A DISMAL Kangaroo Flat batting performance against Bendigo United has cost the Roos top spot on the Bendigo District Cricket Association ladder.
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The Roos’ shocker against the Redbacks on the final day of the home and away season on Saturday, combined with Eaglehawk defeating Strathfieldsaye resulted in the Hawks jumping above Kangaroo Flat to finish in top spot for the first time in 10 years.
Bendigo United landed a lead-up psychological blow on Kangaroo Flat ahead of their semi-final next weekend with a commanding 134-run win at Harry Trott Oval.
The Redbacks’ 9-221 proved well out of reach of the Roos, who surrendered inside 34 overs for just 87.
Bendigo United captain Leigh McDermott was the key instigator of the Kangaroo Flat demise with a brilliant bowling performance in which he at one stage had 5-0 off three overs.
McDermott’s figures “blew out late” as he finished with 5-5 off five overs, dismissing Dylan Gibson (23), Tyler Hinds (5), Mitch Collins (0), Brent Hamblin (0) and Chris Barber (0).
Earlier, Miggy Podosky had his best day with the ball for the season in picking up 3-21, taking three of the first four wickets to fall.
Only Gibson, Jake Klemm (20) and Adam Burns (11), who opened the batting, reached double figures for the Roos, who were sent in for a second innings and worked their way to 4-75.
McDermott was again economical in the second innings, taking 1-8 off seven overs to finish the day with 6-13 off 12.
• Eaglehawk moved to top spot courtesy of its 103-run win over Strathfieldsaye at Canterbury Park.
Chasing the Hawks’ 9-231, the Jets were unable to build any momentum throughout their innings and were all out for 128.
Hawks’ skipper Cory Jacobs was measly with the ball in taking 2-18 off 18 overs, including 10 maidens.
Jacobs had eight runs scored off his first three overs, meaning his last 15 overs cost just 10.
Paceman Richard Tibbett (3-33) continued his solid form, while Shane Murdoch (2-16) and Andrew Smith (2-4) took two wickets each as the Hawks earned the minor premiership for the first time since 2006-07.
The Jets were under the pump early at 2-6 in the third over with Zoltan Smyth (1) and Mitchell Cheesman (5) both out.
Smyth and Cheesman were among six Strathfieldsaye batsmen dismissed for five or less.
Opener Greg Lyon (37) again top-scored for the Jets for the third game in a row. Lyon and Beauden Rinaldi (26) shared in the best partnership of the innings of 39 for the fifth wicket.
The Jets end the season on the bottom of the ladder for the first time since 1997-98.
• All-rounder Taylor Beard left his best performances of the season with both bat and ball until the final round to lead Sandhurst to a win over Bendigo at Axis Employment Oval.
Beard followed up his 56 with the bat last week with a six-wicket haul with the ball as the Goers were all out for 145 in pursuit of the Dragons’ 7-214.
Beard bagged 6-46 off 24.3 overs as the Dragons ended the season with a sixth win to finish in fifth position after a campaign that had promised so much when they earlier sat undefeated and a game clear on top after round five.
Captain Craig Howard’s 2-51 off 28 overs included his 250th wicket in the BDCA when he had Craig Pearce (27) caught by Sam Sperling.
Howard has taken 115 wickets in four seasons with Sandhurst, as well as 135 over seven years at his previous club, Strathdale.
The Goers’ chase got off to a disastrous start when they crashed to 3-14 in the 10th over, with Alex Pearson (4), Xavier Ryan (2) and Tom Hart (4) the batsmen dismissed.
Ben Yarwood (2-9) snared two of the early wickets for the Dragons.
However, the Goers’ innings was steadied with an 86-run partnership for the fourth wicket between captain Shane Koop and Mark Ryan that lasted into the 60th over and took the score to 100.
But when Koop – who faced 186 balls in making 27 – was bowled by Beard, it was the beginning of the Goers’ losing 7-45 to be all out in the 78th over.
In what could perhaps be his final first XI innings for the Goers of a career that started in 1992-93, Ryan’s 58 off 143 was Bendigo’s best score.
Six Bendigo batsmen were out for four or less.
• Strathdale-Maristians had to be content with first innings points against White Hills at Glen Loddon Homes Oval.
Starting the day at 4-112 in reply to the Demons’ 104, the Suns batted for a further 10 overs before declaring at 8-169 and with a lead of 65.
Resuming on 81, Sam Johnston added 10 more before he was bowled by Rhys Irwin for 91 to be denied his first BDCA century.
Johnston was one of five wickets for Irwin, who bagged 5-72 off 18 overs, while Jack Rodgers chimed in with 3-51 for the Demons.
The Demons produced a more dogged second innings batting performance in getting to 1-108 off 55 overs.
Opener Sam Stagg – who spent all but one over of the game out on the field – batted through the innings to finish unbeaten on 59 following on from his 58 in the first innings.
• Huntly-North Epsom ended its season on a high with one of its best recent wins when it successfully chased down Golden Square’s 253 at Sunline Plastering Oval.
The Power passed their target nine wickets down in the 75th over, with the winning runs hit when Peter Moore launched Scott Trollope for six.
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