RELATED – Marong v California Gully | PHOTOS

A MATCH-haul of 11 wickets from Luke Bennett spearheaded Emu Creek to its second win in a row in the Emu Valley Cricket Association on Saturday.

With Bennett dominating, the Emus – defending 240 – routed West Bendigo for 73 and enforced the follow on at Ken Wust Oval.

The Redbacks had already started the day on the ropes at 3-24 and it didn’t get much better as Bennett helped himself to 7-31 off 12 overs.

Since 2006-07 Bennett’s figures are the best by an Emu Creek player and rank No.9 overall in the EVCA through that period.

Bennett’s seven-for featured five catches – three of them by captain Todd Brown – and two bowled.

Only Ken Bell (21) made more than 20 for the Redbacks in an innings where they had six players dismissed for five or less.

Bennett then added another four wickets to his haul in the Redbacks’ second innings of 7-131.

His 4-24 off 11 overs in the second innings gave Bennett a match total of 11-55 off 23 overs to go with a catch and 66 opening the batting – a total of 296 points in the Addy EVCA MVP rankings.

The Redbacks had been 7-78 in their second hit before veterans Travis O’Connell (35 n.o.) and Bell (21 n.o.) avoided an outright defeat with an unbroken partnership of 53.

• Sedgwick won the grand final rematch against Spring Gully by a comfortable 60 runs at home.

Defending their 8-240 the Rams bundled the reigning premier Crows out for 180.

Simon Marwood (3-17) and Justin Hancock (3-33) picked up three wickets apiece for the Rams, while Spring Gully’s Rhys Webb continued his impressive start to the season.

Webb passed 50 for the third time in four innings this season with a knock of 74.

The Crows had been 3-119 in their run-chase before losing 6-19 to fall to 9-138.

However, the Crows’ last pair of Nital Tawde (27) and Nick Skeen (14 n.o.) delayed the Rams’ victory with a 42-run partnership.

• United has its first win on the board in its 50-year anniversary season after beating Maiden Gully by 65 runs.

Starting the day at 5-40 in pursuit of United’s 194, the Lions added a further 89 runs before they were bowled out for 129 at Ewing Park.

Tigers recruit Lachlan Sidebottom bagged a five-wicket haul in his division one debut with his new club, snaring an impressive 5-39 off 24 overs, while another new player in Rob Gilchrist conceded just four runs off eight overs.

Angus Chisholm battled valiantly at the crease for 180 balls for the Lions in finishing 46 not out.

The Tigers made a quickfire 110 off 25.4 overs in their second innings.

• Marong won its opening game of the season, while leaving California Gully as the only side yet to notch a victory.

Resuming at 3-92 in reply to the Cobras’ 120, the Panthers added another 101 runs in 24 overs before declaring at 5-193.

The cornerstone of the Panthers’ innings was a 129-run stand for the fourth wicket between Adam Brown (72) and Duane Anderson (61), whose knocks both ended when they were caught by Travis Parker off Bradley Olson (2-23).

The Cobras batted for 48 overs in their second innings and closed at 8-153 led by an unbeaten 38 from Bradley Smith.

Marong’s Jayden Laubsch (3-6) gave his bowling average a handy boost.

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