Strathdale's BDCA finals hopes take a big hit

The three points collected by Strathdale means the Suns must defeat White Hills outright in the final round to jump Huntly-North Epsom, Eaglehawk or Sandhurst and advance to a 14th-straight finals series.

The amazing streak appeared to be done and dusted when a defiant innings from Sri Lankan import Chathura Damith put the Jets within touching distance of victory.

Chasing Strathdale's total of 151, the Jets collapsed early to be 4-13 and then 6-51 when skipper Ben Devanny fell for 16.

Damith and Cal McCarty set about rebuilding the innings, adding  45 for the seventh wicket before McCarty was dismissed for nine off 79 balls.

Jack Stubbs (nine off 56 balls) played a similar role to McCarty as Damith kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Stubbs departed with the score on 124, but that did little to hinder Damith.

Number 10 Jed Rodda hung around with the left-hander and, when Damith blasted 14 runs off four consecutive balls, the Jets were 8-150 and two runs away from victory.

After veteran paceman Ryan Haythorpe (4-42) had done a mighty job to keep his side in the game, Strathdale skipper Ben DeAraugo gave the ball to his younger brother Jacob in a last-ditched bid to force a breakthrough.

It worked. With the field up, Damith attempted to hit the winning runs over cover from Jacob DeAraugo's first ball.

He skied the ball backward of point where James Vlaeminck ran back with the flight of the ball and held on to a great catch.

Damith trudged off the ground for a superb 76 off 138 balls, including seven four and three sixes.

That left number 11 Michael Curtis to join Rodda at the crease.

The duo played out 12 dot balls in a row from leg-spinner Cam Taylor and Jacob DeAraugo before Rodda worked the ball through point and took off for a single.

Vlaeminck got across to stop the ball and ensure the Jets couldn't scamper back for a match-winning second run.

Under immense pressure from some tight bowling from Taylor and DeAraugo, Rodda and Curtis survived for 19-straight dot balls, but they couldn't find a way to force a single.

Eventually, it was Taylor (3-59 off 36 overs) who struck the decisive blow.

Rodda (three off 36 balls) attempted to work the ball to mid-wicket and got a leading edge which popped up to Daniel Clohesy fielding in close at silly point.

The Jets were gutted after getting so close to causing one of the upsets of the season, while there were no celebrations from the Suns.

The results leaves Strathdale in fifth place on 39 points - seven behind fourth-placed Huntly-North Epsom, nine behinbd third-placed Sandhurst and 10 behind second-placed Eaglehawk.

Eaglehawk and Sandhurst meet in the final round, so 10 points from an outright win would lift the Suns above the loser of the Hawks-Dragons clash.

Huntly plays bottom side Bendigo United in the final round.

Eaglehawk enhanced its chances of playing a home final by defeating Kangaroo Flat by 12 runs at Dower Park.

Resuming at 6-45 chasing the Hawks' total of 137, the Roos hopes took a dive when Brent Hamblin (21) and Dylan Klemm (1) fell in quick succession.

From 8-68, Dylan Gibson and youngster Ryan Bell dug in for the Roos and put the home side within 20 runs of an unlikely victory before Gibson was trapped lbw by Aaron Monro for 62.

Bell and fellow teen Luke Stagg added seven runs in eight overs to give the Roos a sniff of victory.

Eaglehawk opening bowler Cam McGlashan produced a brilliant delivery to clip the top of Bell's off stump and the Borough celebrated a crucial win.

After taking four wickets on day one, Richard Tibbett added one on day two and finished with figures of 5-49 off 18 overs.

McGlashan was the hero on day two. The paceman took the key wicket of Hamblin and had figures of 4-36.

Eaglehawk's win, combined with Sandhurst's impressive victory over Huntly-North Epsom, sets up a huge clash next week at Canterbury Park.

The Dragons eased past Huntly-North Epsom on Saturday thanks largely to a brilliant century from opener Joel Murphy.

The right-hander made 115 off 214 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes, guiding the Dragons to 7-294 - 87 runs more than the Power's total of 207.

In his first season with Sandhurst, Murphy has made two centuries and has 481 runs at an average of 43.7.

Murphy added a match-winning 115 for the fourth wicket with coach Taylor Beard.

In a good sign for the Dragons ahead of the finals, Beard's 55 off 91 balls was his first half-century at first XI level this summer.

Ash Gray continued his good form from Melbourne Country Week, belting an unbeaten 50 from 61 balls, including four sixes.

The Power used nine bowlers for the day, with Mitch Whittle (2-39) the most successful.

No matter what happens in the final round, Golden Square will be minor premiers for 2018-19.

The Bulldogs secured top spot and a home final by defeating White Hills at Scott Street.

Chasing the Demons' total of 191, the Bulldogs overcame a couple of nervy moments to secure their 10th win of the season.

Tim Wood (37), Scott Woodman (2) and skipper Ben Gunn (4) fell in the space of 10 runs to leave the Dogs 3-59.

Fresh from a century at Melbourne Country Week, Ryan Hartley put his head down for the Dogs.

However, just when it looked the Dogs would cruise to victory, Jake Higgins fell for nine and Hartley went for 57 off 127 balls.

Veteran Scott Johnson and Scott Trollope steadied the ship with a partnership of 56 for the sixth wicket.

Demons' skipper Mitch Winter-Irving produced a fiery spell to dismiss Trollope (27) and Grant Connelly (0) in the same over to eave the Dogs seven wickets down and still 17 runs away from victory.

Johnson (41) and Liam Smith dug in and saw the Bulldogs home.

Smith made an unbeaten 51 before the Dogs pulled stumps early with the score 9-258.

Winter-Irving took 3-34 off 14 overs for the Demons who are now out of the finals race.

In the battle of the bottom two clubs, Bendigo scored a 63-run win over Bendigo United.

Defending a total of 195, the Goers dismissed the Redbacks for 132 before taking advantage of some batting practice and making 1-59 in their second dig.

Opening bowlers Nathan Fitzpatrick (3-26) and Alex Pearson (3-32) did the bulk of the damage with the ball.

Bendigo United's Miggy Podosky has long regarded himself as an all-rounder and his form with the bat on Saturday backed up his claims.

Batting at number five, Podosky top scored with 41 off 81 balls.

Ashley Younghusband made 31 off 93 balls before being the final wicket to fall.

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.