Eagles’ win dethrones Bulls, disrupts finals race
WAURN Ponds-Deakin has thrown the GCA3 finals race wide open, defeating previously top-placed Bannockburn in a stunning upset outright victory at Jarvis Oval.
After skittling the Bulls for just 102 on day one, Waurn Ponds secured first-innings points with two wickets to spare in a nervy run-chase early on Saturday, before then securing maximum points in one of the biggest boilovers of the season.
Trailing by four runs on first-innings, Bannockburn raced along to 4-151 off 21 overs in its second dig before making a bold declaration in an effort to chase a reverse-outright.
That left Waurn Ponds 148 to chase in 45 overs for all 10 points, which they secured comfortably with 11 overs to spare for the loss of only four wickets after top-order batsman Nic Wood (62) produced his best knock of the season.
The victory lifts Waurn Ponds from ninth to seventh, bumping Bannockburn from top spot.
“I don’t know the last time as a club we would’ve beaten a side in the top two,” elated Eagles captain Darcy Southern said. “Once we knew we were playing on, the boys were up and about and thinking, ‘Why not win twice in a day?’”
Resuming the day at 5-75 chasing 103 in their first innings, Waurn Ponds’ Indushan Dinuka cracked four boundaries in the opening five overs to whittle down the target alongside Wood.
However, the dismissal of Wood (26), caught behind fending at a delivery from Sam Riseley (4-30), created some jitters.
Number eight Troy Oakley (0) then threw his bat at a wide delivery outside off stump, only to also catch the edge to the keeper, to give Riseley two wickets in an over and leave the Eagles 7-90.
Five runs were still required when Riseley pinned Jayden Salmon lbw to leave Bannockburn just two wickets to win. However, Dinuka held his nerve to finish 43 not out as the Eagles snared first-innings points.
Bannockburn then powered to 151 in just 21 overs in their second innings, led by a hard-hitting 68 not out from skipper Dan Davies before the declaration came.
But Wood (62) and Praneeth Pudhota (39) took on the challenge and steered the Eagles to the full 10 points in a brilliant second-innings performance, cruising to 4-151 in 34 overs.
“I’m stoked, to be honest,” Southern said.
“It was just a great feeling in the rooms after the game, especially when we found out the twos had won their second game on the trot.
“It was a really good feeling, and I think there will still be some boys happy about it today.”