CHRIS Barber and Dylan Klemm combined to lead Kangaroo Flat to what had appeared an unlikely victory when they started their 10th-wicket partnership needing 42 runs to beat Bendigo on Saturday.
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The Goers looked set to finally break their six-game Bendigo District Cricket Association losing streak when the Roos crumbled from 5-94 to 9-99 chasing Bendigo’s 140 at Axis Employment Oval.
However, the Goers couldn’t deliver the knockout blow as Barber and No.11 Klemm added 68 for the last wicket to ensure the Roos remained in top spot.
The Goers had a chance to wrap the match up early in the last-wicket stand, but wicket-keeper Xavier Ryan was unable to cling on to a low chance off an edge from Klemm off Alex Pearson.
Barber and Klemm picked off the ones and twos, defended solidy and were content to let most of the balls outside off stump go through to the keeper as they edged the Roos closer to their target.
And then with the Roos needing six to win, Klemm unleashed a pull shot off Pearson that sailed over the mid-wicket boundary for six to secure the gripping win.
With the shackles released, the pair then opened their shoulders and added a further 26 before Klemm was out lbw to Craig Pearce (1-1) with the score 167.
The pair took 112 balls to score the 42 they needed for victory, with Barber finishing 40 n.o. off 108 and Klemm making 24 off 71.
The Barber-Klemm partnership followed the Goers having had all the momentum after Dylan Gibson (23), Mitch Collins (0), captain Brent Hamblin (2) and Adam Burns (20) all fell within five runs of each other to leave Kangaroo Flat on the ropes at 9-99.
Barber and Klemm’s heroics with the bat came after they combined for eight wickets on day one of the match last week.
Goers’ captain Shane Koop tried bowlers Brett Andrews (3-19), Nathan Fitzpatrick (1-30), Tom Hart (2-37), Pearson (3-51) and Bailey Goodwin (0-16) to break the last-wicket stand while the game was still alive.
As well as Saturday’s one that got away, what’s now a seven-game losing streak for Bendigo also includes a two-wicket loss to Sandhurst, three-run loss to Strathfieldsaye and six-run defeat to Eaglehawk.
Meanwhile, the Roos now have seven wins on the board, which is already the most they have had in a home and away season since their last premiership season of 2004-05, with three rounds still to play.
• The surging Strathdale-Maristians survived a scare from Strathfieldsaye at Flight Centre Park to win its sixth game in a row.
After taking nine wickets last week, all-rounder Cameron Taylor again made his mark on the contest with the game’s top-score of 71.
An upset had loomed a possibility when the Jets, with 183 on the board, had the Suns’ 5-99 after they had earlier resumed their innings at 2-27.
However, Taylor combined with teenager James Vlaeminck (51) and then skipper Linton Jacobs (43) as the Suns passed their target six wickets down before being bowled out for 261.
Vlaeminck’s 51 off 130 was his first half-century in the first XI and was made under pressure after coming in with the Suns’ 3-35.
With his 43, Jacobs surpassed John Neylon (4579) to move into second position on the list of Suns’ all-time leading run-scorers.
Jacobs now has 4597 runs, but still well short of Kevin Crawford’s record 7010.
Taylor earned 251 Addy MVP points for his double of 9-66 and 71 in what was a match in which he reached two career milestones.
Last week he passed 200 career wickets for the Suns; on Saturday he scored his 3000th run.
Strathfieldsaye had four multiple wicket-takers – Beauden Rinaldi (3-62), Michael Curtis (2-45), Mitchell Cheesman (2-48) and skipper Ben Devanny (2-55), while Jed Rodda (1-34) took his first A grade wicket when he bowled Ben DeAraugo (26).
Cheesman also took his first career wicket when he dismissed Suns’ opener Andrew Hosking (1) last week.
• Veteran Nick Crawford celebrated his 200th game for Bendigo United with the double of an unbeaten half-century and six wickets against Huntly-North Epsom.
The 41-year-old starred with the ball, returning the brilliant figures of 6-38 off 29 overs, including 13 maidens, as the Redbacks restricted the Power to 9-185 in reply to their 8-252 at Sunline Plastering Oval.
Had he been able to snare one more scalp, Crawford – who made an unbeaten 50 on day one – would have also notched his 400th wicket for the Redbacks in his milestone game.
The other three wickets were taken by skipper Leigh McDermott (3-23).
The Power had one stage been 3-145 before losing 6-11 to fall to 9-156, but Cameron Moore (23 n.o.) and Brett Elvey (2 n.o.) ensured they batted out their 85 overs.
The best partnership of the innings was the 76 two of the Power’s former captains – Michael Hanson (43) and Linc McRae (30) – added for the fourth wicket.
• White Hills won its fourth game with a 17-run defeat of Sandhurst at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.
The Demons, who were bowled out for 149, almost stumbled late in pursuit of the Dragons’ 132.
White Hills looked to have the game well in hand at 5-122, but there were anxious moments when the Dragons gave themselves some hope of forcing a tie when they claimed 3-10 to have the Demons 8-132.
However, the Dragons couldn’t take the further 2-0 needed to split the points as coach Rhys Irwin (22 n.o) with support from Jack Bourke (0) lifted the Demons over the line and to a victory that still gives them some faint finals hopes.
Taylor Beard was tireless with the ball for the Dragons – who have lost four of their past five games – sending down 30 overs for 4-66, while left-arm spinner Sam Sperling picked up 3-33.
Sandhurst wicket-keeper Joel Schneider was kept busy behind the stumps, ending the innings with four catches and a brilliant stumping.
• An Andrew-Smith inspired Eaglehawk defeated Golden Square by 78 runs at Canterbury Park.
The Hawks resumed at 3-48 chasing Square’s 131, with Smith setting the victory up with a knock of 98 after starting the day on 34.
Such was his dominance of the innings, the Hawks’ score was just 129 when Smith was the sixth wicket to fall when caught at deep mid-wicket by Zane Keighran off Jamie Bysouth (2-40).
Hard-hitting Smith, who faced 118 balls, did his best to keep his running to a minimum, with 80 of his runs coming through boundaries (14) and sixes (four).
Matt Fitt was unbeaten on 46 when the Hawks called it a day with the score 8-209.
Scott Trollope (3-64) was the leading wicket-taker for Square, which is now 0-3 since the season resumed.
