Kangaroo Flat holds off Power

KANGAROO Flat held off Huntly-North Bendigo by nine runs in their Bendigo District Cricket Association Section B Twenty20 match at Strauch Reserve last night.The Roos posted a challenging 7-160, before the Power answered with 6-151 in an entertaining contest.The foundation for the Roos’ score was laid by openers Tyler Hinds and Brent Hamblin, who shared in a stand of 70 for the first wicket.Hinds made 27 before he was the first wicket to fall in the ninth over.Hamblin top-scored for the Roos with 61, during which he hit five boundaries and two sixes, with his innings ending at the hands of a superb outfield catch by Todd Jacobs.Jacobs caught the ball close to the boundary, but as he was about to fall over the boundary line, he threw the ball in the air, dived and re-caught it one hand.Aside from the two openers, the only other Kangaroo Flat batsman to make double figures was Twenty20 specialist Brad Orton (24) at No.3.The Power fought back well with the ball as the Roos fell from 1-134 to 7-160.However, the Power would be disappointed with the fact they bowled 34 extras, including 17 wides.Among the main culprits was Sam Johnston, who bowled 11 wides in his figures of 5-21, meaning he only had 10 runs scored off the bat in his four overs.Johnston’s five wickets were Hamblin, Orton, Brad Perrow (1), Roos’ skipper Adam Burns (4) and Peter Patullo (5).The best of the Power batsmen in their run-chase were opener Brodie McRae (35), the in-form Isaac Hogan (29), Josh Collinson (24), Chris Guinane (19 n.o.) and Tristan Bayliss (16 n.o.).Guinane and Bayliss shared in an unbroken stand of 37 for the seventh wicket.The Power needed 17 off the last over to win, but Hamblin (0-29) was able to contain them to just seven.The pick of the bowlers for the Roos was Luke Garsed, who took 2-13 off three overs, while Perrow (2-18) also chipped in with two wickets for the victors.● Golden Square’s good form carried into its match against Sandhurst at MyJet Oval.Batting first, Square amassed 4-156 on a MyJet Oval surface that has seen better days.Openers David Hickman (23 off 31) and Paul Scullie (54 off 41), in his debut innings at first XI level, got the side off to a strong start with a 51-run opening stand.The runs then continued to flow through Scott Trollope (36 off 19), Jason Johnson (21 n.o. off 19) and Grant Connelly (15 off 9).The four Golden Square wickets were taken by four different Sandhurst bowlers – Alex Winfield (1-25), Elias Bowe (1-27), Dylan Gibson (1-30) and Andrew Bourne (1-29).In reply, the Dragons could muster just 4-125 as Golden Square won by 31 runs.Opener Gibson batted through the innings to finish unbeaten on 51 off 63 balls.Captain Anthony West made a brisk 33 off 18, with his innings starting following the dismissal of Mark Holland.Fresh from his 208 off 93 balls in the second XI against White Hills on Saturday, Holland made 18 off 21 balls before he was run-out by Alex Code.Holland certainly didn’t start his innings in the blaze of glory like he did on Saturday, taking seven balls to get off the mark, after which he was involved in a mid-pitch collision with Gibson.Hickman (1-21), Connelly (1-23) and Johnson (1-3) took one wicket each for Golden Square.