and Kangaroo Flat all winning matches decided in the final over.

Chasing Strathdale’s 9-104 in what was a rematch of last season’s grand final, Bendigo scraped home by three wickets with one ball to spare as it answered with 7-106 at Axis Employment Oval.

Craig Pearce (9 n.o.) and Jack Belsar (5 n.o.) guided the Goers over the line.

Belsar hit the winning runs with a boundary to third man off Sam Johnston (0-21).

The top-scorer for the Goers was Xavier Ryan (28 off 35), who came in with the side at a precarious 5-53.

Jack Neylon (2-12 off 4) was the pick of the bowlers for the Suns, who earlier had captain Jacob DeAraugo and Linton Jacobs both make 20 after they won the toss and batted.

After tormenting the Goers with a century in last season’s Twenty20 grand final, this time Suns’ opener Andrew Chalkley’s innings at the top of the order was brief as he was trapped lbw by Alex Pearson (1-17) for five.

Pearce snared 3-19 off three overs for the Goers, who had five bowlers take at least one wicket.

• White Hills clung on to beat Sandhurst by the barest of margins – one run – at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.

Chasing the Demons’ 5-115 in fading light, the Dragons needed two off the final ball to win or one to tie, with Sam Sperling on strike to Rhys Irwin.

With the game on a knifedge, Irwin bowled Sperling (2) on the final ball to hand a gripping victory to the Demons by four wickets as Sandhurst finished at 6-114.

The last over had began with Sandhurst needing seven runs for victory.

Dragons’ marquee player Lachlan Sperling finished 35 n.o. off 32, while skipper Taylor Beard, who opened the batting, struck four boundaries in making 23 off 19.

Josh Matthews picked up 2-20 off three overs for the Demons, while Mitch Winter-Irving (1-12) sent down an economical four overs.

Earlier, knocks from marquee player Brayden Stepien (35 off 29), Ryan Grundy (23 off 24) and Adrian Holland (32 n.o. off 40) helped the Demons to 5-115.

The Dragons’ Sam Sperling produced the best bowling figures of round one with his off-spinners netting 3-18 off four overs.

• In what was a game that also went down to the last ball, Kangaroo Flat successfully chased down Golden Square’s 9-89 under lights at Champions IGA Oval.

A Dylan Gibson (12 n.o.) three off Square’s Mat Christie (0-27 off 4) off the final ball of the match when scores had been tied handed the Roos a two-wicket win as they finished with 8-92.

Apart from Gibson, the only other player to score in double figures for the Roos was opener Daniel Barber (30 off 42).

Golden Square’s marquee player, paceman Ryan Sidebottom, proved tough to score off in taking 2-6 off four overs, while Kyal Rasmussen (2-18 off 4) and Scott Trollope (2-7 off 4) also took two wickets for Square.

Earlier, Square’s 9-89 featured 28 off 32 from veteran Grant Connelly, with he and Barber the only players who made more than 20 in a game dominated by the bowlers.

Kangaroo Flat’s spinning duo of Gibson (2-9 off 4) and marquee player Mark Watt (2-18 off 4) took two wickets each.

• Strathfieldsaye had a far more comfortable time than the other three winners as it defeated Huntly-North Epsom by five wickets with 19 balls to spare at Flight Centre Park.

Batting first, the Power reached 9-92, having earlier been in a solid position to launch from at 2-55.

Skipper Brodie McRae (25) was the best of the Power batsmen, while Michael Curtis jagged 2-9 for the Jets.

With Nick Scullie (48 off 41, nine fours) making the highest score of round one, the Jets took 16.5 overs to reach 5-93 and get their campaign away to a winning start.

Cameron Moore (2-11 off 4) and Peter Moore (2-16 off 4) battled hard for the Power.

Ladders:

Pool 1 – Kangaroo Flat (6 pts, 0.15 NRR), White Hills (6, 0.05), Eaglehawk (0, 0.00), Sandhurst (0, -0.05), Golden Square (0, -0.15).

Pool 2 – Strathfieldsaye (6, 0.92), Bendigo (6, 0.14), Bendigo United (0, 0.00), Strathdale (0, -0.14), Huntly-North Epsom (0, -0.92).