STRATHDALE-Maristians' captain Ben DeAraugo has made a timely pre-finals return to form with the bat, smashing a career-high 178 against Sandhurst in the BDCA on Saturday.

When DeAraugo strode to the wicket with the Suns under early pressure at 3-20 in the sixth over, he did so having made just 76 runs from nine innings for the season with a highest score of 16.

However, when he walked back to the Bell Oval pavilion 79 overs later, DeAraugo did so unbeaten on 178 and with the Suns having posted their sixth score above 300 for the season - 8-355.

DeAraugo's innings lasted 230 balls and out of his score of 178 he only had to run 46 after scoring 132 through a combination of fours (15) and towering sixes (12).

"He had the chance to really build his innings today. Often he's been coming in this season where he needs to get on with it from the start," Strathdale-Maristians coach David Bakes said.

"He came in today at 3-20 and that's a situation he really thrives on. He has been hitting them well in the nets, but just getting out.

"He had some really good net sessions this week where he worked really hard and it paid off today."

DeAraugo's 178 n.o. was his fifth career century for the Suns and is the BDCA's equal highest score of the season along with the 178 team-mate Cameron Taylor made against White Hills in round 10.

The Suns' innings included an unbroken 99-run partnership for the ninth wicket between DeAraugo and Ryan Haythorpe (42 n.o.).

Highlighting the depth of the Suns' much-vaunted batting line-up, Haythorpe - who has batted no higher than No.10 this season - has the competition's best batting average of 85.0.

Sandhurst captain Taylor Beard produced a lion-hearted bowling performance, sending down 32 overs and taking 4-98.

The first of Beard's wickets was Suns' opener Cameron Taylor (11), whose 11 runs took him to 906 for the season, still 56 from Tony Taig's BDCA record 962 for Kangaroo Flat in 2003-04.

* Kangaroo Flat endured a nasty nine overs before stumps against Eaglehawk that has it in a precarious position heading into day two as it fights to hold fourth spot.

At risk of being tipped out of the top four by Strathfieldsaye or Golden Square if they are beaten, the Roos went to stumps at 2-10 after bowling the Hawks out for 152 at Canterbury Park.

The Hawks' tail wagged after they had been 7-54, but teenagers Angus Chisholm (55) and Noah Begg (25) absorbed one of the competition's premier bowling attacks, putting on 68 for the eighth wicket.

Chisholm's 55 was his maiden first XI half-century in the BDCA as he occupied the crease for a gritty 149 minutes and 127 balls.

The innings-saving Chisholm-Begg partnership began after the Hawks had lost 3-0 with the score on 54 as Nash Viney (18), Nick Farley (0) and captain Matt Fitt (0) were all dismissed in quick succession by Roos' veteran Adam Burns.

That three-wicket burst from Burns was part of his brilliant figures of 4-21 off 18 overs, while Dylan Klemm (4-23) also snared four scalps.

The nine overs the Hawks had to bowl before stumps were enough to remove both Roos' openers Daniel Barber (1) and Chris Barber (1).

* Strathfieldsaye posted 170 against Golden Square at Wade Street in a game it must win to be any chance of dislodging either Kangaroo Flat or White Hills from the top four.

Golden Square is also still a mathematical chance of making the finals, but with an outright result seemingly now out of the question it needs to not only win the game, but also rely on Kangaroo Flat getting beaten and then hope to overtake the Roos on percentage in fourth spot.

The Jets' 170 was built around Ben Devanny's 54 off 160 balls in what was a 215-minute stay at the crease for the skipper.

Devanny came in with the Jets 2-40 and was the ninth wicket to fall with the score on 165 when run out by Kyal Rasmussen.

Veteran all-rounder Scott Johnson was the best of the bowlers for Square with 4-45 off 18 overs, while wicket-keeper Ryan Hartley was involved in six dismissals - five catches and a stumping.

* Huntly-North Epsom was given a rare invitation to bat first in its game at home against White Hills.

The Demons, who are in danger of dropping from third to out of the top four if beaten, will chase the Power's 173.

The Power had plenty of starts in their innings - five players got to at least 20 - but only Sandun Ranathunga (44) made more than 30.

Coming off back-to-back scores of 112 and 177, Danushka Wijemanna was elevated up the order to open and was the first wicket of the day to fall for 10 when caught by Linc Jacobs of Mitch Winter-Irving (2-26).

Dylan Bailie took three of the first five wickets to fall for the Demons and finished with 3-24 , while Rhys Irwin (2-25 off 20) again proved tough to score off.

* Kyle Humphrys notched his first century of the season as Bendigo compiled 226 against Bendigo United at Harry Trott Oval.

Humphrys scored more than half the Goers' runs with his knock of 119, which started with Bendigo 1-4 in the second over.

The left-hander's 119 featured 11 boundaries and one six and was the highest score made by a Bendigo player this season.

In his farewell match Redbacks' stalwart Leigh McDermott (4-57) finished up with a four-wicket haul, taking his career tally to 235.

Among McDermott's four wickets was Humphrys, who was caught by Wes Hopcott.

The Redbacks were 1-6 at stumps.

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