MORE CRICKET – Strathdale-Maristians v Huntly-North Epsom | PHOTOS
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A RYAN Grundy century has continued Huntly-North Epsom’s rags to riches season in the BDCA and propelled the Power a step closer to a long-awaited finals return.
The Power held firm in second position on the ladder with their 43-run win over Strathdale-Maristians – a result that cost the Suns their position in the top four.
The ground work for the Power’s victory was laid by their bowlers on day one when they knocked over the Suns for 161 at Bell Oval.
The batting line-up led by Grundy then backed up the good work with the ball by answering with 4-204 – and it could have been plenty more, but stumps were pulled with more than 20 overs left in the day.
The victory was just Huntly-North Epsom’s second win in 21 meetings against the Suns since the Power was established in 2001-02.
Plenty of work in the nets during the week paid dividends for opener Grundy, who finished unbeaten on 102 and in doing so became the first player this season to score multiple centuries.
Grundy also scored 104 against Strathfieldsaye in round two.
“It was a terrific win by the boys, and the way Reg (Grundy) batted was just sensational,” said Power skipper Elliott Massina, who made eight.
“I reckon he would have hit close to 500 balls during the week at training… he really put it on himself to get a score today and that’s what he went out and did.
“He was the glue that held the innings together while the other boys batted well around him.”
Grundy’s 102 n.o., which featured 13 fours and one six, was his seventh BDCA century – six with the Power and one at White Hills, who he played the opening game of the season with in the second XI.
Grundy had a slice of luck on 98 when he was dropped by wicket-keeper Linton Jacobs off spinner Cameron Taylor, while earlier when he was on 29 Andrew Chalkley spilled a sharp chance at short cover off him.
Grundy brought his ton up by hitting Taylor straight down the ground for four, which also signaled the end of the game.
While Grundy’s ton was the backbone of the successful run-chase, the Power also had Shehan De Silva finish 55 n.o., with the pair putting on an unbroken partnership of 75 for the fifth wicket.
Following a shaky 0-3 start to 2018-19, the Power have now won seven of their past eight games to not only be on track to play finals for the first time since 2011-12, but potentially host a semi-final by finishing top-two.
The loss ended the Suns’ three-game winning streak, and having worked hard to claw their way back into the top four last round are now back outside again and with the pressure right on if they are to maintain an unbroken stretch of finals appearances from 2005-06.
Taylor sent down 26.1 overs to finish with 2-55 for the Suns. He had conceded just 24 off his first 21 overs.
The other two wickets were taken by Adrian Pappin (2-40) before he had to be removed from the attack for bowling two over-the-waist full tosses.
GOLDEN SQUARE v KANGAROO FLAT
It wasn’t a tie like their two-day meeting at Wade Street last season, but Golden Square and Kangaroo Flat played out a thriller again at the same venue.
Square retained its 11-point buffer at the top of the ladder, but was made to work mighty hard for the win by the Roos.
Defending their 197, the Roos were in a strong position to pull off an upset when they had Square under the pump at 8-176.
However, the combination of Liam Smith (25 n.o.) and Luke Baird (21) dug in to deny the Roos, adding a further 26 runs as Square squeezed past its target eight wickets down before finishing at 9-208 off its 85 overs.
MORE CRICKET – Last week’s day one wrap
Square twice lost a clump of 3-6 through its innings. The first time being when it fell from 0-45 to 3-51.
And the second when 3-113 became 6-119.
There was also a loss of 2-3 later when Square went from 6-173 to 8-176.
While the stoic Smith – who batted for 163 minutes and 124 balls – and Baird finished the job off for Square, earlier it was opener Tim Wood who was damaging.
Wood passed 50 for the fifth time in his 10 innings this season by cracking 83 off 100 balls, with the score just 113 when he nicked Luke Stagg (2-13) through to wicket-keeper Riley Burns.
Earlier, Wood was already 41 when Square was 3-51 in the 17th over.
Having made a crucial half-century (59) the previous week, Kangaroo Flat captain Brent Hamblin took the first three wickets to fall – Ryan Hartley (5), Scott Woodman (4) and counterpart Ben Gunn (0).
At that stage Hamblin had figures of 3-22 before finishing with 4-47 off 21 overs.
Two of Hamblin’s wickets were catches by keeper Burns, who took four for the day.
EAGLEHAWK v BENDIGO
Eaglehawk captain Cory Jacobs was on a hat-trick twice in his side’s comfortable win over Bendigo at Canterbury Park to retain third position.
Although, it was looking anything but comfortable for the Hawks last week when they were teetering at 8-132.
