OPPOSING skippers Ben Devanny and Ben DeAraugo became the latest BDCA players to score back-to-back centuries during the weekend’s clash between Strathfieldsaye and Strathdale-Maristians.
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DeAraugo followed his 130 last week against Golden Square with 128 on Saturday, while Devanny’s knock of 111 on Sunday came on the back of his 116 against White Hills the previous round.
As well as the two centuries, the game also featured an eight-wicket haul to the Suns’ Cameron Taylor.
The Suns won by 177 runs after they blasted their second-consecutive score of 300-plus as they scorched the Jets for 8-388.
The Suns’ score was the BDCA’s highest since Huntly-North made 4-408 against Sandhurst in 2012-13.
Coming in with his side 2-67, DeAruago notched 128 off 148 balls with 12 boundaries and one six.
DeAraugo – who now has four career centuries – was one of three Suns to pass 50.
Opener James Vlaeminck made the highest score of his first XI career with a well-compiled 70 off 118, while Sam Johnston – who came in with the Suns 6-269 following the dismissal of DeAraugo – crunched 65 off just 48 balls, striking six boundaries and one six.
It was another long day in the field for the Jets, who in their past two games have conceded 688 runs and taken just 11 wickets.
Devanny (2-81 off 21), Chris Cullen (2-81 off 16) and Josh Di Camillo (2-66 off 15) took two wickets each for Strathfieldsaye.
In reply on Sunday the Jets were dismissed for 211, with Devanny playing another lone hand of 111 – his seventh career century.
In what was always going to be a difficult chase given they had to score at 4.5 per over, the Jets lost their way mid-innings when they fell from 2-88 to 6-122.
For the second season in a row the Jets were unable to combat the spin of Suns’ leggie Taylor.
Having taken 9-66 against the Jets last season, this time Taylor finished with 8-55 off 30.2 overs – a combined 17-121 off 60.2 overs his past two games at Tannery Lane.
RELATED – NINE SCALPS FOR TAYLOR
Taylor’s eight scalps featured four lbw – which included Devanny – two caught and two bowled in what was his 16th bag of at least five wickets.
Taylor took eight-consecutive wickets after Johnston (2-46 off 14) picked up the first two of the innings.
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White Hills’ opening batsman Ryan Grundy carried his bat on Sunday as the Demons inflicted Sandhurst’s first loss.
Chasing the Dragons’ 258 at Weeroona Oval, Grundy batted through all 85 overs to steer the Demons to 6-272 and their second win.
Grundy finished unbeaten on 161 off 239 balls – his fifth BDCA century, the fourth of which was higher than 150.
Fittingly, it was Grundy who hit the winning runs for the Demons, launching Dragons’ captain Craig Howard (2-66 off 23) for six over mid-on off the fifth ball of the 84th over.
Grundy set the tone for his innings early, with 16 of his first 19 runs coming in boundaries.
With 62 of the 85 overs bowled by the Dragons’ spinners, the game was over at 5.24pm, while earlier, Sandhurst had already bowled 57 overs by tea, at which stage the Demons were a healthy 3-168.
The Dragons suffered a blow late in the day when coach Taylor Beard was forced from the ground in the 78th over with a back concern.
On Saturday Howard’s 95 was the cornerstone of Sandhurst’s 258.
Howard began his innings in the 31st over with the Dragons 4-99 and batted until he was the last wicket to fall, caught at deep mid-wicket by Jayden Sheean.
Howard struck 12 boundaries and one six in his 167-ball stay at the crease.
White Hills’ spinner Linc Jacobs enjoyed a career-best day with the ball with 4-78 off 28.1 overs, which included the wicket of Howard.
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Reigning premier Eaglehawk is now the only team without a win after three games, dropping to 0-3 following a 97-run loss at home to Golden Square.
Openers Jake Higgins and Kyle Chant both scored half-centuries in Golden Square’s tally of 8-283 on Saturday.
Higgins made 74 off 201 and Chant 52 off 102, with the pair putting on 94 for the first wicket.
The duo have opened the batting three times this season – twice in first XI and once in second XI – with their total partnerships so far worth 323.
There were plenty of starts in the Golden Square innings, with six players getting to at least 21.
Veteran Andrew Smith (3-45 off 9.1) was the only multiple wicket-taker for the Hawks. Smith now needs just one more wicket to reach 300 for the Hawks.
The Hawks were all out for 186 in the 58th over in their chase on Sunday, with their innings stumbling when they fell from 1-81 to 6-98.
The Hawks later lost their last three wickets for just three runs.
Square shared its wickets between Grant Connelly (3-21 off 13), Liam Smith (3-29 off 12), Jamie Bysouth (2-36 off 10.3) and Saheed Akolade (2-69 off 17).
Inclusion Todd Brown (53) was the best of the Hawks’ batsmen, while Anthony West (38) and Cam McGlashan (33) featured in the best stand of the innings of 73 for the second wicket.
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Bendigo is now a game clear on top of the ladder as the only unbeaten side.
The Goers improved to 3-0 after successfully defending their score of 214 against Kangaroo Flat at Atkins Street.
Having gone into the game off the back of consecutive centuries, Bendigo dangerman Kyle Humphrys didn’t trouble the scorers this time, out for a duck on Saturday when caught by wicket-keeper Nathan Stubbings off Roos’ captain Brent Hamblin (1-38 off 16).
Bendigo captain Shane Koop again showed plenty of concentration in top scoring with 74 off 222.
Koop – who has faced 400 balls the past two games – came in during the fourth over with the Goers’ 1-18 and didn’t depart until the 79th when he was the ninth wicket with the score on 211.
Opener Craig Pearce (53 off 88) also made a half-century for the Goers, while Roos’ leg-spinner Chris Barber had a big day with 6-81 off 30.1 overs, which included dismissing Koop.
On Sunday the Roos lost wickets regularly before being bowled out for 170 in the 66th over.
While he didn’t have an impact with the bat, Humphrys did with the ball in snaring 4-38 off 25 overs, and fellow spinner Tom Hart (3-46 off 15.2) chipped in with three wickets.
Six Kangaroo Flat players got to at least 15 in their innings, with opener Daniel Barber (41) top-scoring.
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Bendigo United recovered from early danger to post a winning score of 281 against Huntly-North Epsom at the QEO on Saturday.
The Redbacks’ innings got off to a disastrous start when opener Mark Di Fede (0) was caught by wicket-keeper Brodie McRae off Cameron Moore (1-35 off 10) second ball of the day.
And by the 15th over the pressure was right on the Redbacks at 3-35.
However, five scores of between 40 and 50 from Corey Daniels (50), captain Leigh McDermott (45), Chris Howgate (40), Jake Thrum (45) and Jasper Stewart (49) helped steer the Redbacks beyond 280.
McDermott’s 45 featured 38 runs that came in either fours (eight) or sixes (one).
Six Power bowlers took wickets, with captain Elliott Massina (3-28 off 15.4) producing the best figures.
On Sunday Redbacks’ spinner Thrum produced his first five-wicket haul in the BDCA, claiming 5-92 off 33 overs as the Power were all out for 226.
Thrum was introduced into the attack in the 16th over and bowled unchanged for the rest of the innings from the city end.
He had an immediate impact, trapping opener Anthony Tanner (20) lbw off his first ball.
Josh Collinson (52) – looking unfamiliar batting in a helmet as per new rules introduced this round – led the way with the bat for the Power, who were bowled out in the 81st over.
Meanwhile, all games were played with a pink ball in support of the McGrath Foundation during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
