EMU Valley continued on its winning way in division two of the Bendigo Bank Country Week cricket carnival yesterday.Emu Valley won its third game in as many matches with a hard-fought eight-run victory over Northern District at Elmore, in a match that pitted first against second.The decision to bowl first paid off for Emu Valley.Led by a six-wicket haul from Dion Prange, the EVCA dismissed Northern District for just 125 in only 42 overs.Prange, who was into the attack first change, returned the superb figures of 6-39 off 16 overs.Northern District’s innings stumbled when it quickly fell from 0-38 to 3-45, before being bowled out 80 runs later.No.5 Brad Windridge was the mainstay of the Northern District innings, making 47.In reply, Emu Valley lost eight wickets on the way to passing its target, before eventually being bowled out for 133.Northern District’s Gavin Hird became the second player in the game to claim a six-wicket haul as he took 6-50 of 18 overs to almost bowl Northern District to a win.Emu Valley opener Scott Ross top scored with 56, while Prange followed up his six-for with 29 batting at No.9 before being the last player dismissed.Prange then took 1-11 in Northern District’s second innings of 3-70 to finish with match-figures of 7-50.Maryborough blasted the highest score of the carnival so far in its 146-run win over Northern United at Golden Square.Chasing United’s 9-198, Maryborough responded with 7-344, led by a brilliant unbeaten 122 from No.3 Cole Roscholler.Travis Stefanous (48) and Martin Dell (46) also got amongst the runs as Maryborough won its second game for the week.Sam Barnes (3-88) claimed three wickets for Northern United, but had an expensive economy rate of 7.3 per over from his 12.Earlier, Northern United opener Jeff Blow continued his fine carnival as he top scored with 91 in his side’s 9-198.But he didn’t have enough support as Heath Cail (23) was the only other player to pass 20, while seven Northern United batsmen failed to reach double figures.Sam Johnston was the main reason for the Northern United wickets tumbling around Blow as he claimed 5-47 off 13 overs for Maryborough.Ferntree Gully celebrated its first win of the carnival, defeating Wimmera-Mallee by 25 runs at Huntly, despite a seven-wicket haul by the Mallee’s Brent Barber.Day-one century-maker Lachlan Jones (36), Mark McPherson (45) and Scott Trollope (42 n.o.) all helped Wimmera-Mallee accumulate 171, with Ferntree Gully’s Jay Colee (2-17 off nine overs) continuing his outstanding carnival.But Wimmera-Mallee’s total wasn’t enough as Ferntree Gully made 9-196 in reply, yet had no player make more than 30.No.6 Jayden Bradbury top scored with 29, one of four Ferntree Gully players dismissed in the 20s.Wimmera-Mallee opening bowler Barber was superb as he took the second seven-wicket haul of the carnival, claiming 7-47 off 21 overs - his wickets made up of three lbw’s, two bowled and two catches.DIVISION THREEPortland booked its place in tomorrow’s division three grand final after defeating Red Cliffs by just three runs at Weeroona Oval, in a match where the two sides went into the clash undefeated.After being sent into bat, an unbeaten century from No.4 Shannon Bowen guided Red Cliffs to a competitive 8-204.Bowen, who came in with the score at 2-41, ended the innings unbeaten on 104.David Mike (33) also made a handy contribution for Red Cliffs, putting on 76 for the seventh wicket with Bowen.Troy Warburton (4-67) took the bowling honours for Portland, which answered with 8-207 as the game went down to the wire.Red Cliffs gave itself a sniff of victory after Portland fell from 4-191 to 8-203, but No.5 Glenn Smith (44 n.o.) and No.10 Graham Duffy (0 n.o.) guided their side to its third victory and into the final.Earlier in the innings, No.3 Matthew Payne (53) top scored for Portland, while after his heroics with the bat, Bowen took Red Cliffs’ best bowling figures of 2-30.Swan Hill won its second game of the week after thrashing Hamilton by 207 runs at White Hills.Hamilton’s decision to bowl first backfired as Swan Hill blasted 308.The stars with the bat for Swan Hill were opener Tanner Groat (80) and No.3 Luke Crow (84).The pair put on 129 for the second wicket, taking the score from 1-29 to 2-158.Brandon Dixon (33) also batted well for Swan Hill, which had eight of its batsmen make double figures.The struggling Hamilton, which has lost all three games, used eight bowlers, with Steve Hadden (3-32) the leading wicket-taker.Hamilton was bundled out for just 101 in reply, with No.10 Josh Evans (21) the only player passing 20 as the side had no answer to Swan Hill’s Gurmander Singh (4-14 off 10 overs).Kyabram won its first game of the carnival, defeating Upper Loddon by 42 runs at Colbinabbin.Having been sent into bat, a solid performance from Kyabram’s top-order helped it to a total of 233.Top-five batsmen Jake Perry (25), Nick Casey (37), Darin Ohlsen (22), Robbie O’Donnell (69) and Jordan Souter (30) all batted well for Kyabram, which late in its innings lost its last four wickets for just three runs.Tom Wilson (3-57) and Steve Harris (2-51) were Upper loddon’s multiple wicket-takers.Upper Loddon answered with 191, with the side’s two century-makers against Hamilton the previous day, Shaun Cattanach (6) and Alexander Collins (23), both dismissed by Clinton Lloyd before the total had reached 33.Nathan Johns (42), Daniel Chamberlain (38) and Cameron Dale (35) were the top run scorers for Upper Loddon in its unsuccessful chase.Lloyd (3-36), who opened the bowling, and Hamish Roberts (3-21) were both solid with the ball for Kyabram, which used 10 bowlers in its victory.DIVISION FOURBendigo Gold is the sole unbeaten team in division four having disposed of Daylesford by 88 runs at North Bendigo.The talented Darcy Geyer top scored with 58 in Bendigo Gold’s 202, with Daylesford’s Sam Winnard (4-54) bowling well.In reply, Daylesford was dismissed for just 114, losing its way in the middle of its innings when it fell from 3-68 to 8-86.No.8 Luke Whitehouse (23 n.o.) and Winnard (22) were the only Daylesford players to pass 20 as all five Bendigo Gold bowlers took a wicket, with Jarrod Findlay (3-14) returning the best figures.Bendigo Blue defeated rivals, the Emu Valley Colts, by 14 runs at Raywood.Captain Sam Brewin (57) and Lincoln Jacobs (51) both made half-centuries opening the batting in Bendigo Blue’s 8-213.Seamus O’Connor (5-33) bowled superbly for the Emu Valley Colts, which made 7-199, with No.6 Sam Stagg (55 n.o.) top scoring.Nick White (2-37) and Anthony Dennis (2-57) each took two wickets for Bendigo Blue, which won its first game of the carnival.