But their final tally of 9-209 proved well out of reach of the Goers, who folded in just the 47th over for 137 in a game that was done and dusted just after 4pm.
The victory shrugged a monkey off the back of the Hawks, who had lost their previous two matches against the Goers at Canterbury Park, including a one-dayer last month.
Jacobs snared his seventh career five-for in the BDCA with his 5-30 off 14 overs as he led the downfall of the Goers.
The Goers had been 2-64 in the 23rd over, before their last eight wickets tumbled for 73 runs, with Jacobs snaring all five of his scalps as the Hawks took control.
Jacobs was on a hat-trick when he dismissed Craig Pearce (2) and Nathan Fitzpatrick (0) in consecutive balls.
And he was later on another when he removed Alex Pearson (41) and Tom Hart (0) in as many deliveries.
The Goers’ capitulation of 8-73 included their last four wickets falling for just eight runs.
As well as Jacobs’ five-for, the Hawks also had left-arm paceman Shaun Knott (3-20) pick up three wickets, while in his 200th BDCA first XI game Anthony West took a catch to follow up his 28 with the bat on day one.
More than half the Goers’ runs were scored by the duo of Kyle Humphrys (45) and Pearson, whose last five scoring shots of his 41 had all been boundaries.
At one period during Humphry’s innings he scored 28 out of 29 runs in just two overs with a pair of sixes and four boundaries.
The Goers had one partnership worth more than when Pearson and Mark Ryan (23) added 55 for the seventh wicket.
WHITE HILLS v STRATHFIELDSAYE
Strathfieldsaye had enough trouble just reaching Mitch Winter-Irving’s score of last week, let alone getting anywhere near White Hills’ 4-352 at Scott Street.
The Jets were all out for 189 to go down by 163 runs, with the win keeping the Demons within one game of the top four and their finals hopes flickering.
The Jets had already lost eight wickets by the time they reached Winter-Irving’s score of 171 that along with fellow opener Rhys Irwin’s 96 set up the Demons’ massive day one total.
While the game will be best remembered for Winter-Irving’s explosive innings, it was also a memorable one for Demons’ debutant Xavier Dunham.
Dunham (2-21) picked up two wickets and also took three catches.
Dunham’s first A Grade wicket was Jets’ opener Savith Priyan (11), caught at mid-off by Irwin, and he had a second soon after when he had the dangerous Pat Felmingham (11) trapped lbw.
Irwin completed a fine all-round game by backing up his 96 with the bat by taking 3-40 with the ball, the catch of Priyan and being involved in the run out of Cory Devanny (20), who was caught short going for a third.
Playing his first A Grade game of the season, Devanny got off the mark in style, hitting Linc Jacobs (1-54) for six.
Just as he did last game, teenager Callum McCarty (36) top-scored for the Jets, who already facing an uphill battle with more than 350 to chase were put on the back foot even further at 4-56 in the 21st over.
SANDHURST v BENDIGO UNITED
Reigning premier Sandhurst is back in the top four following its 22-run victory over Bendigo United at Weeroona Oval.
The Dragons passed the Redbacks’ total of 212 for the loss of six wickets on the way to a final tally of 8-234.
It was a much-needed victory for the Dragons, who ended a three-game losing streak on the back of their steady batting performance.
The Dragons had seven players score at least 19, but none made more than opener Tyler Hinds’ 44, who struck six boundaries and one six in his 72-ball innings.
Hinds and Joel Murphy (24) got the Dragons away to a solid start with a 51-run opening partnership.
Other contributions came from Craig Howard (40), stand-in skipper Ash Gray (36), Will Keck (24), Shasheen Fernando (22) and Darby Semmens (19).
While his stay at the crease on day one was just one ball, Redbacks’ acting skipper Jake Klemm finished as the game’s leading wicket-taker with 4-51 off 19 overs.
Klemm is now both the Redbacks’ leading run-scorer (511) and wicket-taker (22) in what’s a superb debut season at Bendigo United.
The other multiple wicket-taker was Ashley Younghusband (2-39).
Bendigo United’s next opponent is Bendigo in what’s a game where both teams will be reflecting on their past.
On day one next Saturday the Redbacks will launch a book written by Darren Rodda documenting the 165-year history of the club.
And on day two the following week the Goers will be holding their 125th celebrations.
However, there has been little to celebrate on-field for both clubs this season – the Redbacks are last on the ladder and the Goers second-last.
NEXT ROUND:
February 16-23
Strathfieldsaye v Strathdale-Maristians
Tannery Lane
Bendigo v Bendigo United
Atkins Street
Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk
Dower Park
Sandhurst v Huntly-North Epsom
Weeroona Oval
White Hills v Golden Square
Scott Street
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