EAGLEHAWK'S Bendigo District Cricket Association finals aspirations are still alive after routing a woeful White Hills for just 34 at Canterbury Park on Saturday.

But the Demons' dreadful batting performance and subsequent 10-wicket loss killed off their finals chances with one round remaining in the home and away season.

The resounding win was a 200^th BDCA first XI game to remember for Eaglehawk's Aaron Monro, who brought up the milestone against the team he previously played 98 games with.

Monro was instrumental in the Hawks bowling the Demons out for the fourth lowest score in the BDCA since 2000, snaring 3-4 off nine overs, which included seven maidens.

As well as Monro's 200^th game, there was an added cause for celebration for the Hawks when Richard Tibbett claimed his 250^th career wicket on the third ball of the day when he had Rhys Irwin (0) caught at mid-wicket by Nash Viney.

And there was no let-up from the Hawks for the rest of the innings as the Demons quickly went from bad to worse - 1-1, 2-3, 3-11, 4-11, 5-11, 6-15, 7-20, 8-20, 9-28 and all out for 34 just after 2pm in the 30^th over.

Eaglehawk skipper Cory Jacobs admitted to being somewhat nervous having won the toss and elected to bowl, but the move clearly paid dividends.

"You get a bit nervous when you elect to bowl first... you want it to go the way it did today, but it rarely does," Jacobs said.

"There was a fair bit of cloud cover and it wasn't looking like it was going to blow over and the sun come out, so we thought the conditions probably best suited us to bowl first and it worked out well for us.

"You don't have many days of cricket like today and I was trying to drill into the boys when we had quite a few wickets for not many runs to make sure we make the most of it and we did."

Tibbett's 250^th scalp in a first XI career that started in 2007-08 capped a momentous week for the Hawks' paceman.

"He's had a huge week... he just became a dad for the first time on Wednesday, so he's absolutely on cloud nine at the moment," Jacobs said.

"And it was great to play the way we did in Moners' 200^th game. He was exceptional with the ball bowling nine overs for four runs and taking three wickets.

"I'm rapt for him. He does a lot around the club, he's a ripper fella and he has been a great get for us since he came across from White Hills."

All four Eaglehawk bowlers used got among the wickets in the demolition - Jacobs (4-17), Monro (3-4), Tibbett (2-7) and Nick Farley (1-6) - with all 10 dismissals catches.

"We bowled and fielded very well. There was a couple of poor shot selections in there, but that was probably from the pressure we created," Jacobs said.

In an innings that featured four ducks, opener Caleb Barras top-scored for the Demons with seven.

Since 2000 only Kangaroo Flat's 29 against Golden Square in 2012-13; Bendigo's 30 against Kangaroo Flat in 2007-08; and Huntly-North Epsom's 31 against White Hills in 2014-15 are lower scores than what the Demons were bowled out for.

In reply, Eaglehawk openers Russell Stockdale (21 n.o.) and Josh Williams (15 n.o.) needed just 5.2 overs to answer with 0-36, with the game done and dusted by 3pm and significantly, a major boost in net run-rate for the Hawks from +0.23 at the start of the day to +0.49.

That then left the Hawks an anxious afternoon awaiting the outcome of the Strathfieldsaye v Huntly-North Epsom game given they would be still a live finals chance going into round 18 if the Power won, but their top four hopes would be dashed if the Jets prevailed.

Fortunately for the Hawks, the Power won and the door to the top four remains not just ajar, but wide open.

Bendigo pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, knocking over Kangaroo Flat at Dower Park to win its first game since round six on November 28 and get off the bottom of the ladder.

In a thriller that went down to the final over, the Goers snuck over the line by two runs as the visitors successfully defended their 6-171.

The Roos had started the last over of their chase to be bowled by Bendigo captain Nathan Fitzpatrick at 9-169 and needing three to win.

Fitzpatrick (0-11) bowled three dot balls to Brent Hamblin, before on the fourth delivery Hamblin struck the ball back at Fitzpatrick, who was able to turn and throw down the stumps to run out Kenny Beith (2) to clinch a long-awaited win.

Hamblin finished 47 n.o. for the Roos, whose loss left their second position on the ladder and the double chance vulnerable given it's now possible that Huntly-North Epsom could snatch it next week.

Following a 42-run opening partnership between returning captain Chris Barber (25) and Nathan Stubbings (16) the Goers were able to take wickets at regular intervals to inflict the second loss in a row on the Roos.

Matt Gray (3-40), Dylan Johnstone (2-24) and Craig Pearce (2-25) were multiple wicket-takers for the Goers.

Earlier, skipper Fitzpatrick praised the start with the bat by openers Xavier Ryan (37) and Bailey George (29) as crucial in laying the foundation for the Goers' match-winning total.

"Xav and Bailey were awesome at the start for us. With the wicket a bit dry and the ball getting soft it's tough to score at the back end. We were 0-65 after the first 15, so it was a great start by our openers," Fitzpatrick said.

