MORE BDCA – Strathfieldsaye v Strathdale-Maristians | PHOTOS
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EAGLEHAWK hit back in devastating style with the ball after earlier battling with the bat on a see-sawing day against Kangaroo Flat in the BDCA on Saturday.
The Hawks were dismantled for just 137 after winning the toss and batting at Dower Park, with the chief destroyer with the ball for the Roos 17-year-old Luke Stagg.
Stagg grasped the opportunity to open the bowling for the first time in A Grade, bagging his maiden five-for as he finished with a superb 5-27 off 9.2 overs.
It was the second time this season the Hawks have struggled with the bat against the Roos after they clawed their way to 9-134 in a one-dayer also at Dower Park last month.
However, what the Hawks lacked with the bat, they more than made up for with the ball in a brutal 23 overs at the Roos.
By stumps the Roos were reeling at 6-45 – but as shaky as that is, it was looking far worse for the home side earlier in their chase.
The carnage started in the opening over when Chris Barber (0) was bowled by Richard Tibbett for a golden duck, setting off a procession of wickets.
Liam Stubbings (5), Daniel Barber (4), Riley Burns (0), Adam Burns (0) and Matt Dwyer (1) were all dismissed in quick succession and the Roos in a massive hole at 6-11 in the eighth over and staring at the prospect of being bowled out before stumps.
However, skipper Brent Hamblin (16 n.o.) and Dylan Gibson (12 n.o.) at No.8 were able to stem the bleeding for the remainder of the afternoon, adding 34 more runs without loss to complete a day in which 16 wickets tumbled for just 182 runs.
The Hawks’ six wickets were shared between opening bowlers Tibbett (4-20) and Cam McGlashan (2-8).
“We knew the wicket was a little bit up and down, there were a couple of cracks starting to open up and that if we could get the ball in the right areas early we could do some damage,” Hawks skipper Cory Jacobs said.
“Credit to Tibby and Cam, they put it on the right spot and we got off to a perfect start having them 6-11.”
Earlier, the Hawks were dismissed in the 59th over.
Stagg’s five-for featured the dismissals of McGlashan (14), Anthony West (0), Brodie Hawke (0), Matt Fitt (13) and Tibbett (2).
“I was a bit nervous opening the bowling for the first time, but the ball came out of the hand alright and it was good to be able to get a few wickets,” Stagg said.
While he later missed out with the bat, Roos’ leg-spinner Chris Barber also got among the wickets, taking 3-42 off 17 overs, which included a pair of caught and bowled dismissals of Russell Stockdale (12) and Josh Williams (9).
Only Marcus McKern (36) and Ben Williams (28 n.o.) made more than 20 for the Hawks, who at one stage lost 4-13 when they fell from 0-21 in the sixth over to 4-34 in the 16th, with Stagg leading the charge for the Roos.
STRATHFIELDSAYE v STRATHDALE-MARISTIANS
Strathdale-Maristians will have Ryan Haythorpe and Darcy Bakes to thank if it can conjure a win against Strathfieldsaye at the QEO.
In the unfamiliar position of sitting a game outside the top four with two rounds left to play, the the last-wicket pair of Haythorpe and Bakes dug deep to push the Suns to 151 thanks to a much-needed 60-run partnership.
Strathdale was in danger of being skittled for less than 100 when the dismissal of Andrew Chalkley (45) just after tea left the Suns 9-91.
However, Haythorpe and Bakes showed the Suns’ trademark fighting spirit, frustrating the Jets for a further 33 overs as they ticked the score over 150.
“We would have taken 150 at the start of the day, especially with how quick the outfield is, but it was obviously disappointing not to wrap it up earlier,” Jets’ captain Ben Devanny said.
“But full credit to Haythorpe and Bakes; they batted really well together and showed the track was still OK to bat on.”
Haythorpe made a gritty 44 off 127 and Bakes (11 n.o.) – who had a stroke of luck when he was bowled by Jed Rodda off a no-ball – was superb in his support, with the pair batting together for 105 minutes.
That lengthy partnership, which ended when Haythorpe was caught and bowled by Devanny (1-32), was in stark contrast to what transpired before tea when the Suns crumbled.
Having taken 55 overs to take their first wicket the previous round against White Hills, this time the Jets already had eight Suns’ batsmen sitting back in the QEO grandstand by the 37th.
Openers James Vlaeminck (10) and Cameron Taylor (15) got through the first nine overs unscathed.
However, when Vlaeminck was caught by Pat Felmingham for the first of his four catches at first slip in the 10th over off Chathura Damith it sparked a wave of momentum for the Jets.
The Suns barely got a yelp out of their middle-order – Jack Neylon (5), captain Ben DeAraugo (1) in a rare failure against the Jets, Daniel Clohesy (3), Linton Jacobs (2), Jacob DeAraugo (4) and Adrian Pappin (1) – combining for just 16 runs.
While Haythorpe and Bakes breathed some life back into the game for the Suns, Chalkley had worked hard to hold the innings together.
