LW: In your time watching Bendigo cricket, Bourkey, can you ever recall a game where a team had a batsman make a century and a bowler take seven wickets and still get beaten?
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As strange as that may sound, it happened last week with Eaglehawk in its Bendigo District Cricket Association match against White Hills.
What a game of highlights that was - Eaglehawk captain Jason Abbott making 101 and White Hills' leggie Jake Foley taking 7-84 on day one, and then last week the Hawks' Andrew Smith jagging 7-64.
But for mine, those three efforts were all upstaged by 16-year-old Brayden Stepien's unbeaten 69 for White Hills.
The Demons looked cooked last week at 7-107 chasing the Hawks' 188, but young Stepien, together with support from Rhys Irwin, revelled under pressure and guided White Hills over the line.
I've been impressed so far this season with your boys, White Hills.
Who'd have thought after six rounds the Demons would be only percentage off second position?
We've seen in recent years White Hills play well pre-Christmas and then fade after the mid-season break.
The question is can the Demons sustain this positive start?
They certainly have a favourable draw from here with two games to come against Bendigo United their only remaining matches against sides currently in the top four.
AB: It was great to see White Hills' young players stand up under immense pressure last week, but there's a long, long way to go.
There's only one game between second and sixth on the ladder, so anything could happen from here on.
At this stage, Golden Square is the only side certain to make the top four.
On talent, you would expect Strathdale and Bendigo United to make it as well.
The Hawks have a nice run home and will only have themselves to blame if they miss out.
White Hills and sixth-placed Strathfieldsaye have surprised everyone with the way they've played.
It's amazing what confidence can do.
I'll be intrigued to see how both clubs perform this round in games they're expected to win.
LW: There were also some notable highlights out of Strathdale-Maristians' win over Sandhurst.
Namely Suns' captain Linton Jacobs' century and Jacob DeAraugo's career-best 6-56 for Strathdale in the second innings.
And don't forget Ben DeAraugo's "quickfire" two not out, which was the subject of a bit of banter in the Bendigo Bank offices earlier in the week after he attracted more publicity than his younger brother's six-for with his photo in Monday's paper.
Seeing a photo of his desk from Monday morning, it looks like Rooey not only went crunch with the bat on Saturday, but crunch at Monday's morning tea.
AB: Good to see the Addy providing some banter material.
The Bendigo Bank staff will have some fun with this week's Remember When photo (to be published on Friday) as well.
Nick Carter doesn't like his photo being published in the Addy at the best of times.
I'd like to let Nick know that it was your idea to publish the pic of him receiving some darting post-game questions from some high-profile local radio journos.
LW: Carts is well aware this photo is going in the paper.
After all, he did supply it to us from his scrapbook.