FOR the second time in his BDCA career Ben Gunn made a score of more than 150 in a one-day match as he led Golden Square to a stunning victory over Strathdale-Maristians.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a game that was reduced to ordinary conditions because of weather interruptions, Gunn blasted an unbeaten 155 as Square answered the Suns’ 6-221 with 5-222 on Saturday.
The Suns faced their full quota of 45 overs, but due to the game becoming ordinary conditions, Square was allotted just 35 and faced two options – play safe for a draw or have a tilt at winning.
They chose the latter and reached their target inside 30 overs to maintain second position on the ladder, while the Suns now find themselves in the unfamiliar position of 10 points outside the top four approaching the Christmas-New Year break.
Gunn’s 155 not out was his 15th career century, with his tons also including 160 when playing for Strathfieldsaye in a one-day game against Sandhurst at Weeroona Oval in 2011-12.
Opening the innings, Gunn’s 155 came off just 101 balls and more than 100 of his runs were scored in fours (14) and sixes (eight).
His sublime innings included a 177-run partnership for the second wicket with a supporting Scott Woodman (30), while earlier in the day he also picked up 2-34 with the ball.
Gunn now has scores of 155 n.o., 77 and 50 in his past three innings following a lean start to the season by his lofty standards.
“With 35 overs to chase 220 we went out with the mindset of let’s just play our natural game and see where it takes us,” Gunn said.
"It probably took us eight overs before we got going and thought we could give it a crack. The pitch was doing a bit early, so it was hard work, but we’re just thrilled to get the six points.”
Sam Johnston (2-45) and leg-spinner Cameron Taylor (2-47) were multiple wicket-takers for the Suns.
Earlier, Andrew Chalkley had his first major impact with the bat at the Suns since returning from Premier Cricket.
Chalkley showed his class with a fine 86 off 85, while skipper Ben DeAraugo later added an unbeaten 48 off 80.
In his 100th first XI game for Golden Square, Scott Trollope snared 3-21, including the first two wickets when he removed Suns’ openers James Vlaeminck (6) and Taylor (15).
• The red-hot Huntly-North Epsom inflicted another dramatic capitulation on an opponent as its winning streak grew to four.
The winning streak started when the Power took 7-16 late against Golden Square to win by one run in round four at Wade Street.
This time the Power produced a burst of 9-19 against Kangaroo Flat as the Roos folded from 1-75 to all out for 94 chasing Huntly-North Epsom’s 6-116 in a game reduced to 37 overs a side at Strauch Reserve.
Strauch Reserve has proven a nightmare venue for the Roos this season, with Saturday’s capitulation coming two rounds after they were beaten outright by the Power at the ground.
READ MORE – Golden Square v Strathdale-Maristians | PHOTOS
The demise of the Roos was spearheaded by the duo of spinner Sandun Ranathunga (5-9) and Danushka Wijemanna (3-14), who combined for eight wickets, while the other dismissal during the blitz was the run out of Campbell Smith (0) by Wijemanna.
Smith was one of four players – among them last-round centurion Adam Burns – who made ducks during the Power’s nine-wicket burst, which started when Dylan Gibson (19) was caught by Power skipper Elliott Massina.
The Roos’ last four wickets tumbled for just one run, which was in stark contrast to their strong start when they were 0-40 off 10 overs.
Opener Chris Barber’s 32 was the top score for the Roos, who earlier in the day elected to bowl first after captain Brent Hamblin improved his record at the toss this season to 7-0.
Before his match-winning five-wicket haul with the ball, Ranathunga had also been the mainstay of the Power innings with a hard-fought 41 off 76 on a day where runs didn’t flow easily.
Hamblin (2-12) was the only multiple wicket-taker for the Roos.
In their four wins in a row the surging Power have now taken 50 wickets for 572 runs from 260 overs.
• Eaglehawk defeated White Hills by three wickets at the QEO in the only match of the day that remained 45-overs-a-side.
Sent into bat, the Demons compiled 8-151, batting out their 45 overs after a top-order collapse in which they fell from 0-37 in the ninth to 4-54 in the 16th.
Earning a call-up off his double ton in the second XI the previous week, David Blume’s 40 off 72 was the Demons’ top score.
Hawks skipper Cory Jacobs completed a fine double, bagging 4-22 off nine overs with the ball, before following up with 59 with the bat as the Hawks reached 7-154 in the 42nd over in reply.
The Demons were up and about when they had the Hawks 2-19 in the sixth over, but a 71-run stand between Jacobs and Brodie Hawke (18) placed the Hawks in the driver’s seat.
On the day in which he became the BDCA’s new record-holder for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper, the Hawks’ Matt Fitt also made 24 with the bat.
Young spinner Jack Bourke was given the opportunity to open the bowling for the Demons and returned the figures of 3-33.
• The clash between top and bottom went to script as Sandhurst beat Bendigo United by 95 runs.
Chasing the Dragons’ 6-184 in a match cut to 40 overs a side, the Redbacks were bundled out for 89 to remain winless, while the reigning premier Dragons made it five wins in a row.
Craig Howard (46 n.o.), Taylor Beard (44), Matt Combe (28) and Shasheen Fernando (35) were the chief run-scorers for the Dragons after they had been 2-26 in the 11th over.
Among the first two wickets to fall was opener Joel Murphy, who having made 262 runs in his previous four hits was bowled by Miggy Podosky (1-45) for four.
Podosky at one stage had a tidy 1-16 off six overs, before his last two overs cost 29 at Harry Trott Oval.
The Redbacks’ lacklustre run-chase featured five players dismissed for two or less, while only stand-in captain Jake Klemm (25), Ashley Younghusband (21) and youngster Bradman Constable (18) in his second first XI innings reached double figures.
Will Keck (2-14), Sam Sperling (2-19) and Howard (2-6) took two wickets each for the Dragons.
• The only game not to get a result was the drawn match between Strathfieldsaye and Bendigo at Tannery Lane.
The game became ordinary conditions with play not beginning until 2.40pm and being reduced to just 56 overs for the day.
The Jets faced 45 of the overs, clawing their way to 5-112, led by an unbeaten 48 off 83 to captain Ben Devanny.
Alex Pearson was lively with the ball for the Goers in picking up 2-14 off nine overs, while in his return from suspension off-spinner Kyle Humphrys (0-8) conceded just eight runs off nine overs with seven maidens.
With only 11 overs to face the Goers went down swinging in reaching 2-87.
Humphrys opened the Goers’ innings and finished 45 not out off 32.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.