Seven wickets fell during Chalkley’s 146-minute stay at the crease, which ended shortly after the break when he was bowled by Damith.
The Jets – who haven’t beaten the Suns since 2013-14 – had four players take multiple wickets: spinner Savith Priyan (3-19), Damith (2-37), Rodda (2-28) and Michael Curtis (2-31).
As well as taking three wickets, Priyan was ultra-economical. His 19 runs came from 26 overs and featured 16 maidens.
SANDHURST v HUNTLY-NORTH EPSOM
On a day dominated by the bowlers, Huntly-North Epsom was the only side to post more than 200 and bat out its quota of 85 overs.
The Power have 9-207 to defend against Sandhurst at Weeroona Oval in what’s a game where they can make certain of their return to the finals for the first time since 2011-12.
However, if it wasn’t for the Sri Lankan duo of Sandun Ranathunga and Danushka Wijemanna, the Power would have been in strife.
Outside of Ranathunga and Wijemanna, the other nine Power batsmen combined for just 47 runs.
Thankfully for the Power, Ranathunga (95) and Wijemanna (57) both impacted the innings.
They put on 90 together for the third wicket after starting their partnership at 2-40 in the 25th over.
Wijemanna wasted no time making his presence felt out in the middle, getting off the mark with a six off Craig Howard.
That was one of three sixes Wijemanna launched in his first 29 runs, while he ended his innings having cleared the fence four times to go with four boundaries.
Wijemanna’s 57 was his fifth score above 50, which along with Golden Square’s Tim Wood is the most in the competition.
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Ranathunga showed tremendous concentration in spending 252 minutes and 227 balls at the crease after coming in at 1-22.
However, he was denied a century late in the day when he was run out by Sri Lankan counterpart Shasheen Fernando from deep mid-on for 95.
Ranathunga, who hit six boundaries and two sixes in his knock, was one of three run-outs in the innings.
Also run out was previous round century-maker Ryan Grundy (14) in a mix-up with fellow opener Anthony Tanner (9).
The Dragons were boosted by the return of all-rounders Taylor Beard (2-44) and Matt Combe (2-50), who took two wickets apiece.
Veteran spinner Craig Howard (2-82), who was introduced into the attack early in the day in the eighth over, also claimed two wickets.
The Dragons restricted the Power to a run-rate of just 2.43 on a ground where the runs usually flow freely.
BENDIGO v BENDIGO UNITED
Bendigo already has Bendigo United on the backfoot in the Redbacks’ run-chase at Atkins Street Oval.
The Redbacks dismissed the Goers for 195, but then endured a disastrous 12 overs before stumps, going to the close of play at 3-27.
Among the players already out is captain Jake Klemm (2), who was unable to get out of his batting rut.
Having been been averaging 63.8 with 509 runs after round nine, Klemm has since been dismissed for scores of 2, 0 and 2.
Bendigo’s Alex Pearson (2-18) added two more victims to his list of top-five batsmen dismissed – he now has 19 – by removing both Redbacks’ openers Wes Hopcott (2) and Tom Starr (0).
Earlier, the Goers were sent into bat after Bendigo lost the toss for the seventh time in a row – and 10th time in 12 matches this season.
The Goers were at a dicey 5-49 in the 28th over, but showed a resilience that has been lacking this season by the last five wickets combining to add a further 146 runs.
The rearguard action featured a first A Grade half-century for Kayle Thompson, who was an inclusion in the side.
Thompson compiled 53 off 108 with six boundaries and two sixes in what was just the fifth score above 50 made by a Goers player this season.
As well as Thompson’s 53, Nathan Fitzpatrick (32), Tom Hart (29) and Mark Ryan (22) pushed the score to 195 that coupled with their strong finish with the ball has the Goers in a solid position to celebrate their 125th anniversary next week with a win.
The Redbacks – who are debuting 14-year-old spinner Xavier Austin (0-38) – shared their wickets between Klemm (3-50), Connor Thompson (2-19), Ashley Younghusband (2-25) and Billy Quirk (2-25), who picked up the two key scalps of Shane Koop (5) and Kyle Humphrys (1).
WHITE HILLS v GOLDEN SQUARE
Golden Square needs 163 more runs with all 10 wickets in hand to overhaul White Hills at Scott Street.
In a clash of the two sides that fought out the one-day final earlier this month, Square will resume at 0-29 in reply to the Demons’ 191.
The Demons – who were sent in – were unable to capitalise on another good start from Mitch Winter-Irving (71) and Rhys Irwin (34).
They put on their second triple-figure opening stand in a row, but from 0-102, the Demons lost 10-89.
Skipper Winter-Irving’s 71 off 129 took him past the 600-run mark for the season, with his tally now at 661 – 350 of which have come in his past five hits.
The Square spin duo of skipper Ben Gunn (4-36) and Liam Smith (4-41) both snared four scalps each and between them have now taken 14 of their side’s 20 wickets in the past two games.
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