A SUPERB skipper’s century from Ben DeAraugo led Strathdale-Maristians to its first win of the BDCA season on Saturday.
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Needing 225 to win against Golden Square at Wade Street, the Suns were on the ropes when they lost 3-1, slumping from 1-51 to 4-52 in the 34th over.
However, it was the calm head of DeAraugo with support from Cameron Taylor that guided the Suns out of trouble and to what became a comfortable 92-run win as they reached 317.
DeAraugo compiled 130 – his third career century for the Suns – off 182 balls, striking 16 boundaries and three sixes.
Having come in with the score 2-51, DeAraugo didn’t depart until he was the ninth wicket to fall at 276.
Batting at No.6, Taylor’s 60 also proved invaluable, and he wasted no time in taking the attack to the Square bowlers.
Taylor’s first 30 runs included six boundaries, with he and DeAraugo having already added 71 off just 11 overs as they went to tea with the Suns 4-123.
Their partnership reached 122 before Taylor’s innings ended with the score on 174, with his knock of 60 following his day one 4-95 with the ball.
Taylor was stumped by Scott Johnson off the bowling of left-arm spinner Liam Smith, who became just the second Golden Square player since 2000 to take seven wickets in an innings.
Stand-in skipper Smith bagged 7-117 off 30.4 overs, with his seven scalps featuring five caught, one stumped and one lbw.
Since 2000 the only other Square player to have taken seven wickets in an innings was Bruce Hando, who snared 7-38 against White Hills in round four, 2001-02.
While DeAraugo and Taylor provided the backbone of the victory, the Suns had young opener James Vlaemnick compile 37, and Dylan Bailie provided some lusty hitting with a quickfire 38 off 27 (four fours, two sixes) late in the day.
Both the Suns and Square have 1-1 results after two rounds.
The result gives Strathdale-Maristians’ coach David Bakes bragging rights over his brother, Robbie Bakes, who is coaching Square.
However, Robbie will get his chance at revenge when the Suns and Square meet again in round nine.
• Strathfieldsaye’s score of 9-279 posed few problems for White Hills, who lost just three wickets in chasing its target down.
Star batsman Gavin Bowles was the anchor of the successful run-chase at White Hills.
He began his innings early in the day at 1-4 following the dismissal of Linc Jacobs (0), and was still there at stumps, unbeaten on 165 as the Demons closed the day at 3-300.
Bowles’ 165 n.o. was his highest score in what was his ninth career century for the Demons.
Of those still playing in the competition, only Golden Square skipper Ben Gunn (13) has more BDCA centuries.
Two of Bowles’ nine centuries have come against Strathfieldsaye, having also made 102 against the Jets in round 11, 2015-16.
Bowles struck 21 boundaries and one six during his 235-ball stay at the crease.
The Demons also had opener Ryan Grundy and captain Mitch Winter-Irving both make scores of 58 and share in century partnerships with Bowles.
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Grundy and Bowles put on 133 for the second wicket, before Winter-Irving and Bowles added 124 for the third in what was the Demons’ first win of the season.
Captain Ben Devanny (1-58 off 26), Beauden Rinaldi (1-79 off 16) and Chris Cullen (1-96 off 24) took one wicket each for the Jets, who are now 1-1.
• Huntly-North Epsom recorded its first win over Eaglehawk for seven seasons.
The Hawks were all out for 150 chasing the Power’s 7-201 at Huntly.
It was an even bowling performance by the Power, with Brett Elvey (3-28 off 18), Cameron Moore (3-29 off 14), Mitchell Whittle (2-12 off 7.1) and Sandun Ranathunga (2-30 off 19) all taking at least two wickets.
The Hawks struggled to get any flow in their innings as the Power were able to take wickets at regular intervals.
At one stage the Hawks looked like they would struggle to reach 100 when they had crashed to 8-76, before Nicholas Farley (42 n.o. off 103) and Josh Williams (30 off 115) dug in, adding 50 for the ninth wicket.
The Hawks at one stage lost 3-2 as they fell from 0-30 to 3-32, and later 5-25 as 3-51 became 8-76.
Wicket-keeper Brodie McRae ended the day with three catches and a stumping for the Power, whose last win over Eaglehawk had been round seven of the 2010-11 season – the game in which the club ended a 78-game winless streak.
The Power are now 1-1, while Eagehawk’s premiership defence is off to a shaky 0-2 start.
• A Dylan Gibson century wasn’t enough for Kangaroo Flat to get over the line against Sandhurst.
Chasing Sandhurst’s massive 8-360 at Dower Park, the Roos batted their 85 overs out, but fell 72 runs short as they finished at 9-288.
In what was his third BDCA century and second for the Roos, Gibson scored 102 off 180.
Gibson, a former Sandhurst player who began his innings with the Roos’ 2-36, struck eight boundaries.
He added 52 for the third wicket with Jake Klemm (39 off 71) and later 57 for the eighth with Chris Barber (36 off 43) in what were the best stands in the Roos’ total that would normally win more games than it loses.
The Dragons, who are shaping as one of the top flag contenders early in the season, had Will Keck (3-47 off 14) finish as their leading wicket-taker.
Keck’s scalps included both Roos’ openers Daniel Barber (8) and Nathan Stubbings (19).
Coach Taylor Beard (2-61 off 17) and spinners Todd Murphy (2-57 off 15) and Sam Sperling (2-65 off 26) picked up two wickets apiece for the Dragons.
• Bendigo is off to a 2-0 start to the season, while Bendigo United is now an unfamiliar 0-2.
On the back of another Kyle Humphrys’ century, the Goers made light work of the Redbacks’ 215 as they responded with 3-293 at Harry Trott Oval.
Humphrys followed up his round one 115 not out against Huntly-North Epsom with an entertaining 136 off 128 balls that was laced with 14 boundaries and five sixes – four of which came in one over off spinner Chris Howgate (2-78 off 15).
The runs didn’t flow as easily for Goers’ captain Shane Koop, who faced 178 balls for 22.
Koop shared in a 161-run stand for the third wicket with Humphrys, who started his knock in the 40th over and was dismissed in the 71st when bowled by Alistair Leech (1-19 off 7).
Goers’ openers William Collicoat (62 off 85) and night watchman Craig Pearce (49 off 86) laid the platform for the Goers with a 109-run opening stand that lasted 28 overs.