The Roos hit back with the ball to have the Goers 6-119, before Pearce (27 n.o.) and Shane Koop (25 n.o.) closed out the innings with an unbroken 52-run partnership.

Leg-spinner Barber (2-25), who has recovered from a shoulder injury, and Adam Burns (2-33) took two wickets each for the Roos, with Burns picking up the scalps of the Goers' two leading run-scorers for the season, Kyle Humphrys (17) and Fitzpatrick (11).

Huntly-North Epsom's strong form continued, beating Strathfieldsaye at Tannery Lane to keep alive its chances of pinching the double chance from Kangaroo Flat.

The Power are now just one game and 0.04 NRR behind second-placed Kangaroo Flat.

Conversely for Strathfieldsaye, its position in the top four now appears in serious jeopardy given the Jets are now only one game ahead of Eaglehawk, but with an inferior NRR of +0.27 compared to the Hawks' +0.49.

The Jets will start underdogs against ladder-leader Strathdale-Maristians next week, while the Hawks have a more favourable opponent in Sandhurst.

At least for the Jets, though, their finals destiny still is in their own hands.

The Power defeated the Jets by 20 runs to extend their winning streak to five.

Batting first, an unbeaten 71 off 64 balls from Adam Ward with nine boundaries helped set up the Power's 6-208 from their 45 overs

Ward started his knock with the Power at 3-88, with he and Peter Manser (26 off 11) closing the innings with an unbroken 72-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Young leg-spinner Darcy Hunter (3-29) snared three of the first four wickets to fall for the Jets to take his season tally to 20.

Strathfieldsaye captain Ben Devanny's second-consecutive half-century wasn't enough to get the Jets over the line as they were bowled out in the 44^th over for 188.

Devanny followed up his 64 against Bendigo United last week with 54, while opener Nayana Fernando scored 40.

The Power shared their wickets around, with four bowlers claiming multiple scalps - spinners Sandun Ranathunga (3-33) and Malan Madusanka (2-33), man-of-the-match Ward (2-36) and Brett Elvey (2-41).

A revamped Strathdale-Maristians batting line-up overcame a shaky start and the threat of a potential major upset to end up comfortable 102-run winners over Bendigo United at Bell Oval.

With top spot and a home qualifying final sewn up, the Suns took the opportunity to shuffle their batting order, elevating Jacob DeAraugo to No.3 and Chris Sole to No.5.

However, the move backfired as 14 overs into their innings the Suns were on the ropes at 5-41 and the Redbacks had the momentum, with Billy Quirk (3-27) and Tom Batters (2-18) sharing the first five scalps.

But the rejigged batting line-up meant there was still plenty of work for Bendigo United to do given Grant Waldron (28) - the player with the BDCA's best average of 70.2 - batted at No.9 and Ben DeAraugo (29) No.10.

Yet the Redbacks became the first team to bowl the Suns out this season, dismissing the flag favourites in the 45^th over for 154.

But after such a positive start to the game with the ball early in the day for the Redbacks, it ended with only a whimper with the bat - all out for just 52 in the 25^th over.

It was the Redbacks' fourth time for the season being bowled out for less than 100 and second in a row having been knocked over for 69 by Strathfieldsaye the previous week.

Paceman Sole led the carnage for the Suns, ripping through the Redbacks to take 5-14 from seven overs.

Sole took five of the first six wickets to fall, before leg-spinner Cameron Taylor finished the Redbacks off with 3-4 from six overs.

Only Josh Thurston (16) and opener Ben Daley (10) scored in double figures for Bendigo United, which dropped back to the bottom of the ladder and in danger of claiming a fourth-consecutive wooden spoon.

In a game where both teams only had pride to play for given they are out of finals contention, Sandhurst notched its fifth win of the season at the expense of Golden Square.

The Dragons won by 26 runs at Wade Street, with skipper Joel Murphy continuing his strong season with the bat.

The competition's leading run-scorer, Murphy cracked his sixth score above 50 for the season, compiling 57 off 81 balls in the Dragons' tally of 168.

The Dragons had been 1-4 early following the dismissal of Anthony McMahon (0), before Murphy and Dylan Gibson (39) added 99 for the second wicket in the key stand of the innings.

However, both fell with the score on 103, with Gibson dismissed by Scott Trollope (3-25) and Murphy removed by Kayle Thompson (1-32).

Golden Square's best figures were Jack Keating's 3-19.

Golden Square was all out for 142 in reply against a Sandhurst attack that had Ben Evans (4-32), McMahon (3-9) and Nathan Walsh (2-32) combine for nine wickets.

Evans' four-for included the scalp of Golden Square captain Liam Smith (25), who was the only Bulldogs' player to make more than 20.

The defeat continued Golden Square's struggles, with the Bulldogs having now lost their past five games ahead of a tough finish to the season next week against Huntly-North Epsom.

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