KANGAROO Flat has earned another crack at winning its first Bendigo District Cricket Association Twenty20 title.
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The Roos and Strathdale-Maristians were scheduled to close out the preliminary matches at Dower Park on Wednesday night in a game where both sides were still a chance of making the final.
However, the game - which had been transferred from its original date of January 5 - was washed out following the thunderstorm that rolled through Bendigo late Wednesday afternoon.
With the two sides splitting the points it leaves Kangaroo Flat on top of pool one with three wins and a draw from its four matches, while the defending champion Suns (2-1-1) finished second in the pool.
There had been some talk after the abandonment of the game about the potential for it to be re-scheduled given the grand final ramifications, but BDCA president Wayne Walsh told the Bendigo Advertiser that the board won't be allowing for it to be re-scheduled again.
Kangaroo Flat and Huntly-North Epsom will meet in the grand final at the QEO next Wednesday night.
The Flat are 0-3 in Twenty20 grand finals, while the Power is gunning for a second T20 title.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night Kangaroo Flat ended White Hills' chances of reaching the grand final, scraping home by two wickets at Dower Park in a game where ball had the better of bat.
Having won the toss and batted, White Hills worked its way to 8-96 off its 20 overs.
The key wicket of Brayden Stepien (17 off 22) was the first to fall when the explosive opener was bowled by Adam Burns (1-14).
Stepien was one of only three White Hills batsmen - along with Rhys Irwin (28 n.o. off 31) and Gavin Bowles (16 off 18) - to reach double figures.
Left-arm seamer Matt Dwyer proved to be a handful with the ball for Kangaroo Flat, picking up 3-9 off two overs, which included the scalp of Bowles.
The Roos were under the pump in their run-chase when they lost 3-0 to fall to 8-79 in the 12th over.
Demons' spinner Linc Jacobs picked up the three wickets in a four-ball blitz when he removed Dwyer (13), Daniel Barber (11) and Burns (0) to bowl White Hills back into the contest.
However, the pair of Brent Hamblin (8 n.o.) and Dylan Klemm (8 n.o.) held firm under pressure, combining for an unbroken partnership of 19 as the Roos reached 8-98 with one over to spare.
Earlier, the Roos' marquee opener, Ramneet Dhindsa from Hawthorn-Kingston, lit up Dower Park with a quickfire 35 off 24 that featured eight boundaries.
Jacobs finished with the remarkable Twenty20 figures of 4-2 off four overs.
While maidens are a rarity in the T20 format, Jacobs managed to bowl two.
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Standings:
Pool 1
Huntly-North - 3-1
Golden Square - 3-1
Eaglehawk - 2-2
Bendigo - 1-3
Bendigo United - 1-3
Pool 2
Kangaroo Flat - 3-0-1
Strathdale - 2-1-1
White Hills - 2-2
Strathfieldsaye - 2-2
Sandhurst - 0-4
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Grand final:
January 22, QEO
Huntly-North Epsom v Kangaroo Flat
EMU VALLEY CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Sedgwick and Spring Gully both ended the preliminary matches of the Emu Valley Cricket Association Twenty20 competition undefeated after their wins in round five on Tuesday night.
Spring Gully was made to work hard for its victory by West Bendigo, holding on to win by four runs.
The Crows looked like they would battle to get anywhere near 100 when they crashed to 6-38 and later 7-52.
However, James Fox (41) and Alex Daniels (17 n.o.) combined for what proved a match-winning 57-run partnership for the eighth wicket that pushed the Crows to 8-109.
The Redbacks' Leigh Gorrie proved economical with the ball in taking 1-9 off four overs.
In reply the Redbacks looked to be coasting to victory at 6-101.
However, the Crows were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, taking 3-4 to bowl the Redbacks - who batted one short - out for 105 with eight balls remaining and win by four runs.
Captain Rhys Webb (2-16), Nick Skeen (2-20), Alex Sutton (2-17) and Fox (2-21) all took two wickets for the Crows.
Skipper Tarran Kilcullen (31 off 33) top scored for the Redbacks.
* Sedgwick proved too good for Maiden Gully, winning by 22 runs.
A 76-run opening stand between Bailey Ilsley (45) and captain Greg Thomas (36) set Sedgwick on the path to 7-156 after the Rams had been sent in.
The Lions used nine bowlers, the last two of whom took three wickets apiece - Rob Brown (3-20) and Jake Medhurst (3-18).
Maiden Gully batted out its 20 overs in reply but was restricted 9-134 having one stage been 4-114.
Brodie Pearce (29), captain Alex Gorrie (26) and Brett Haw (25) all scored in the 20s for the Lions, while Jordan Ilsley (3-17) picked up three wickets for the Rams.
* United produced a dominant 110-run win over Axe Creek, which ended its campaign winless.
The Tigers scored at more than 10-an-over, crunching 7-204 batting first.
Mid-season recruit Broderick Williams provided plenty of entertainment with nine fours and one six in his blitz of 63 off 31.
Troy Young (30 off 23), Dooley Niemann (42 off 28) and Tom Calvert (31 n.o. off 16) also kept the runs ticking over for the Tigers, who struck 21 boundaries and five sixes in their innings.
Daniel Dixon (3-40) was the leading wicket-taker for the Cowboys, who were all out for 94 in reply.
The Cowboys had been 2-78 before losing 8-16, with Harry Whittle (4-16) the chief destroyer for the Tigers.
* Marong made sure of its semi-final berth with a 30-run win over Mandurang.
The Panthers' 5-180 after they were sent in featured 132-run stand for the fifth wicket between captain David Blume (85) and Adam Brown (46 n.o.).
The Rangas were unable to breakthrough for their first win after being held to 6-150 in reply.
Opener Linton Colclough (48) was the best of the Rangas batsmen.
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Standings:
Pool 1
Sedgwick - 4-0
Marong - 3-1
Maiden Gully - 2-2
Emu Creek - 1-3
Mandurang - 0-4
Pool 2
Spring Gully - 4-0
United - 2-2
West Bendigo - 2-2
California Gully - 2-2
Axe Creek - 0-4
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Semi-finals:
January 28, 5.30pm
Sedgwick v United
Spring Gully v Marong
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