East Sunbury holds on for thrilling last over win over Diggers Rest Bulla

Nathan Dent claimed his maiden five-wicket haul before combining with Jack Dillon to set up East Sunbury’s first win of the GDCA season.

Lachlan Wilkins celebrates a wicket with East Sunbury teammates. Picture: Hamish Blair

East Sunbury coach Mark Wilkins has heaped praise on Nathan Dent and Jack Dillon after a thrilling one-wicket win over Diggers Rest Bulla.

Dent’s 5-21 and Dillon’s unbeaten 32 were critical as the Thunder chased down 101 in the final over on Saturday.

On the ropes at 8-75, the pair made a match-winning 26-run ninth-wicket stand to set up East’s first win of the GDCA McIntyre Shield season.

Dent was controversially run out on the final ball of the penultimate over before a Daniel Rodger wide handed the visitors victory at Bloomdale Oval.

Wilkins had nothing but admiration for his star pair.

Lachlan Wilkins in action for East Sunbury. Picture: Hamish Blair

Josh Smiley in action for East Sunbury. Picture: Hamish Blair

“The guys were really relieved to just get a win, we’ve been working really hard,” Wilkins said.

“Nathan bowled brilliantly, he just beats the ball constantly, he moves the ball both ways.

“He just doesn’t get his rewards, he’s a 40-wicket bowler there’s no doubt about it.

“I think if he was bowling in the McIntyre three or four years ago when the top six bats were all pretty good that where he’d test a lot of them. Some of the batsmen aren’t good enough to get bat on ball.

“We bowled them out for 101, the top order missed out again, which made it a bit harder but Jack held it all together.

“He’s a really safe bet, he’s a really smart batsman, he was able to rotate the strike and keep it ticking over.

“It got pretty nervous towards the end … the ninth-wicket partnership got us level, Nathan is a bit of a goer and held up an end for Jack.”

Nalaka de Silva batting for Diggers Rest Bulla. Picture: Hamish Blair

Jayden Schwarze in action for Diggers Rest Bulla. Picture: Hamish Blair

It was Dent’s maiden five-wicket haul for East Sunbury.

The win lifts the Thunder to eighth on the ladder, ahead of Gisborne and winless Sunbury Kangaroos.

Undefeated Wallan and the Kangaroos await in the final fortnight before the Christmas break.

Wilkins hopes the dramatic win can kick-start the club’s season and they can make a push for the expanded top-six.

“We know we’re not necessarily premiership material but we believe we can get into the top six,” he said.

“Some areas have been good, some not, our bowling has been pretty good all year but our batting hasn’t had a big scorer yet.

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“Targets like 101 we should be chasing down three or four down, not nine down.

“We keep having the domino affect, we lose one and then lose a second, third or fourth, so we’re focusing pretty heavily on that.

“A couple of scores and they’ll get there, it’s just a matter of believing they belong there.”

In other McIntyre Shield results, Woodend (181) proved too good for Sunbury Kangaroos (153), Wallan (8-172) kept its winning streak going against Rupertswood (168), Gisborne (108) fell to ladder-leader Sunbury United (3-111) and Bacchus Marsh (3-101) defeated Romsey (100).