160 off 101 balls - Marwood unleashes batting blitz for Emus

Marwood blasted the EVCA's highest score of the season to lift the Emus from 4-28 to a final tally of 344 in reply to Axe Creek's 149 at JG Edwards Oval on Saturday.

Batting at No.6, Marwood unleashed carnage on the Cowboys' bowlers, smashing 160 from just 101 balls.

Marwood smacked 17 boundaries and seven sixes in his batting blitz against an opposition he has previously tormented with the willow.

Marwood now has three centuries in his career against Axe Creek, including two scores above 150 after making 163 n.o. against the Cowboys in round two of the 2013-14 season.

Marwood teamed with another of the competition's gun all-rounders, Tyrone Downie, for a 152-run partnership for the sixth wicket that took the score from 5-86 to 238.

Coming off a century last game Downie cracked 70 off 81 deliveries.

Remarkably, the Emus spent just 57.3 overs at the crease in making their 344, scoring at a run rate of 6.03 per over.

The Emus have now made back-to-back scores above 300 after cracking 9-302 against California Gully last round and retain their eight-point buffer inside the top four with one round remaining.

It was a contrasting day for the Cowboys, who had all the early momentum with the Emus 4-28 in the ninth over before it became an afternoon of chasing leather once Marwood, whose first five scoring shots were 4, 6, 4, 6 and 4, got to the crease.

Daniel Dixon took the first three wickets to fall on Saturday for the Cowboys on the way to figures off 4-77 off 12.3 overs.

Sedgwick's declaration last week came back to haunt the Rams in a gripping last-ball loss to California Gully.

The Rams declared at 7-263 with almost 15 overs left unused in their innings at California Gully Oval.

And the Cobras certainly made the most of their additional time at the crease, taking every bit of their allotted 86 overs to answer with 8-267 to win by two wickets and remain a chance of playing finals.

The Cobras were superbly led by Tas Fitzallen, who ultimately timed the run-chase to perfection.

After tying the scores off the second-last ball Fitzallen hit the final delivery of the day bowled by Rams' captain Jordan Ilsley for four to secure the win.

As well as hitting the winning runs, Fitzallen also scored his first century for the Cobras with an unbeaten 128 from 202 balls.

Fitzallen's boundary off the final ball of the day was his 18^th of the innings.

The Cobras were on the back foot when they fell to 5-69 and they were later 7-135 before their innings was saved by a 125-run eighth-wicket partnership between Fitzallen and Brad Olson (43).

Six of the eight Sedgwick bowlers used took a wicket, with openers Jordan Ilsley (2-58) and Bailey Ilsley (2-65) snaring two each.

United had to settle for first innings points against West Bendigo as its outright attempt fell short.

After making 5-279 declared at Ewing Park on day one the Tigers bowled the Redbacks out for 169 in the first innings and had the visitors 8-125 in their second dig.

United's Dylan Bailie claimed eight wickets for the match, taking 3-35 in the first innings and 5-47 in the second.

West Bendigo had been 9-119 in its first innings before some lusty late hitting from No.10 Cody Wright, who smacked 69 off just 39 balls with six fours and five sixes.

Wright put on 50 for the last wicket with Andrew Brown (0 n.o.), who didn't score.

Spring Gully returned to the top of the ladder after grinding its way to a 14-run win over Marong.

The Crows answered Marong's 191 with 6-205, with the successful run-chase featuring half-centuries to Jesse Marciano (60) and opener Jayden Mannix (55).

Amarpreet Singh's 3-46 off 21 overs were the best bowling figures for Marong.