A PAIR of half-centuries to captain Taylor Beard and Ben Leed was the catalyst for Sandhurst compiling a winning score in its Bendigo District Cricket Association Twenty20 opener on Thursday night.
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The Dragons defeated defending T20 premiers Strathfieldsaye by 55 runs at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
As well as the half-centuries to Beard and Leed, the game also featured a rare BDCA T20 five-for taken by the Jets' Chathura Damith, as well as two run-out dismissals at the non-striker's end with the ball deflecting off the bowler's hand and on to the stumps.
Batting first after winning the toss in the final game of the opening round, Sandhurst compiled 7-163 off its 20 overs.
Opener Leed (50 off 35) and skipper Beard (74 n.o. off 50) combined for 124 of the Dragons' runs, with the pair whacking 11 fours and five sixes between them.
The Dragons had been 3-28 in the fifth over before Leed and Beard shared in an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket that pushed the score to 112.
The partnership came to an unlucky end when Beard struck a delivery from the Jets' Riley Tresize (0-12) back down the wicket.
The ball deflected off Tresize's hand onto the stumps and Leed was run out in the 14th over.
The same fate would later happen to Strathfieldsaye skipper Ben Devanny (22) during the Jets' run-chase.
"Ben (Leed) batted really well and was very unlucky in the way he was run out at the bowler's end," Beard said.
"The way he was hitting them it was probably one of the only ways he was going to get out.
"We both batted well together to get us a good total on what was a really good wicket."
The star with the ball for the Jets was opening bowler Damith, who produced the fourth-best figures in BDCA T20 history with 5-19 from his four overs.
All five of Damith's wickets were unassisted - four bowled and one caught and bowled.
"Chatty bowled to a pretty simple plan of full and straight. Our boys didn't play him that well, but you've got to keep putting the ball in the right spot and he did that," Beard said.
"He deserved his five-for and he batted well also."
Strathfieldsaye was restricted to 8-108 in reply, with the innings unable to gather momentum after the Jets, just like the Dragons, had been 3-28.
Damith followed up his five-for by top-scoring for the Jets with 35 off 27.
The Dragons spread their 20 overs across nine bowlers, with spinners Dylan Gibson (2-4) and Liam Stubbings (2-18) taking two wickets each.
