READ MORE – Last weekend’s day one wrap

SANDHURST held off Kangaroo Flat by four runs in a BDCA thriller at the QEO on Saturday to improve to 2-1 in its premiership defence.

The Dragons’ 258 proved just out of reach of the Roos, who were valiant in their run-chase, but fell short as they answered with 8-254.

The Dragons’ successful defence of their total was superbly led by a lion-hearted bowling performance from captain Taylor Beard.

Beard bowled a marathon 34 overs for figures of 6-84.

He bowled the final over of the innings, which started with the Roos – who had Liam Stubbings (17 n.o.) and teenager Darcy Poulter (6 n.o.) at the crease – needing 10 to win.

Beard conceded just five off the final over – one of which was a wide – and bowled three dot balls as the Dragons prevailed.

Beard’s 6-84 was his fourth haul of five-plus wickets since joining the Dragons in 2016-17.

Beard was tough to score off early, with his first spell of eight overs costing just 10 runs, while he took only six balls to have his first impact when he had Roos’ opener Matt Dwyer (0) caught behind in the opening over.

The second wicket was much harder to come by for the Roos as brothers Daniel Barber (71) and Chris Barber (36) shared in a 105-run partnership that lasted into the 38^th over and ended when Chris was caught at cover by Ash Gray off Beard.

But from there wickets tumbled regularly for the Roos, including a period where they fell from 4-186 to 7-201 as the Dragons gained the upper hand and turned the screws on the Flat tail.

• Golden Square is now the only undefeated team left standing after three rounds following its 10-run win over Strathfieldsaye in another tight contest.

Defending 9-265 at Wade Street, Square held the Jets to 9-255 in a bowling performance that featured a five-wicket haul to skipper Ben Gunn against one of his former sides.

Gunn bagged 5-79 off 23 overs of spin, while opening bowler Scott Trollope (3-62) chimed in with three wickets.

Veteran Grant Connelly produced a wily nine-over spell that conceded just nine runs, which included his first 26 deliveries all dots.

Opener Pat Felmingham got the Jets off to another flying start with a 25-ball cameo in which he made 42, before he was out in the 11^th over with the score on 45.

Felmingham – who was dropped twice in his innings – belted seven fours and one six and has now made 173 runs off 127 balls in the opening three rounds.

Following on from his 64 the previous round, skipper Ben Devanny top-scored for the Jets – who dropped from first to fourth – with 86 off 156 after coming in at 2-55 in the 19^th over.

When Devanny was trapped lbw to Gunn the Jets were 8-208 before a 45-run stand for the ninth wicket between Jed Rodda (32) and Jack Stubbs (31 n.o.).

• Bendigo United amassed the competition’s second-highest score of the season against White Hills.

The only problem though for the Redbacks was they were chasing the season’s highest total – the Demons’ imposing 9-360.

On the back of a Jake Klemm double century the Redbacks made a good fist of their chase in cracking 343 in reply in a game at Harry Trott Oval where 703 runs were scored in total.

READ MORE – Jake Klemm makes 201 in gallant knock for Bendigo United

In his first season with the Redbacks, 22-year-old Klemm made the BDCA’s 16^th double century with his brilliant 201 of 216 balls.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet… it’s an achievement I’m happy with, but it’s a shame we couldn’t get the win,” an exhausted Klemm said.

“I felt pretty good the first couple of games, but wasn’t able to get through that 20 to 30 stage. But I got through that today and it was a really good wicket to bat on, which always helps.”

Klemm brought up his 200 with a push to long-on off the bowling of Rhys Irwin (0-56).

The Redbacks clawed their way to 343 having one stage been 7-219 as coach Miggy Podosky (31), Justin Slater (12) and Billy Quirk (5 n.o.) stuck around with Klemm to add 124 for the last three wickets.

While it was Klemm’s double-ton in a losing side that created the headlines from the game, it was also a memorable day for crafty young Demons’ spinner Jack Bourke, who claimed his maiden first XI five-wicket haul as he finished with 5-88 off 22 overs.

Fellow tweaker Linc Jacobs also snared 4-56 – including the wicket of Klemm, who was caught at deep mid-wicket by Irwin – as the spin twins combined for 9-144 off 35.3 overs for the Demons.

• A century and eight wickets completed a dominant all-round game from Bendigo’s Kyle Humphrys against Huntly-North Epsom.

Humphrys – who began the day unbeaten on 57 – cracked 110 and beat the Power, who were all out on day one for 103, off his own bat at Huntly.

Resuming at 1-82, the Goers batted on for a further 30 overs before declaring at 7-202 with a lead of 99.

Humphrys’ 110, which featured 17 fours and one six, was his fourth century for Bendigo since joining the Goers last season.

Humphrys then backed up his first innings four-for with the ball with another four wickets in the Power’s second dig of 5-113.

He snared 4-28 off 21 overs with his off-spin to give him match figures of 8-47 off 32 overs to go with his 110 with the bat and move to his familiar position at the top of the Addy’s MVP rankings with 401 points after earning 270 for the match.

After he was the Power’s leading bowler with his tight 2-29 off 20 overs with the ball, Adam Ward then top-scored with 27 in their second innings.

Meanwhile, the Goers have confirmed they won’t be lodging a second clearance to have Russell De Groot join them from the Power after the first clearance was rejected.

“Russell won’t be participating with the Bendigo Cricket Club this season. Russell is busy with work commitments and a second clearance request won’t be submitted,” Goers captain-coach Shane Koop said.

• Recruit Russell Stockdale spun Eaglehawk to a victory over Strathdale-Maristians at Canterbury Park.

The Hawks inflicted rare back-to-back defeats on the Suns, who were bowled out for 185 chasing 230 at Canterbury Park.

Stockdale is the competition’s leading wicket-taker after three rounds following his 6-41 off 29 overs, which took him to 14 scalps.

Three of Stockdale’s wickets were catches taken by Josh Williams.

Highlighting the ups-and-downs of cricket, having last round spent 242 balls at the crease against Golden Square, this time Suns’ opener Cameron Taylor (0) was in the middle for just four balls after he was caught at gully by Brodie Hawke off Richard Tibbett (2-41) in the third over.

Sam Johnston’s 49 off 70 that featured seven boundaries and a six was the top score for the Suns, who lost 7-65 having one stage been 3-120 just before tea.

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