The Hawks closed day one of round two with a lead of 137 runs, which included a sparkling century from Anthony West, who on his own outscored the disappointing Demons at Scott Street.

After routing the Demons inside two hours for just 107, the Hawks went to stumps at 6-244.

West is unbeaten on 117 in what’s his fourth BDCA first XI century.

Batting at No.3, West’s 117 came off 134 balls and featured 17 boundaries.

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West began his innings following the fall of Marcus McKern (13) in his first game for Eaglehawk in what’s his fourth BDCA club, while fellow opener and captain Cory Jacobs made 33.

The Hawks’ innings featured a 105-run stand for the third wicket between West and 15-year-old Ben Williams (29).

Earlier after they won the toss, the Demons’ batting woes began from the outset when opener Linc Jacobs (0) was bowled second ball of the day by paceman Richard Tibbett (2-39).

It set off a procession of wickets. By the eighth over the Demons were 5-29.

The innings ultimately lasted into the 30^th over before ending at 2:47pm in what was a performance where the Demons wouldn’t have made 40 had it not been for the lone hand by Ollie Geary.

Coming in at 2-0 in the second over, Geary took on the Hawks’ bowlers, cracking 68 off 53 in a knock where 56 of his runs came in either fours (11) or sixes (two).

It was Geary’s maiden half-century in the first XI for the Demons in what was his 56^th innings and took him past the 1000-run career mark.

Nick Farley (4-25) and new leg-spinner Russell Stockdale (4-26) took four wickets apiece for the Hawks.

All four of Farley’s wickets came in his first four overs as he at one stage had figures of 4-11, while three of Stockdale’s scalps were catches taken by West.

• Reigning premier Sandhurst battled its way after the loss of three early wickets to 188 in its clash against Bendigo at Weeroona Oval.

It was the second meeting in as many rounds between the two that are both expected to be among the competition pace-setters, with the Dragons again winning the toss and batting first.

Bendigo’s Alex Pearson piled the pressure on the Dragons with three wickets in three consecutive overs as Sandhurst fell from 0-22 to 3-28 in the 16^th.

Pearson removed three of the Dragons’ recruits during his burst – Joel Murphy (12), Shasheen Fernando (9) and Matt Combe (1) – at which stage he had figures of 3-17 off eight overs.

The remainder of the Sandhurst innings featured plenty of starts, with the Dragons having nine of their 11 players reach double figures.

But only skipper Taylor Beard (37), who had looked in good touch from the moment he got off the mark with a boundary, and Nick Gladman (31) made more than 30.

The best of the partnerships was the 54 Gladman and Tyler Hinds (24) put on for the sixth wicket as they took the score from 5-78 in the 34^th over to 132 before both were dismissed in quick succession by the off-spin of Kyle Humphrys (3-63).

After his early breakthroughs Pearson finished with 4-52 off 23 overs as the Dragons were all out in the 70^th over.

Bendigo openers Liam Evans (16 n.o.) and coach Shane Koop (4 n.o.) safely negotiated the 12 overs before stumps as the Goers finished at 0-21.

• A knock of 78 from opener Cameron Taylor was the backbone of Strathdale-Maristians’ 7-231 against Golden Square at Bell Oval in another of the round’s clashes between two flag aspirants.

The patient Taylor faced 242 balls and batted through until he was the sixth wicket to fall with the score on 192.

The left-hander’s 238-minute innings featured a 74-run fourth-wicket partnership with Jack Neylon (38) and 50-run stand for the fifth wicket with Daniel Clohesy (33).

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Among the highlights for Golden Square was Mitch Kemp in his debut game only needing 11 balls to take his first wicket in the first XI when he caught and bowled Mitch Blackman (11).

Kemp was also unlucky not to claim the scalp of Taylor after Scott Woodman dropped him at gully on 13.

Golden Square skipper Ben Gunn – the eighth bowler used –  was the leading wicket-taker for his side with 3-48, while coach Grant Connelly (1-8) produced an economical 10 overs.

• Strathfieldsaye produced the day’s highest score, plundering 279 against Huntly-North Epsom at Tanney Lane.

The hard-hitting Pat Felmingham got the Jets off to another flyer, with Strathfieldsaye taking just eight overs to reach 50.

Felmingham smacked 57 off just 44 balls with 11 boundaries – his second half-century to start the season – before he was the first wicket to fall with the score at 68 in the 14^th over.

The other key knocks of the innings were 64 to captain Ben Devanny, 47 to opener Luke Jones, who faced 195 balls, 43 off 37 from Bodee Scullie and Savith Priyan’s 36.

The Jets had one stage been 2-202 before the Power fought back with the ball.

The leading wicket-taker for the Power ended up being their wicket-keeper Danushka Wijemanna, who was thrown the ball as their ninth bowler and finished with 3-39 off 11 overs, while Adam Ward (3-51) also snared three wickets.

• A ninth-wicket partnership of 53 between Dylan Gibson and Nathan Hamblin pushed Kangaroo Flat’s score just above 150 against a young Bendigo United side featuring three 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old.

When Hamblin joined Gibson at the crease the Roos were in dire straits at 8-100, but the pair dug in and pushed the score to 153 before the innings ended shortly after for 154.

Gibson battled valiantly to hold the Roos’ innings together, which had been on the rocks in the eighth over at 3-20 at Dower Park.

Gibson had come in with the Roos 2-9 and was still there at the end, unbeaten on 76 off 161.

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Hamblin later strongly pushed his case for an elevation up the order with 31 batting at No.10.

Apart from Gibson and Hamblin, the only other player to score in double figures for the Roos was veteran Adam Burns (10).

Coach Miggy Podosky (4-56) followed up his round one four-for with another four wickets for the Redbacks, who were 2-42 off 19 overs at stumps.

Skipper Jake Klemm (19 n.o.) playing against his former side and night watchman Podosky (0 n.o.) will resume the Redbacks’ run chase next Saturday.

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