The Goers jumped into fourth spot after a thrilling final-ball win over Sandhurst.

That result - combined with defeats for Golden Square and Eaglehawk - put the Goers in the top four for the first time for the season.

Strathdale has a mortgage on top spot after scoring a comfortable win over second-placed Strathfieldsaye.

At the other end of the table, White Hills moved nine points clear of bottom side Huntly-North Epsom after dismissing the Power for just 51 at Strauch Reserve.

Bendigo's top four hopes received a significant boost thanks to its thrilling final-ball win over Sandhurst at Atkins Street.

Chasing 196 for victory, the Goers appeared to be cruising to victory when Kyle Humphrys and Dylan Johnstone were at the crease.

Humphrys was at his classy best and Johnstone was a fine ally as they lifted Bendigo from 3-67 to 3-177 in the 41st over.

However, in the space of 12 balls the Goers lost their way.

Humphrys holed out for 75 off 91 balls, Johnstone was run out for 39 off 53 balls and skipper Nathan Fitzpatrick fell for a five-ball duck.

In 12 balls the Goers lost 3-3 and the equation became much trickier with two new batters - Declan Slingo and Aden Shanahan - at the crease.

With 16 runs to win off 14 balls, importantly, Slingo and Shanahan didn't panic.

They got bat on ball and ran hard and reduced the chase to nine runs off seven balls before Slingo produced arguably the most important shot of the innings.

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Off the final ball of the penultimate over, Slingo launched over cover and found the boundary to leave the Goers with five runs to get off the final six balls.

Shanahan and Slingo scampered singles off the first two balls of the final over, which was bowled by Anthony McMahon.

The third delivery was a dot ball before consecutive singles tied the scores with one ball remaining.

Sandhurst skipper Joel Murphy brought all his fielders inside the ring in a bid to save the single and force a super over.

Shanahan hit the final ball to mid-off and set off for the match-winning run. A direct hit would have found Shanahan well short of his ground, but the throw went wide and the Goers celebrated victory.

"There were a couple of touch and go singles in there in the final over, but you need some luck in those situations,'' Fitzpatrick said.

"We were on the other side of it last week when we were bowling in the final over against Golden Square where we had some shots at the stumps and missed.

"It was a great result. For a young and inexperienced side to be in the four says a lot for how much the team has gelled this year."

Earlier in the day, Bendigo's spinners Kyle Humphrys and Craig Pearce put the brakes on a Sandhurst innings that was on its way to a big score.

Sandhurst opener Ash Gray smashed seven fours in 23 balls and raced to 32 in five overs before he was bowled by Humphrys (1-23 off nine overs).

Pearce (2-24 off nine overs) removed McMahon (three) a short-time later to put the pressure back on the Dragons.

Sandhurst skipper Joel Murphy (67 off 93 balls) made his highest score of the season and he combined with a patient Dylan Gibson (39 off 80 balls) to lift the Dragons to 2-140.

When they fell in quick succession, including Murphy being run out, the Dragons lost their way a touch in the final 10 overs and what could have been a score of 220-plus finished 8-195.

Bendigo opening batter Bailey George made a brisk 36 off 47 balls before Sandhurst spinner Kendrick Hatton (2-17 off nine overs) slowed the run-rate.

Humphrys hit five fours and three sixes in arguably his best innings of the summer.

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Strathdale avenged its loss to the Jets earlier in the season with a 45-run victory at Tannery Lane.

The Suns overcame a middle-order collapse with the bat and a fine individual performance from Jets' all-rounder Chathura Damith.

On a ground where it's hard to chase runs, the opening partnership of Suns' duo Daniel Clohesy and skipper Cam Taylor proved crucial to the outcome of the game.

They added 69 for the first wicket - clearly the highest partnership of the day - before Clohesy fell for a fine 46 off 57 balls.

Taylor and Waldron kept the scoreboard ticking over before the skipper's dismissal sparked a Suns' collapse.

From 1-96 the Suns lost 7-52 to be 8-148 and in danger of being bowled out for less than 160.

Linton Jacobs and James Vlaeminck - what a luxury to have those two players batting at nine and 10 - added 25 valuable runs to lift the Suns to all out 173.

Opening bowler Damith and left-arm spinner Savith Priyan bowled the Jets back into the game.

Damith (5-30) claimed his first five-wicket haul for the Jets, while Priyan picked up 3-27 to take his season tally to 21 wickets.

In reply, the Jets' top-order crumbled.

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After Sam Johnston removed Abe Sheahan for two, Suns' teenager Jack Pysing (3-38) tore through the top-order.

Pysing dismissed skipper Ben Devanny (eight), claimed the prized scalp of Tim Wood, who chopped a ball on to his stumps for 23, and two balls later sent Pat Felmingham packing for a duck.

Pysing also sent Cal McCarty back to the sheds (two) - albeit in fortunate circumstances.

A straight drive from Wood hit Pysing's leg on his follow-through and hit the stumps at the non-striker's end with McCarty out of his crease.

With the Jets 7-52 the game looked set for an early finish, but Damith had other ideas.

Batting at number seven, Damith showed up his top-order. The right-hander hit six fours and two sixes in a fine 57 off 68 balls before he became Johnston's second wicket of the day.

Johnston, who claimed his best figures of the season 3-19 off 7.1 overs, also took the final wicket of the innings to dismiss the Jets for 128.

"Batting wise, we probably left a few out there, but they bowled well and we probably didn't assess the conditions as well as we should have and went a bit too hard,'' Taylor said.

"We bounced back with the ball and defended really well."

Kangaroo Flat overcame the odds to keep its finals hopes alive.

