Top four teams Strathdale-Maristians and Strathfieldsaye played out an eight-run thriller, a maiden century from opener Russell Stockdale set up Eaglehawk's win over Sandhurst, Bendigo United broke through for its first win of the season, another Adam Burns masterclass led Kangaroo Flat to a crucial win over White Hills and Huntly-North Epsom dodged a bullet against Golden Square thanks to a big partnership between Adam Ward and Elliott Massina.

Strathdale-Maristians completed the first half of the Bendigo District Cricket Association season without defeat, but they didn't get it their own way against the plucky Strathfieldsaye Jets.

In one of the best standard games of the season so far, the Suns won by eight runs to consolidate top spot on the table heading into the Christmas-New Year break.

"When we came off the ground at the end the first thing all the boys said was 'what a great game of cricket it was','' Suns' skipper Ben DeAraugo said.

"Both teams played really well, the wicket had some pace and bounce in it which provided help to bowlers and batsmen and it was a really good contest all day."

Suns' star Jack Neylon provided the early fireworks.

After walking to the crease with Strathdale under pressure at 2-47, Neylon casually made his way to 15 off 20 balls.

The next five balls he faced went for 6, 6, 4, 4, 4 - the final four of those deliveries coming from one Ben Devanny over.

However, just when it looked like Neylon was going to rip the game apart, he was caught from another attacking shot and was on his way for 39 off 26 balls.

Grant Waldron's brilliant summer with the willow continued. The right-hander made a well-compiled 72 to take his season tally to 421 runs at an average of 140.33.

Ben DeAraugo (49 off 49 balls) made his highest score of the season as the Suns posted 9-237 off their 45 overs.

Consistent Jets' spinner Savith Priyan (4-37) collected his best figures of the summer.

To beat the Suns you need someone to make a big hundred or have two or three significant partnerships.

The Jets failed narrowly to tick those boxes.

Opener Nayana Fernando looked to be the Jets' player to make that big score when he raced to 66 off 67 balls.

However, with the final ball of the 21st over, Jake DeAraugo removed Fernando to leave the Jets 2-95.

Cal McCarty (28) and Mitch Cheesman (32) made starts, but couldn't produce the partnership the Jets required.

Pat Felmingham and Chathura Damith threatened to hit the Jets to victory.

Their aggressive approach saw the Jets require just fives runs per over off the final 12 overs.

Unfortunately for the Jets, Flemingham and Damith's cameos were short-lived.

When they departed to leg-spinner Cam Taylor (2-60) for 20 and 36 respectively, it was left to the tailenders to score one run per ball off paceman Chris Sole and Sam Johnston.

It proved to be too difficult a task as Sole (3-34) and Johnston (3-33) got the job done for the Suns.

The Jets, who slipped to fourth on the ladder, finished all out 229 off the final ball of the match.

A special batting performance from Russell Stockdale highlighted a special day for Eaglehawk.

Stockdale's maiden century was the catalyst for the Hawks' 63-run win over Sandhurst at Canterbury Park.

More importantly, it saw the Hawks win the inaugural West Family Perpetual Shield - named in honour of Jess and Deighton West, who were killed in a car accident near Creswick last year.

Anthony West - Jess' husband and Deighton's father - plays for Eaglehawk and also spent time playing for Sandhurst. The two clubs decided to honour Jess' and Deighton's memory each year by playing for the West Family Perpetual Shield.

It was somewhat fitting that Stockdale - a good friend of West - produced a career-best innings.

The right-hander opened the batting and made 107 off 111 balls to become the first Eaglehawk player to score a first XI century since West made 114 not out against White Hills in October, 2018.

Stockdale received great support from the big-hitting Nick Farley, who is enjoying a career-best year with the bat.

Farley smashed 49 off just 30 balls as the Hawks raced to 6-271 off their 45 overs.

In reply, Sandhurst skipper Joel Murphy looked set for his third century for the season before he was trapped lbw for 49.

Ash Gray survived four dropped catches before being bowled by Farley for 47 off 27 balls.

That wicket sparked the beginning of the end for the Dragons and they ended up 9-208. Ben Leed couldn't bat after injuring his shoulder while bowling.

The victory lifted the Hawks to sixth place and within striking distance of fourth place at the halfway mark of the season.

Bendigo United celebrated its first win of the season and in the process dealt a body blow to Bendigo's finals prospects.

