HUNTLY-North Epsom’s finals hopes are all but gone after another day of domination by the bowlers in its Bendigo District Cricket Association game against Strathdale-Maristians on Saturday.
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After 15 wickets fell for 196 runs at Poyser Motors Oval on day one the previous week, on Saturday 22 wickets fell for 228 runs as the game stretched into a second innings.
Strathdale-Maristians won by 71 runs on the first innings to remain undefeated, while the Power dropped nine points outside the top four with the loss.
However, the Power still have a mathematical – although unlikely – chance of making the finals.
With one round remaining in the season, the fifth-placed Huntly-North Epsom need to beat bottom side White Hills outright and rely on Bendigo to defeat Eaglehawk to make the finals.
Huntly-North Epsom resumed its first innings at 5-43 chasing the Suns’ 153, but the writing was quickly on the wall when the Suns’ Ben DeAraugo claimed three quick wickets as the Power crashed to 8-47.
The Power’s innings only lasted 14 more overs on Saturday before they were bowled out for 82.
Power captain Linc McRae played a lone hand for his side, scoring 50 off 145 balls before the opener was the ninth wicket to fall.
No other Power player made double figures in what was a scorecard reminiscent of the club’s struggles of years gone by.
DeAraugo took his third haul of five or more wickets for the season – and 12th of his career – as he finished with 5-26 off 19 overs, while Ryan Haythorpe returned his best first XI bowling figures of 4-18 off nine overs.
The game continued into a second innings, and once again the much-vaunted Suns’ batting line-up found the going tough.
The Suns’ second innings lasted just 39 overs before they were bowled out for 82 – their lowest score since being bundled out for 58 against White Hills in round eight of the 2009-10 season.
Just as he did in the first innings, opening bowler Sam Johnston took five wickets for the Power.
Johnston’s 5-38 off 20 overs in the second innins gave him match figures of 10-106 off 41 overs.
The Suns had been 5-72 during their second innings, before losing their last five wickets for 10 runs.
Only opener Travis King (30 off 90) passed 15 for the Suns, who lost 12 of their 20 wickets in the match for single figures.
Having dismissed the Suns, it left the Power 19 overs to chase 154 to win outright, but it was too great a challenge as they finished at 7-109, with Brannon Stanford (35 off 32) top-scoring.
Leg-spinner Cameron Taylor took 3-25 off five overs, meaning he ended the game with more wickets than runs in his two hits after making scores of 0 and 1.
DeAraugo’s 2-34 in the second innings gave him match figures of 7-60 off 26 overs and 38 wickets for the season.
● Teenager Cameron McGlashan bowled Eaglehawk to a 113-run win over Bendigo United.
After making 91 last week, McGlashan picked up his maiden first XI five-for as he claimed 5-37 off 16 overs at Harry Trott Oval.
Chasing the Hawks’ 8-274, the Redbacks suffered yet another batting collapse that is becoming all too familiar as they were bowled out for 161.
The Redbacks had been 3-131 in the 45th over, before they capitulated, losing 7-30 over the next 20 overs.
Heath Behrens (52 off 127) and Leigh McDermott (50 off 100) both made half-centuries and put on 109 for the fourth wicket after the Redbacks had been 3-22 early.
But apart from Behrens and McDermott, the other nine batsmen contributed just 50 runs.
McGlashan took the first three wickets to fall and was on a hat-trick at one stage after dismissing Matt Pinniger (11) and Harry Donegan (0) in consecutive deliveries in his sixth over.
Speedster Richard Tibbett also bowled well, taking 3-36 off 18 overs, including the key scalp of Behrens when he ran down the length of the pitch and took a superb diving caught and bowled.
● For the second time in a month, White Hills produced a disappointing batting performance against Kangaroo Flat at Dower Park.
The Demons were bowled out for 107 in reply to the Roos’ 6-220.
Captain Adam Burns (4-36) and Tim Robertson (3-29) combined for seven wickets between them as the Demons were bowled out in the 44th over.
The Demons were on the backfoot from the outset when they slumped to 4-23 in the 16th over.
Only Sam Stagg (24) and Brayden Stepien (19) made double figures for the Demons, whose score of 107 followed their meagre 56 against the Roos in round 10.
The Roos then made the most of a 40-over second innings, making 4-202.
It was a memorable day for brothers Daniel and Chris Barber as they both made their maiden first XI half-centuries.
Daniel scored 76 and Chris finished unbeaten on 61 as they put on 95 for the third wicket.
● A century to opener Glenn Franzi propelled Bendigo to its third win of the season against Strathfieldsaye at Atkins Street.
Franzi’s 125 was the backbone of the Goers’ 7-292 chasing the Jets’ 267.
Franzi played an aggressive innings, having scored 81 of the Goers’ 127 runs at tea.
His 125 – Franzi’s fifth ton for the Goers – came off 192 balls and included 13 boundaries.
Franzi batted into the 71st over before he was caught in the covers by Andrew Stove off Ben Gunn (2-57), leaving the score 5-209.
Fellow veteran Mark Ryan scored his fifth half-century of the season with his unbeaten 54.
Also chipping in with contributions for the Goers were youngsters Alex Pearson (28), Mitchell Blackman (25) and Nathan Fitzpatrick (21).
The Jets paid the price for not batting out their 85 overs last week as the Goers reached their target in the 86th over.
● Golden Square ended its two-game losing streak with a 140-run win over Sandhurst at MyJet Oval.
After restricting the Dragons to 117 last week, Square took 58 overs to win the game three wickets down, before finishing at 7-257.
Scott Johnson (78 retired) returned to his early-season form, while captain Grant Connelly (79 retired) made his third-consecutive score in the 70s.
The two Square stalwarts put on 133 for the fourth before Connelly was the first of the pair to retire.
Andrew Bourne (2-50) was the sole multiple wicket-taker for Sandhurst, which has now lost six games in a row.