Led by centuries to Gavin Bowles and Ollie Geary, the Demons blasted 9-360 against Bendigo United at Harry Trott Oval.

It was a watershed innings for Geary, whose 106 – scored at better than a run-a-ball – was his first century for the Demons.

Coming in at 2-49 in the 19^th over, Geary was at his aggressive best in carving out 106 off just 86 balls in a blistering knock that featured 74 runs coming in fours (11) and sixes (five).

At one stage Geary went from 33 to 51 with just three scoring shots – all sixes.

Geary – whose previous highest score had been 68 made against Eaglehawk last round – had some luck along the way when he was dropped on 18 and 94 before he later brought up his ton with a boundary.

While it was Geary’s first century for the Demons, Bowles’ 128 was his 11^th ton for the club.

Bowles spent 269 minutes at the crease and faced 227 balls, striking 13 boundaries – one of which was a pull shot off Leigh McDermott (0-26) to bring up his hundred – and one six.

Bowles put on 165 for the third wicket with Geary and 100 for the fourth with skipper Mitch Winter-Irving (45) during his innings.

Bowles’ 128 was his first century against Bendigo United and he now has tons against seven of his nine opposition clubs.

Earlier, the Redbacks got off to a positive start when Miggy Podsoky (2-85) had Demons’ opener Caleb Barras (0) caught behind in the opening over.

But apart from taking 3-1 later in the day – albeit after White Hills’ score had passed 300 – the remainder of the day belonged to the Demons, who took just 19 overs to go from 100 to 200 when Geary was in full flight.

Jake Klemm (3-76) was the leading wicket-taker for the Redbacks, with his scalps including Bowles.

• Bendigo needs just 22 more runs with nine wickets in hand to defeat Huntly-North Epsom at Huntly.

The Power’s innings was done and dusted by tea, all out for 103 in the 37^th over.

Their last six wickets fell for just 14 runs after they had been 4-89, with the dominant bowling performance from the Goers led by Nathan Fitzpatrick and off-spinner Kyle Humphrys.

Humphrys struck with his first delivery when he removed former Goers’ captain Adam Ward (6) on the way to figures of 4-19 off 11 overs, while Fitzpatrick snared 3-28.

Power No.3 Siddamarakkalage De Silva scored more than half his side’s runs with his knock of 52 off 67 that included his first three scoring shots all racing to the boundary.

Skipper Elliott Massina (12) was the only other batsman in double figures for the Power.

Following his four-for with the ball, Humphrys went to stumps unbeaten on 57 alongside skipper Shane Koop (16 n.o.) as the Goers closed play at 1-82.

Having faced 305 balls against Sandhurst last round, the patient Koop has already faced 145 in this knock.

• Sandhurst made the most of the invitation to bat in the season’s first game at the QEO, amassing 258 against Kangaroo Flat.

Openers Joel Murphy (60), who batted for 220 minutes, and Tyler Hinds (46), playing against his former side, laid a solid platform for the Dragons with a 79-run opening partnership.

The Dragons also got top-order contributions from Shasheen Fernando (44) and Ash Gray (31), while skipper Taylor Beard finished unbeaten on 43.

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It wasn’t a debut first XI innings to remember for Dragons’ youngster Braydon Vaz, who was run out for a diamond duck after he was sent back to the bowler’s end by Fernando.

The Roos fought back well with the ball to keep the Dragons to 258 given the reigning premiers had one stage been a commanding 2-187 in the 55^th over.

Leg-spinner Chris Barber (3-64), Adam Burns (2-33) and captain Brent Hamblin (2-38) were multiple wicket-takers for the Roos.

Burns was again economical, with his 33 runs coming off 24 overs after he conceded just 12 off 12 overs the previous week against Bendigo United.

• In the battle of the only two unbeaten teams left in the competition, Golden Square has a score of 9-265 to defend against Strathfieldsaye at Wade Street.

Opener Tim Wood again got Golden Square off to a flyer as his solid form continued.

The free-scoring Wood attacked his former side from the outset as Square took just 10 overs to reach 50.

However, Wood’s innings came to an end with the score on 84 when he was caught and bowled by Jets’ spinner Savith Priyan for 68 off 69, which included nine fours and one six.

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From there it was steady going for Golden Square, which had plenty of starts in its innings, but the Jets didn’t allow the home side to build any partnerships of significance after the early onslaught.

Priyan had a heavy workload with the ball for the Jets, bowling 32 overs and finishing with 2-58.

Priyan’s first spell of 21 overs featured 10 maidens and cost just 18 runs.

The Jets’ other Sri Lankan recruit, Chathura Damith, claimed 4-69 off 19 overs to continue his solid start with the ball for this new club.

• Anthony West and Matt Fitt notched half-centuries in Eaglehawk’s tally of 230 against Strathdale-Maristians at Canterbury Park.

Coming off an unbeaten 117 against White Hills the previous round, West was back at the crease early following the dismissal of Hawks’ captain Cory Jacobs (0) in the third over.

West batted through until he was fifth wicket to fall in the 51^st over for 64 in what was an innings during which he suffered a quad injury.

Fitt – who is closing in on becoming the BDCA’s new record-holder for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper – chimed in with 50 for the Hawks, who were bowled out in the 82^nd over.

The Hawks’ innings featured two stands of 50-plus – West and Brodie Hawke (28) put on 64 for the third wicket and Fitt and recruit Russell Stockdale (30) added 51 for the sixth.

Sam Johnston (3-29) and acting captain Cameron Taylor (3-39) took three wickets apiece for the Suns, while Taylor also held on to a pair of catches.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day in the third XI, Eaglehawk stalwart Jason Abbott marked his 300^th game for the club in sensational style by scoring 119.

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