A GRITTY partnership between Harry Donegan and Jake Thrum ensured Bendigo United batted out its full 85 overs and posted a score of 9-158 against Eaglehawk on day one of the Bendigo District Cricket Association grand final on Saturday.
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The Redbacks had looked like they would struggle to survive their 85 overs when they slumped to 7-93 in the 54th at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
But Donegan and Thrum held firm in the face of adversity as the Redbacks added a further 65 runs.
It wasn’t easy for the pair against an Eaglehawk bowling attack that didn’t allow the Redbacks any momentum.
Donegan and Thrum were made to work hard for every run they made, with Donegan taking 26 balls to get off the mark.
But while the runs weren’t flowing – it took 21 overs for the partnership to reach 20 – what was crucial was they stemmed the flow of wickets.
They added 40 for the eighth wicket – the best partnership of the innings – batting together until the 81st over before Thrum became Shane Murdoch’s fourth wicket when he was bowled.
Left-hander Thrum battled for 99 minutes and 87 balls in making a fighting 17.
Donegan produced his best innings of the season when it was needed most in compiling 40 off 106, with he and Miggy Podosky (5 n.o.) adding a further 25 for the ninth wicket.
Donegan, who hit two boundaries, was run out by Cam McGlashan on the last ball of the innings going for a second, but not before he was able to manufacture a valuable 23 runs off the last three overs.
Earlier, Redbacks’ captain Leigh McDermott won his 12th toss from 14 games this season and had no hesitation in batting.
But it was the Hawks who held sway from the moment skipper Cory Jacobs had Clayton Holmes (6) well caught by McGlashan at mid-on in the sixth over with the score on 9.
Jacobs took the big wicket of Holmes in his first over after replacing McGlashan.
Soon after another bowling change from Jacobs reaped immediate rewards when left-armer Murdoch claimed the crucial scalp of Ben Gunn off his first legal delivery.
After his first delivery was a no-ball, Murdoch had Gunn (14) caught by Richard Tibbett at mid-on to leave the Redbacks 2-35 in the 17th over.
While he only lasted 26 balls, Gunn had looked threatening with two boundaries in his 14 on what was a day where the Redbacks hit just seven fours and one six.
The Hawks then tightened the screws further on Bendigo United with a burst of 3-13, including two more wickets to Murdoch as the Redbacks crashed from 2-47 to 5-60 in the 32nd over.
Murdoch added the wickets of opener Mark Di Fede (14), who lasted 85 balls, and Nick Crawford (0) to his earlier dismissal of Gunn, while Andrew Smith trapped McDermott (4) lbw.
That left Heath Behrens – who like Crawford is playing in his 12th BDCA grand final – and Chris Howgate with 43 minutes to negotiate before tea, which they did successfully as they steered the Redbacks to 5-78 off 45 overs at the break.
But the Hawks were quick to assert their authority again after tea, removing both Howgate (13 off 59) and Behrens (25 off 113) inside the first 10 overs to have the Redbacks reeling at 7-93 and the challenge ahead of Donegan and Thrum.
Behrens, who was adjudged lbw to Jacobs, was unable to capitalise on what had been a piece of luck shortly before his dismissal when he had been caught by Aaron Monro off a Richard Tibbett no-ball when on 24.
It was Tibbett’s fourth wicket off a no-ball this season.
Behrens’ innings included a six off Murdoch that briefly delayed the game after it landed in the adjoining QEO netball court.
Murdoch finished with the Hawks’ best bowling figures of 4-50 off 17 overs, while Jacobs produced another solid grand final effort with the ball with his 2-41 off 23 overs, including 12 maidens and the two big wickets of Holmes and Behrens.
Smith was at his economical best in taking 1-7 off 12 overs across two spells – 1-3 off seven in his first and 0-4 off five in his second.
Tibbett claimed 1-37 off 21 overs, while McGlashan gave little away in his 0-14 off 12 overs.
The Hawks, who gifted Bendigo United a handy 11 runs in no-balls, bowled 33 maidens in their 85 overs, restricting the Redbacks to a run-rate of 1.85.
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SCORING BREAKDOWN
Over 5 – 0-7
Holmes 4, Di Fede 3.
Over 10 – 1-16
Gunn 7, Di Fede 4.
Over 15 – 1-34
Gunn 14, Di Fede 12.
Over 20 – 2-37
Di Fede 12, Behrens 2.
Over 25 – 3-47
Behrens 8, Crawford 0.
Over 30 – 4-58
Behrens 14, McDermott 4.
Over 35 – 5-63
Behrens 19, Howgate 0.
Over 40 – 5-69
Behrens 22, Howgate 3.
Over 45 – 5-78
Behrens 22, Howgate 10.
Over 50 – 5-88
Behrens 25, Howgate 13.
Over 55 – 7-94
Thrum 5, Donegan 0.
Over 60 – 7-100
Thrum 10, Donegan 0.
Over 65 – 7-104
Thrum 11, Donegan 3.
Over 70 – 7-106
Thrum 11, Donegan 5.
Over 75 – 7-114
Thrum 13, Donegan 10.
Over 80 – 7-132
Donegan 23, Thrum 17.
Over 85 – 9-158
Donegan 40, Podosky 5.