A spectacular Ryan Hartley century lifted the BDCA to a competitive total against Wangaratta in their round two clash at Ivanhoe.
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The BDCA made 8-237 off its 50 overs with Hartley reaching his century with a six off the second-last ball of the innings.
Batting at number six, Hartley entered the second-last over on 81 not out.
The left-hander hit 10 runs off the penultimate over to take his score to 91.
He scored three runs off the first ball of the final over to move to 94. Batting partner Dylan Klemm played out a dot ball before scampering a single to get Hartley back on strike.
Hartley failed to score on the fourth ball of the over leaving him on 94 with two balls remaining.
Much to the delight of his team-mates, Hartley hit the second-last ball of the innings over mid-wicket for six to reach three figures.
He added a single off the last ball to finish 101 not out off 87 balls.
On a wicket suited to spin bowling, Wangaratta opened the bowling with UK import Joe Thomas (2-21 off 10 overs) and the tall, left-arm spinner tied down the Bendigo top-order.
Rhys Irwin (0), Jake Klemm (10), Jack Neylon (3) and Ben DeAraugo (3) fell cheaply to leave the BDCA 4-68.
Opener Mitch Winter-Irving showed his class in making 55 off 78 balls before falling with the score on 96.
Ash Gray joined Hartley at the crease and showed his intentions straight away by hitting his first ball for four and his third ball for six.
Gray made 28 off as many deliveries before being clean bowled. A short time later Scott Trollope was dismissed for eight and the BDCA was in trouble at 7-158 with nine overs remaining.
Hartley, from Golden Square, stood up when the BDCA needed him most.
After being content to feed the strike to Winter-Irving and Gray early in his innings, Hartley took control in the final nine overs.
He scored 68 runs off his final 34 balls, including three sixes and four boundaries.
Midway through the innings BDCA coach Shane Koop said anything more than 200 would be a “defendable score”.
Koop said leg-spinner Russell Stockdale, left-arm spinner Liam Smith and, potentially, part-time spinners Jake Klemm, Ben DeAraugo and Jack Neylon would play a major role with the ball for the BDCA.
The winner of this game will almost certainly secure a place in Thursday’s division two semi-finals.
Related: Trollope leads BDCA to round one win
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