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A DETERMINED lower-order innings from teenager Callum McCarty led a spirited rearguard action by Strathfieldsaye against Bendigo in their BDCA match on Saturday.
The Goers had the Jets on the backfoot at 6-109 off 37 overs at the tea break, and later 8-139, at Atkins Street Oval.
However, the Jets dug in after the break as McCarty, in conjunction with Dale Ashby, ensured Strathfieldsaye batted out its 85 overs and posted 8-239.
Batting at No.8, McCarthy’s unbeaten 71 off 159 balls was his first A Grade half-century for the Jets.
He started his innings just before the tea break and spent 168 minutes at the crease, striking five boundaries and one six.
His innings included an unbroken 100-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Ashby, who also made his highest A Grade score of 37 n.o. as they took the tally from 8-139 to 8-239 to give the Jets some momentum to take into next week.
“We were really up against it, but the way Cal absorbed the pressure… it was a fantastic innings from a player still in the under-18s,” Jets captain Ben Devanny said.
“He was 19 off 99 at one stage and then he got a few boundaries away and really clicked into gear in the last hour. And Dale has been playing C Grade for the past few years, so it’s awesome those two have been able to give us something to bowl at next week.”
Earlier, Goers’ opening bowler Alex Pearson made the inroads into the Jets’ batting line-up.
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The in-form Pearson took the first four wickets to fall to have figures of 4-28 in his 11th over and the Jets under the pump at 4-64 with the quartet of Pat Felmingham (12), Luke Jones (8), Abe Sheahan (19) and Devanny (9) all dismissed.
Pearson finished with 4-50 off 19 overs, while off-spinner Kyle Humphrys was the Goers’ other multiple wicket-taker with 2-26.
As well as McCarty and Ashby, the other crucial knock of the Jets’ innings was 44 from import Savith Priyan.
• Strathdale-Maristians plundered its third score of more than 300 for the season, this time against Kangaroo Flat at Dower Park.
The Suns were sent into bat and made the most of their opportunity to wield the willow, crunching 7-317 as they continued their ominous form.
Suns’ all-rounder Sam Johnston again displayed a liking for Dower Park.
After making 99 at the ground last season, this time he finished unbeaten on 87 off 101 to now have 355 runs at an average of 71.0.
Johnston hit seven boundaries and one six in an innings where he was also content to push the ball for plenty of singles (39) with the Roos having the field spread for him.
The Suns’ innings featured a late 20-ball blitz from Adrian Pappin, who blasted five sixes and one four in a quick fire 43 n.o as he and Johnston added 58 off the final 31 balls.
The Suns had been 5-200 in the 65th over before cracking a further 117 off their last 20 overs, with their innings featuring 29 boundaries and seven sixes.
There were contributions all through the Suns’ imposing innings, with all nine batsmen used making double figures and five partnerships of at least 40.
Opener James Vlaemnick (53) in his return to the side made a half-century before he was one of four wickets for Roos’ leg-spinner Chris Barber (4-117).
Another was Jack Neylon (14), who was the first A Grade stumping for Roos’ wicket-keeper Riley Burns.
Roos’ veteran Adam Burns finished with 1-29 off 15 overs having one stage conceded just 13 runs off his first 11.
• Huntly-North Epsom bucked the day’s trend of bat having the better of the ball, dismissing White Hills for 146 at Strauch Reserve.
The star with the ball for the Power was Brett Elvey, who claimed a career-best 5-27 off 19 overs against his former side.
The Demons had been 5-140 before their last five wickets tumbled for just six runs, with Elvey picking up four of them – Caleb Barras (57), Tom Dunham (15), Linc Jacobs (2) and Nick Wallace (0).
The late flurry of wickets was the sixth time in their past six games – they did it twice against Kangaroo Flat in round five – the Power have dismissed their opposition for less than 150.
As well as Evley’s five-for, the Power also had Adam Ward (1-33 off 21) and spinner Sandun Ranathunga (2-14 off 13) combine for 3-47 off 34 overs.
Barras’ 57 off 137 – his second half-century in as many games – was the only score above 20 for the Demons.
The Power are 0-2 off five overs in reply.
• Sandhurst worked its way to 8-254 against Golden Square in the clash of first versus second at Wade Street.
Recruit Matt Combe was the mainstay of the Dragons’ innings, batting for 176 minutes after coming in at 2-69 in the 32nd over.
Combe passed 50 for the third time in his past five knocks in making 89.
The cornerstone of the Dragons’ innings was a 95-run stand for the sixth wicket between Combe and Shane Robinson (37).
The Dragons had been 1-69, but a quick Square burst of 3-18 had the pressure back on the reigning premiers at 4-87, particularly with the side missing key batsman Ash Gray, who was a late withdrawal after still feeling the effects of the heat at the Australian Country Cricket Championships earlier this month.
Scott Trollope snared three of the first four scalps for Golden Square on the way to a five-wicket bag, finishing with 5-63 off 21 overs, with his dismissals including Combe, who was caught by Tim Wood.
Trollope’s fourth victim – Combe – was his 100th first XI wicket for Golden Square.
• Eaglehawk regained some much-needed form with the bat, belting its highest score of the season – 287 against Bendigo United at Canterbury Park.
The Hawks’ innings featured three players post half-centuries – Anthony West (70), Matt Fitt (70) and Marcus McKern (50), who slid down the batting order from opener to No.6.
West’s 70 came at a cost though as he injured his hamstring on 62 and was forced to then bat with a runner.
West and Fitt added 84 for the fourth wicket, which was followed by a 77-run stand for the fifth between Fitt and McKern.
The Redbacks at one stage took 4-11 as the Hawks went from 4-237 to 8-248.
Bendigo United’s Jake Klemm can now lay claim to having both a double-century and five-wicket haul this season after he snared 5-116 off 27.4 overs.
Connor Thomson (1-39) took the wicket of West in his A Grade debut for the Redbacks, while veteran Leigh McDermott has suffered another injury.
In his second game back from a calf injury McDermott bowled Cameron McGlashan (11) with his first delivery, but on his fifth hurt his Achilles and was forced from the ground.
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