With the BDCA having introduced the "super over" rule this year for tied games, it was almost immediately required, but was narrowly avoided after Winter-Irving hit the winning runs off the fifth ball of the final over as the Demons chased down the Redbacks' 7-159 to answer with 9-160 at Harry Trott Oval.

Star opener Winter-Irving batted through the innings to finish 79 n.o. off 127 balls as he held the Demons together when they were on the backfoot after losing a clump of wickets.

The Demons were well positioned at 2-94 in the 30^th over with Winter-Irving and Caleb Barras both set at the crease having put on 74 for the third wicket.

However, when the Redbacks' Josh Thurston combined with Ben Daley to run out Barras it sparked a White Hills collapse. From 2-94 the Demons lost 5-24 to fall to a shaky 7-118 in the 38^th over.

That later became 9-149 when No.11 Nick Wallace joined Winter-Irving with the Demons needing 11 to win off 10 balls.

By the start of the final over to be bowled by Redbacks' captain Miggy Podosky the Demons' equation was nine to win or eight to force the "super over".

Winter-Irving and Wallace (2 n.o.) both hit singles off the first two deliveries, before the Demons' skipper crunched the third ball through mid-wicket for four, reducing the target to three off three to win.

Winter-Irving then hit the fourth ball through cover for two, before finishing the job with a single off the fifth delivery to secure a tight win.

"It's nice to be on the right side of a close result like that. BUCCs won a tight one against us in round one last year, so it's good to get one back to start this season," Winter-Irving said.

"Early wins are crucial, so it's a good start."

Bendigo United shared its wickets around, with Tom Batters (2-23), Scott Harper (2-30) and Podosky (2-41) taking two apiece.

Earlier after winning the toss and batting, the Redbacks were on the ropes early after the Demons' Rhys Irwin was quick to make an impact on the new season.

From his first 10 balls Irwin already had the scalps of Redbacks' openers Wes Hopcott (4) and Harry Donegan (0), leaving the home side to fight its way back from 2-5.

The Redbacks fought their way to 7-159 led by knocks of 40 from two inclusions into the side this season, Harper and Riley Treloar, while the returning Jake Thrum (28) worked hard to keep the Demons at bay with a 77-ball stay at the crase.

After his two early blows Irwin finished with 3-26 off nine overs, later adding the scalp of Harper, who he trapped lbw.

An eighth-wicket partnership between Dylan Klemm and Brent Hamblin turned the tide back Kangaroo Flat's way against Sandhurst in a game that had threatened to get away from the Roos at Dower Park.

There's high expectations on the Roos to deliver this season given their strong recruiting, but they were staring at a first-up loss when they crashed to 7-101 in the 31^st over chasing the Dragons' 7-170.

At that stage the momentum was all with the Dragons, who had just taken 5-13 after the Roos had been in the box seat at 2-88.

Three of the five quick wickets were taken by Dragons' leggie Liam Bowe, while the Roos' collapse was sparked by a superb leg-side stumping by 'keeper Nick Scullie off Ben Leed (1-14) to dismiss Jake Klemm (29).

However, as well as their star-studded bowling line-up, one of the strengths of the Roos this season is set to be their batting depth, epitomised by the fact No.9 Dylan Klemm (one) and No.10 Adam Burns (seven) are both BDCA centurions.

And while he doesn't have a ton, No.8 Hamblin has made 10 half-centuries, with he and Klemm combining to give the ascendancy back to the Roos.

From 7-101, the pair had taken the score to 157 and both looked well in control, before Hamblin launched at Bowe in the star leggie's final over.

Hamblin (22) skied the ball to Nick Gladman at mid-off and was caught, leaving the Roos 8-157 and 14 needed off 21 to win.

However, the Roos only needed 14 of their remaining deliveries to get over the line and reach 8-172, with Klemm finishing 28 n.o. and veteran Burns 12 n.o.

Burns hit the winning runs with a straight drive for four off Will Keck (1-38), while Bowe claimed the BDCA's best opening day figures of 4-25 off nine overs.

"I'm proud of the way the boys fought it out. Over the past few years when we've been in similar positions we've given up a few close games, but it obviously helped today that we bat so deep," said new Kangaroo Flat captain Chris Barber, who made a brisk 26 off 25 opening the batting.

New Sandhurst skipper Joel Murphy was the mainstay of the Dragons' innings after they were sent in to bat.

Murphy is the BDCA's leading run-scorer after round one following his knock of 88 from 127 balls.

Murphy kickstarted his innings with a pair of boundaries from his first two scoring shots and finished with nine fours, with he and fellow opener Nahid Hossain (26) putting on 70 for the first wicket.

