The Crows looked down and out a couple of times against the Rams, but managed to work their way back into the contest.

Young Sedgwick leg-spinner took the new ball for the Rams and immediately put his side on top with a brilliant opening spell.

Pope (3-19) claimed three early wickets - including the prized pole of Spring Gully star Rhys Webb for a duck - to leave the Crows in all sorts of trouble at 3-9.

It took some good batting from Shaun O'Shea (31 not out), Tom Perrin (24), Justin Webb (24) and Jake Donegan (22) to lift the Crows to 8-131 off their 20 overs.

Before the Rams started their innings the total of 131 didn't look enough and it appeared even less so when Sedgwick marquee player Ryan Grundy and opening partner Bailey Ilsley made an aggressive start to the run chase.

In the first 13 balls of the innings the Rams scored 35 runs, including a period of six fours in eight balls.

The introduction of spin changed the momentum of the game.

Ilsley fell for 22 off 11 balls to Beauden Rinaldi before Rhys Webb dismissed Steven Stroobants for a duck.

Grundy kept the scoreboard ticking over and after nine overs the Rams were still well-placed at 3-75.

After conceding two runs from his opening two overs, Webb returned to the bowling crease for the 10th over and it immediately paid dividends when he dismissed the dangerous Grundy for 43.

Three balls later he added the wicket of Dustin Elliott and then completed the very rare T20 feat of a double-wicket maiden.

The Rams needed one good partnership to steady the ship, but it didn't happen.

They continued to lose wickets regularly and with 24 balls remaining required 23 runs with only two wickets in hand.

Quinton Bentley and Pope combined to score 11 runs of Richard Tibbett in the 17th over to give the Rams a sniff of victory.

However, Webb returned for his final over and only conceded one run to finish with the amazing figures of 3-3 off four overs.

Bentley and Pope scrambled six runs off the penultimate over to leave the equation six runs off the final six balls.

Crows' skipper James Fox took the ball for the final over.

After a dot ball to start the over, Pope scampered a single off ball two.

Bentley and Pope both scored singles off the next two balls to leave the Rams with three runs to win off two balls.

On the fourth ball Bentley was run out at the non-striker's end for 17.

Off the next delivery Fox clean bowled Pope for five and the Crows celebrated a gutsy two-run win.

Mandurang remained in the hunt for a semi-final berth after edging out Emu Creek by eight runs.

After losing to United in round one, Mandurang couldn't afford to drop to a 0-2 record.

A 0-2 record looked on the cards when Mandruang struggled to reach 9-109 off 20 overs.

Beau Roy-Clements (26) and Phil Berry (25) kept the innings together, while marquee player Cameron Taylor (3-25) and Luke Bennett (2-9) were best with the ball for Emu Creek.

In reply, Emu Creek made a horror start when it lost both openers to be 2-3.

Taylor and Torin Petrie steadied the ship and Emu Creek looked in control at 2-43.

However, Petrie's dismissal for 15 sparked a collapse of 6-20 that concluded with the wicket of Taylor for 31.

Tyrone Downie and Bennett launched a recovery mission for Emu Creek.

They moved the score to 8-93 with 19 balls remaining, but lost Bennett for 12 on the final ball of the 17th over.

Marquee player Josh Collinson (2-16) conceded just one run off the 18th over, leaving Emu Creek requiring 16 runs off 12 balls to win

Downie managed to score four runs off the penultimate over and kept the strike for the last over, which was bowled by James Bailey.

After a dot ball to start the over, Downie scored two runs off the second ball to cut the equation to 10 runs off four balls.

However, off the next delivery Downie and number 11 Connor Strawbridge tried to run two so Downie would keep the strike.

It didn't work, with Downie run out for 24 and Emu Creek eight runs short of the Mandurang tally.

Corey Dickins (2-16) and Berry (2-10) performed well with the ball for Mandurang.

Reigning premier United has a 2-0 record.

The Tigers had little trouble in defeating West Bendigo by seven wickets.

The Redbacks were bowled out for just 101, with Tom Floyd (22) the only player to pass 20.

Harry Whittle (3-22), Sandun Ranathunga (2-8), Kane Goldsworthy (2-18) and Jarrod Starr (2-19) bowled well for the Tigers.

Mac Whittle smashed 53 off 24 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, to put United within sight of victory.

Alex Code chipped in with 30 as the Tigers raced to 3-102 in 13 overs.

The addition of BDCA star Kyle Humphrys wasn't enough to get Axe Creek over the line against California Gully.

Humphrys opened the batting and bowling for an Axe Creek side that is winless in EVCA competition this summer.

Cal Gully posted 5-155 off its 20 overs, with opener Jesse O'Connell belting an unbeaten 74 off 56 balls, including eight fours and four sixes.

Humphrys, who had figures of 0-41 off his four overs, raced to 48 off 33 balls with the bat, but when he was caught off the bowling of Jordan Knight the Axe Creek innings fell away.

Daniel Dixon (2-20 and 37 not out) had a good game for Axe Creek as the home side finished 23 runs short at 6-132.

Next round of Twenty20 matches will be played on Tuesday, January 12: California Gully v Spring Gully, Sedgwick v Axe Creek, West Bendigo v Emu Creek, Mandurang v Marong.

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