Playing without skipper Chris Barber and star siblings Jake and Dylan Klemm, the Roos rallied to defeat Golden Square by two wickets at Dower Park.

Square posted 8-172 off its 45 overs thanks to 46 from opener Jack Keating and a quickfire unbeaten 37 off 17 balls from Kayle Thompson.

All six bowlers used for the Roos took wickets, with Brent Hamblin (2-39) the most successful.

Kangaroo Flat's reply with the bat started brilliantly.

Openers Dylan Achison (55) and Daniel Barber (27) ensured the Roos had the game in control at 1-120 in the 27th over.

The game turned on its head when three wickets fell in the space of seven deliveries - Achison was run out by Scott Johnson, while Matt Dwyer (0) and Hamblin (0) fell to Scott Trollope.

Darcy Poluter (36) and Campbell Smith (12) steadied the ship for the Roos before another collapse put the game in the balance again.

The home side lost 4-9 to be 8-156 and still in need of 17 runs for victory.

Square trump card Scott Trollope completed his nine overs with brilliant figures of 4-14.

Trollope's inability to bowl in the final six overs combined with the experience of Flat's veteran skipper Adam Burns proved critical.

Burns did what he's done countless times for his side over the years - he batted to his strengths, found the gaps and didn't get flustered.

Number 10 Kenny Beith found the perfect time to make his highest first XI score for the Roos - five not out.

Beith, who has only batted 12 times in first XI action in two seasons, and Burns (18 not out off 19 balls) added an unbroken 18 runs for the ninth wicket.

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Bendigo United took a big step towards locking away its first finals berth since the 2016-17 season when it defeated Eaglehawk by five wickets at Harry Trott Oval.

With four rounds remaining the third-placed Redbacks are two-and-a-half wins inside the top four and it would take a major meltdown from here for Bendigo United not to be a part of the finals,

Saturday's crucial win against a fellow top four contender came on the back of a fine bowling performance.

The Redbacks restricted the Borough to 9-148, with spinners Will Thrum (4-37), Jake Thrum (2-19) and Henry Edwards (1-25) picking up seven of the nine wickets to fall.

Angus Chisholm (46 off 99 balls) led the way with the bat for the Borough.

Redbacks' skipper Clayton Holmes once again got his side off to a flyer with the bat.

He smashed 37 off 42 balls before falling with the team score on 49.

His opening partner Tom Starr batted solidly and was still at the crease with victory in sight before he was dismissed for 55 off 102 balls.

The Redbacks eventually cruised home with 25 balls and five wickets to spare.

The result was Eaglehawk's third loss on the trot.

The Hawks have slipped from fourth to sixth on the ladder and next week they play second-placed Strathfieldsaye.

Bendigo United is away to Golden Square next round. Victory in that match would cement a finals berth for the Redbacks.

White Hills' bowlers ripped through the Huntly-North Epsom batting line-up for the second time for the summer.

The Power lost 20 wickets for 166 for the season against the Demons after they were bundled out for just 51 on Saturday.

The home team Power looked well-placed to defeat the Demons and move off the bottom of the ladder when they restricted the visitors to 8-147.

On a tricky pitch to bat on, White Hills looked set to post 180-plus when it moved to 2-92 with 20 overs remaining.

However, the loss of set batters Mitch Winter-Irving (14) and Ollie Geary (42) in quick succession changed the momentum of the game.

The Demons lost 6-55 over the final 20 overs to finish 8-147 off 45 overs. Youngster Sam Lowes finished 23 not out.

Iraan Indika (2-23) was the most successful Power bowler, but veteran Brett Elvey (1-18 off nine overs) was the most impactful through the middle overs.

The White Hills' score appeared 20 runs short, and when Adam Ward slammed two fours down the ground in the opening over of the Power run chase, the Demons could have been in for a long afternoon.

150 balls later the Demons had 10 wickets in the bag and their third win of the season.

The Power top-order had no intention to dig in and their aggressive attitude resulted in catching practice for the Demons' fielders.

Winter-Irving set the tone for White Hills by taking 3-5 with the new ball.

Linc Jacobs (2-2), Xavier Dunham (2-13) and Rhys Irwin (2-22) joined in the party.

Ryan Grundy (12) top-scored on a poor day for the Power.

"I thought 160 would be a tough score to chase, so I was a bit disappointed we didn't quite get there," Demons' skipper Winter-Irving said.

"It was a pretty hard wicket to bat on - the ball was seaming around a bit.

"Ollie Geary was the only player who found the boundary regularly. He took the game on and batted well.

"It helped getting off to a good start with the ball to take the pressure off.

"I feel as though our last three weeks have been pretty good.

"We've been more competitive and our bowling has been more consistent."

1. Strathdale-Maristians

Record: 11-1 Points: 66

2. Strathfieldsaye

Record: 9-3 Points: 54

3. Bendigo United

Record: 8-3-1 Points: 51

4. Bendigo

Record: 6-6 Points: 36

5. Golden Square

Record: 6-6 Points: 36

6. Eaglehawk

Record: 6-6 Points: 36

7. Kangaroo Flat

Record: 5-7 Points: 30

8. Sandhurst

Record: 4-8 Points: 24

9. White Hills

Record: 3-9 Points: 18

10. Huntly-North Epsom

Record: 1-10-1 Points: 9

...........................................

Saturday, February 26

White Hills v

Bendigo

Eaglehawk v

Strathfieldsaye

Golden Square v

Bendigo United

Sandhurst

v Kangaroo Flat

Huntly-North Epsom

v Strathdale-Maristians

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