It took the Roos 23 overs to get their first breakthrough when Hossain was caught behind by Matt Dwyer off Hamblin (3-27).

Hossain was one of three catches for new Roos' keeper Dwyer, who also removed Murphy and Ash Gray (13).

Reigning premier Strathdale-Maristians has started the season where it finished last season - on top of the ladder.

Thanks to a brutal innings from Jack Neylon, the Suns made light work of Huntly-North Epsom's 8-150 at Bell Oval in the re-match of last season's "grand final that never was".

The Suns took just 28.1 overs to answer with 3-154, with Neylon in scintillating round one touch.

Coming in at 2-44 in the 9^th over, Neylon blasted 70 off just 52 balls, with 54 of his runs coming through fours (six) and sixes (five).

Neylon was in ominous touch from the outset, needing just five scoring shots for his first 21 runs - 1, 4, 6, 4, 6.

Neylon and Grant Waldron (30 n.o.) put on 100 for the third wicket before the partnership ended with the Suns seven runs from victory when Neylon was caught at long off by Danushka Wijemanna off Power captain Elliott Massina (1-37).

Power recruit Malan Madusanka opened the bowling with his left-arm spin and took 2-27, removing Cameron Taylor (21) and James Vlaeminck (19), while he was later forced from the field for a short period after dislocating a finger.

Earlier, another of the Power's recruits, Thusith Alboruge, top-scored for Huntly-North Epsom with 31 batting at No.5, with his innings ending when he was brilliantly caught and bowled by a diving Taylor (1-25).

All six bowlers used by the Suns took a wicket, with paceman Chris Sole (2-29) and Sam Johnston (2-34) claiming two apiece.

"Being round one we didn't nail everything that we wanted to, but it was a reasonably clinical performance," Suns' skipper Ben DeAraugo said.

"Our bowlers didn't concede too many extras (six wides), which was a focus of ours and with the bat the way the top order performed, particularly Jack, was fantastic. It's a good start."

Eaglehawk produced the best bowling performance of round one, knocking over Golden Square for 97 to win by 69 runs at Canterbury Park.

Defending 166 at Canterbury Park, Nash Viney and Aaron Monro combined to skittle Golden Square after the Bulldogs' last seven wickets fell for just 29 runs.

The damage was done just after the 23-over drinks break when the Bulldogs lost 4-2, crashing from 3-68 to 7-70 before the end came in the 37^th over.

Off-spinner Viney picked up the best figures of his first XI career with 4-32 off nine overs to back up his handy contribution of 17 with the bat, while Monro turned the heat up on the Bulldogs with 3-6 off seven overs, starting their collapse when he bowled Scott Trollope (18).

"Nash bowled really well... he stuck to his line and length and he's going to be a really good player for us," returning Eaglehawk skipper Cory Jacobs said.

"And Moners was fantastic with the ball as well. He bowled stump-to-stump and got the wicket of Trollope just at the right time for us."

In a game where only two players made more than 20, the Hawks' Anthony West was the standout after Jacobs won the toss and batted.

West came in with Eaglehawk under the pump at 2-12 in the fourth over and peeled off 66 off 81.

The only other player to make more than 20 was the Hawks' Josh Williams (31), who later took three catches.

Trollope (3-26) and recruit Jesse Barker (3-41) both took three wickets for Golden Square.

With his three-for, two catches and 18 runs, Trollope is the first player to lead the Addy MVP for the season with 98 points.

Three wickets on debut to Declan Slingo and a crucial partnership between captain Nathan Fitzpatrick and Kayle Thompson helped Bendigo to a 13-run win over Strathfieldsaye at Tannery Lane.

Batting first, the Goers' innings was teetering at 5-70 in the 31^st over before Thompson (51) and Fitzpatrick (39) put on 81 to help Bendigo finish at 9-160 from its 45 overs.

Jets' skipper Ben Devanny (2-11) dried the runs up for the Goers, conceding just 11 off his nine overs, while also taking the top-order wickets of dangermen Kyle Humphrys (22) and James Ryan (23).

From 7-74 in their chase the Goers' target looked well beyond the Jets and while it proved to be out of reach, the last three wickets combined to add 73 to push Strathfieldsaye's score to 147.

Jack Stubbs' unbeaten 31 was the Jets' top score, while the Goers' Slingo made the most of his opportunity with the ball in his first game, taking the last three wickets of the match and finishing with 3-16 from 4.2 overs.

"Declan is only 18 and we had Kayle Thompson (0-17) who is only 19 who bowled the last few overs at the death, which was a really good experience for them," Fitzpatrick said.

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