GOLDEN Square put the disappointment of its last batting performance behind it to plunder the BDCA’s highest score of the season on Saturday in what was another long day in the field for Bendigo United.

Batting for the first time since their collapse of 7-16 against Huntly-North Epsom a fortnight earlier, the Square batting line-up was in devastating form, smashing 5-383 at Harry Trott Oval.

The day started off on a positive note for the Redbacks when Miggy Podosky claimed the early scalp of the in-form Tim Wood (5), but the rest of the day belonged to Golden Square, in particular Scott Woodman.

Woodman notched his maiden century for Golden Square, compiling 127 off 195 balls. Although, it’s not his first career ton – he made 107 n.o. for Carlton’s first XI against the Monash Tigers in February of 2017.

Batting at No.3, Woodman came in at 1-8 following the wicket of Wood and didn’t depart until the 71^st over with Square’s score at 277.

Woodman struck 15 boundaries in his 195-ball innings and the all-rounder can now lay claim to having both a BDCA first XI century and 11-wicket match, having done so with the ball against Huntly-North Epsom in 2014-15.

Woodman was one of four Golden Square batsmen to pass 50 in the run-feast, along with captain Ben Gunn (77), Scott Trollope (56 n.o.) and opener Jake Higgins (53).

Gunn’s explosive 77 came off just 51 balls against his former side and featured nine fours and four sixes, while Trollope’s unbeaten 56 was off 48 balls.

Woodman had century partnerships with both Higgins (161 for the second wicket) and Gunn (107 for the third).

Golden Square had been 2-179 at the 60 over mark and then scored 204 runs off the last 25 overs.

Podosky (3-119 off 25) finished as the Redbacks’ leading wicket-taker, which included dismissing Woodman and Gunn in the same over to go with the early removal of Wood.

Saturday was the third time in the Redbacks’ past four games they have conceded at least 300.

• A vintage batting performance from veteran Adam Burns dug Kangaroo Flat out of a hole against White Hills at Scott Street.

Coming off an outright loss against Huntly-North Epsom the previous week, the Roos picked up from where they left off after captain Brent Hamblin improved his toss record to 6-0 and elected to bat.

Kangaroo Flat was reeling at 6-40 in the 21^st over, yet Burns led a staunch fightback as the Roos fought their way to 224.

Burns’ 112 off 201 balls was his seventh first XI century for the Roos and third against the Demons. He occupied the crease for 245 minutes and 201 balls, striking 14 boundaries and one six.

As well as Burns’ gritty century there were also positive signs for the Roos’ Matt Dwyer, who after battling in previous weeks at the top of the order dropped to No.8 and scored 42 off 61 balls.

Dwyer got an early confidence-boost, with his first six scoring shots featuring three boundaries and a six.

Dwyer added 77 for the sixth wicket with Burns that took the score from 6-40 to 117, while the other key partnership of the Roos’ revival was the 68 Burns and Dylan Klemm (26) added for the ninth wicket.

The Demons’ early onslaught was led by Rhys Irwin, who took three of the first four wickets to fall to at one stage have 3-6 off eight overs before finishing with 3-34 off 21.

Spinner Linc Jacobs (3-36) also snared three wickets and was tough to get away early, with his first eight overs costing just eight runs.

Medium-pacer Tom Schultz (1-34) also had some economical figures early in his spell, conceding just six runs off his first eight overs.

The Demons went to stumps at 1-17.

• Left-arm Sandhurst spinner Sam Sperling was rewarded for his 40 overs of toil with five wickets against Strathfieldsaye at the QEO.

Sperling was brought into the attack in just the third over at the Barnard Street end and bowled unchanged for the remainder of the innings, which ended in the 82^nd over with the Jets all out for 168.

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Sperling’s marathon 40 overs yielded 5-70 and included 11 maidens.

The innings also featured fellow spinner Kayde Howard’s (2-50) first wicket in A Grade when he had Abe Sheahan caught at mid-on.

Sheahan, 16, again showed a strong temperament under pressure, with his 60 off 194 balls his second half-century in three games for the Jets, who had been 6-86 in the 43^rd over as wickets tumbled regularly.

After his only over of the innings was the first of the day, Dragons’ captain Taylor Beard (0-11) produced one of the highlight moments with his brilliant one-handed catch at slip to dismiss counterpart Ben Devanny (7).

• Strathdale-Maristians smacked its second 300-plus score in three games on the back of an innings filled with contributions against Bendigo at Bell Oval.

The Suns amassed 321 led by knocks from Jack Neylon (60), Andrew Chakley (46), Cameron Taylor (45) and skipper Ben DeAraugo (45), while Jacob DeAraugo (27), James Vlaeminck (27), James Barri (20 n.o.) and the returning Linton Jacobs (19), who passed the 5000-run career mark, also helped to keep the runs ticking over.

The innings featured two main partnerships – Taylor and Chalkley adding 81 for the second wicket, and Neylon and Ben DeAraugo putting on 96 for the fourth.

Bell Oval again proved a happy hunting ground for the Goers’ Alex Pearson.

After bagging a career-best 7-50 against the Suns in their semi-final at the ground last season, this time Pearson snared 6-96 off 22 overs, which included bowling four of his victims.

• The Huntly-North Epsom pair of Danushka Wijemanna and Sandun Ranathunga both made half-centuries and teamed for a 100-run partnership in the Power’s 8-219 against ladder-leader Eaglehawk at Canterbury Park.

Having been 4-59 in the 24^th over Wijemanna (56) and Ranathunga (51) steadied the Power innings with their century stand for the fifth wicket.

It was Wijemanna’s third half-century in six games for his new club as he has wasted no time in proving a valuable all-round acquisition from Lower Plenty.

Apart from Wijemanna – who brought up his 50 with a six off Russell Stockdale (0-47) – and Ranathunga, the only other player to make more than 20 for the Power was Brodie McRae (27).

McRae’s innings ended when he was caught by Matt Fitt, who with the catch tied former Eaglehawk and Strathdale-Maristians’ gloveman Geoff Findlay’s BDCA record of 400 dismissals by a wicket-keeper.

Hawks’ skipper Cory Jacobs (3-28) and paceman Richard Tibbett (3-58) claimed three wickets each.

Jacobs was up and about early, taking three of the first four wickets to fall and at one stage having 3-10 off his opening six overs.

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