The Eagles have once again proved it is their Seymour District Cricket Association championship to lose as they triumphed over their closest rivals.
The Eagles travelled to Tallarook Recreation Reserve on Saturday afternoon, and after winning the toss, they elected to get runs on the board.
Tallarook looked to strike early as it took the wicket of Eastern Hill’s Dallas Bergowicz, with the opener making only four runs.
But where one opener failed, the other excelled, with Benjamin Bryant making 65 runs before Xavier Arandt eventually caught him.
The middle-order batsmen failed to make an impact and the Eagles looked like they were under pressure for one of the first times this season.
Double-digit figures from Daniel O’Sullivan and Brayden Speechley steadied the ship and the visitors ended their 43 overs with a score of 7-160.
Leigh Irving and vice-captain Kalon Winnell were the most successful bowlers, with two wickets each.
The game was still in the balance, but as the Eagles took to the field, they were determined to make a statement.
The bowlers tore through the Tallarook batting line-up, claiming four batsmen for a duck and keeping all but one — Winnell, who scored 16 — to single-digit figures.
Frazer Lewis picked up five wickets and one maiden off eight overs.
Tallarook was bowled out for 50 runs and the Eagles extended their lead at the top of the table to 18 points.
Tallarook captain Lachlan Watts said it was a hard result to swallow.
“We had a pretty untidy start with the ball but did well to pull them back in through the middle overs through some tight bowling from Leigh Irving and Dale Short,” Watts said.
“Towards the back end of their innings, we were a bit sloppy and let them put a solid total on the board.
“With the bat, it was just one of those days, and we couldn’t seem to stop the wickets falling at the top.
“It’s pretty disappointing for us to put out a performance like that in a big game, but it’s certainly not the end of the world.
“We’ve got a couple of rounds to right the ship before finals, and we’ll be heading in hungry to take our game up a few notches.”
Around the grounds, Yea dominated its game against Seymour at Yea Recreation Reserve.
The Tigers bowled Seymour out for 116 and chased down the total in 33 overs with six wickets in hand.
At Pyalong Recreation Reserve, the home side claimed victory over Alexandra.
Pyalong set a total of 187 from its 45 overs and then proceeded to bowl the Redbacks out for 105.
Daniel Sowden was the star, contributing 55 to the Tigers’ total.