The Demons kept their season alive with a tense six wicket win against Nathalia, at Jerilderie's Monash Park on Saturday.
Nathalia won the toss and decided to bat, with openers Ben Horrocks and Mark Peterson bravely protecting their wickets against the hostile bowling of Dylan Henery and Greg Lawton.
It was short-lived however, with Henery trapping Peterson (six) LBW, with the score 1/9.
In the sixth over Horrocks let loose for a couple of boundaries which prompted a double bowling change, Richard Coughlan and Grant Smith coming on to bowl.
Smith had immediate success when Horrocks was caught for 10 with Nathalia’s score at 2/17.
Coughlan’s first two overs were maidens and while conceding two runs in his third over he also picked up the wicket of Adam Zammitt (four) to have the visitors 3/24.
When Rory Knight came on and dismissed Aiden Lindsay (two) in his first over, then Byron Smith (five) in his third, Nathalia were five down for 37 and looking decidedly brittle.
Lloyd Buchanan and Jake Brown put up a fierce defence for the Purples before upping the tempo from the 26th over.
Buchanan (43) was eventually trapped in front by Greg Lawton, on return to the bowling crease, and the score for Nathalia was a respectable 6/101.
Paul Harvie (nine) provided good assistance to Brown before he fell to a well-judged catch on the boundary, the latter remaining not out on 27 when the visitor’s batting finished at 7/117.
Multiple wicket takers for Jerilderie were Rory Knight (2/4 off three overs) and Grant Smith (2/30 off five).
Other wicket takers were Dylan Henery (1/5 off five), Richard Coughlan (1/4 off five), and Greg Lawton (1/26 off five).
Jerilderie’s run chase began disastrously, Rory Knight falling in the first over after smacking a four from the first ball faced, and then Ben Browning gave the scorer no headaches in adding up his score to leave Jerilderie at 2/5.
From there, opener Luke Keating and Richard Coughlan consolidated, taking the score along to 44 before Keating (30) skied a shot to mid-on.
Grant Smith’s batting woes continued and he too was out failing to score.
Greg Lawton joined Coughlan at the crease, and the two older heads waited patiently for the loose ball to steadily build the Jerilderie score.
The pair passed the total required in 33rd over, Coughlan remaining not out on 49 and Lawton not out on 28.
Nathalia’s successful bowlers were Horrocks (2/20 off five), Buchanan (1/14 off five), and Harvie (1/17 off four).
Minor premier Jerilderie will take on second placed Cobram in the grand final at Strathmerton this Saturday.
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