The Redbacks' win was built around a sparkling batting effort from skipper Miggy Podosky and another solid team bowling performance.

Podosky turned what was going to be a sub-par team total into a more than competitive score when he made an unbeaten 54 off 43 balls.

Podosky and Tom Batters scored 50 runs off the final 33 balls to lift the Redbacks to 8-197 off 45 overs.

Podosky's knock included a six, two and four off the final three balls of the innings.

The key to the match for the Redbacks was always going to be how they handled in-form Bendigo star Kyle Humphrys.

When Batters trapped HUmphrys lbw for 15 the Redbacks could sniff victory and this time they didn't let the chance go begging.

Batters was superb, taking 4-29, while left-arm spinner Jake Thrum and medium-pacer Adrian Younghusband combined for miserly figures of 16 overs, 4-32.

Dylan Johnstone (50 not out) produced some late hitting to make the scoreboard look better for the Goers (all out 140).

"We'd been building up to a win and been involved in a few close ones, so it was nice to finally win one,'' Podosky said.

"It's nice to get the monkey off our backs. It's an awesome feeling."

Podosky paid tribute to Jayden Templeton and Jake Thrum for the way they batted through the middle overs.

"That's been where we've fallen down all year, but Jayden and Jake batted sensibly and took the singles,'' Podosky said.

"That allowed us to really have a go in the final overs and we ended up getting a score that I thought was above par."

Not for the first time, Kangaroo Flat great Adam Burns tormented White Hills with bat and ball, while his skipper Chris Barber found form at the top of the order as the Roos scored a vital three-wicket win over the Demons at Dower Park.

After winning the game for the club the previous week with the bat, Burns was the main man again on Saturday, but this time more so with the ball.

He knocked over Demons' skipper Mitch Winter-Irving for a duck and then changed the game in his second spell.

After Winter-Irving's early departure, Rhys Irwin and Gavin Bowles put the Demons on track for a score of around the 200-mark.

Irwin fell to Brent Hamblin for 57 before Burns returned and carved through the middle-order like a butcher through a Christmas ham.

He had Bowles caught for a well-compiled 64 and then balls later clean bowled Tyrone Muir for a duck.

Hamblin picked up his second wicket when he had Richards caught without scoring, before Burns rubber more salt into the Demons wounds when he clean bowled Tom Dunham and Jayden Sheean with successive deliveries.

Nick Wallace saw off the hat-trick ball, but the damage had been done.

From 2-148 the Demons had lost 5-5 in the space of 16 balls.

Burns finished with figures of 5-15 - the 27th time he's taken five wickets in an innings at first XI level for the Roos.

Barber (68) made his first half-century of the season to give the Roos a perfect start, but they again had some nervous moments.

Josh Collinson (18) and Daniel Barber (0) fell in successive balls and another mini-collapse in the middle-order almost let the Demons back in.

Burns (26) steadied the ship before the Roos hit the winning runs with three wickets and 11 balls to spare.

The Demons were left to lament a lost opportunity. A score of 200 would have made life very interesting for the Roos.

White Hills had six players score ducks in the first XI and four players not trouble the scorers in the second XI. The only winner out of that sort of batting is the end of season trip fund.

Huntly-North Epsom needed an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 87 between Adam Ward and Elliott Massina to clinch the points against Golden Square.

The Power were in danger of dropping a game they were expected to win when they slumped to 5-80 off 29 overs in reply to Square's total of 6-166.

Ward and Massina showed their class and experience to get the Power over the line with an over to spare.

Ward made 62 not out off 56 balls - his second half-century of the season - while Massina made an unbeaten 34 off 50 balls.

Earlier in the day, Scott Trollope (59 off 70 balls) continued his consistent season with the bat for the Bulldogs.

He added 82 for the fourth wicket with recruit Kayle Thompson (34) to give the Bulldogs a total they could bowl at.

The victory lifted Hunty-North Epsom into this place at the halfway point.

While the Bulldogs have been competitive, they've only won two games and finals now look out of reach.

The BDCA season resumes on Saturday, January 9.

Strathdale 51

Kangaroo Flat 45

Huntly-North Epsom 33

Strathfieldsaye 30

White Hills 27

Eaglehawk 24

Bendigo 21

Golden Square 15

Sandhurst 15

Bendigo United 9

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