A GALLANT double century from Bendigo United’s Jake Klemm wasn’t enough for the Redbacks to win their first game of the BDCA season against White Hills on Saturday.
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Set a monster target of 361 for victory against the Demons, Klemm cracked 201 in the Redbacks’ tally of 343 at Harry Trott Oval.
Klemm joined the BDCA’s all-time leading run-scorer, Heath Behrens, who did it three times (249 n.o., 219 n.o. and 201 n.o.), as the only players in Bendigo United history to score a double-century.
The No.3 batsman – who is in his first season at the Redbacks after crossing from Kangaroo Flat – didn’t begin his innings until the 16th over with the score on 47 and batted through until he was the last wicket to fall in the 83rd over, leaving 15 balls still unused for Bendigo United.
Klemm played a free-flowing innings from the outset, with his first three scoring shots all boundaries.
All up he struck 12 boundaries – one of which went to third man to bring up his century – and four sixes in his 216-ball knock, giving him a strike rate of 93.0 in 232 minutes at the crease.
Klemm was on 128 when the Redbacks lost their seventh wicket; 167 when the eighth fell; and 186 when they were nine-for and he was joined by No.11 Billy Quirk at the crease.
But Quirk provided the support Klemm needed to get to 200, although not before one anxious moment – Quirk had a caught behind chance spilt while Klemm was on 199.
Klemm’s superb innings ended when he holed out and was caught by Rhys Irwin off Linc Jacobs (4-56) at deep mid-wicket.
According to BDCA historian Darren Rodda, Klemm’s 201 is only the 16th double century in BDCA history, and a rarity given it was scored in a losing side.
In what was a game where the two sides combined for 703 runs, Klemm’s knock was one of three centuries made.
The previous week on day one Gavin Bowles (128) and Ollie Geary (106) also made centuries for White Hills.
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