SPRING Gully has given itself the opportunity to be crowned the Emu Valley Cricket Association’s first Twenty20 champions.
The Crows completed an undefeated four rounds of pool matches on Tuesday night with a seven-run victory over Emu Creek at J.G. Edwards Oval.
Opener Brannon Stanford’s 53 off 45 helped the Crows to 8-141 after they won the toss.
Stanford’s innings ended when he was caught behind by Brad Rowe to be one of four wickets for the Emus’ Tyson Webster (4-18).
James Fox (4-13) also bagged four wickets for the Crows, who held the Emus to 9-134 in their chase.
Webster completed a fine all-round game for Emu Creek by also top-scoring with 40 off 23.
The Crows have the bye in next week’s final round of pool matches.
• Maiden Gully remains the only unbeaten team in Pool 2 following its win over United.
Sent into bat, the Tigers compiled 125, with the Lions’ Dallas Gill helping to keep the pressure on with a fine 3-10 off four overs.
The Tigers’ innings stalled when they fell from 2-47 to 6-61 after losing 4-14.
The Lions answered with 5-132, which featured a 68-run stand for the fourth wicket between Matt Felini (45) and Gill (23).
A victory over the winless Marong in round five next Tuesday will propel Maiden Gully into the grand final against the Crows on January 29.
READ MORE – Bendigo Country Week cricket fixture
• West Bendigo’s Gary Singh fell just short of cracking what would have been the competition’s first century.
Batting at No.3, Singh belted 97 off just 56 balls in the Redbacks’ 3-168 against California Gully.
Singh struck 13 boundaries and four sixes, with the knock his second half-century of the competition after earlier making 52 against United in round one.
Singh – whose innings ended when he was caught by Mick Galvin off Brad Olson (1-21) – was part of a 109-run stand for the third wicket with Matt Gould (40 n.o.).
The Cobras could muster just 6-115 in reply, which included an unbeaten half-century from skipper Jordan Knight (52 n.o.).
• Mandurang denied Axe Creek its first victory.
The Cowboys compiled 9-120 after winning the toss and batting, with 36 off 33 from opener Charles Ready their top score.
James Pietromonaco (3-11) and Beau Roy-Clements (3-13) picked up three wickets apiece for the Rangas, who made 3-129 off 15 overs in reply.
Opener Phil Berry batted through the Mandurang innings to finish 59 n.o. off 51.
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Ladders:
POOL 1 – Spring Gully (4-0), Sedgwick (2-1), Mandurang (1-2), Emu Creek (1-2), Axe Creek (0-3).
POOL 2 – West Bendigo (3-1), Maiden Gully (3-0), United (1-2), California Gully (1-2), Marong (0-3).
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Next Tuesday’s games:
United v California Gully, Marong v Maiden Gully, Mandurang v Emu Creek, Sedgwick v Axe Creek.
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