Jan Juc produced its best effort of the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association season with a gritty and high-scoring win against Barrabool on Saturday January 6.
The Sharks are nine points adrift of the top four, but kept their finals hopes flickering with a superb batting display.
Nick Hyden showed his undoubted class with 75, while Luke Edwards made 67 and Edward Cole 47 in a hefty final total of 5/232 from 40 overs.
The total would have been more if not for Ed Morrison, who conceded just 19 runs from his eight tidy overs.
Barrabool was in trouble at 3/34 in reply, but 54 from Lachie Grigg helped get the side close before ending at 9/224, eight short of a tie.
Nicky Smith, Jordy Graham and Kai Powers each picked up two wickets for the Sharks.
Ocean Grove is three points outside the four after a win against Inverleigh.
Seamer Mick Thornton and spinner Alex Mann each snared three scalps as Inverleigh was all out for 113 with Lachie Platt top scoring with a 33-ball 30.
Adam Arnold (36) and Shaun Fankhauser (25) put on 58 for the first wicket for Ocean Grove before Platt chimed in with 2/9 from five overs.
The Grubbers were 3/111, but lost three wickets for no runs, before getting home with Shane Van Den Nouwland making a run-a-ball 29.
Barwon Heads’ slow bowlers dragged back a dangerous Armstrong Creek start.
Clay Mulgrew (21) and Chris Marsiglio (33) opened up with a patient 47-run stand before seamer Darcy Hewitt stepped in to take 1/6 from eight immaculate overs.
Matthew Kennedy batted well in the middle order for 40 not out, but was starved of the strike late with slow bowlers Sam Schaller (4/29) and Daniel Donaldson (3/19) keeping the final total to 9/124.
Left-arm seamer Jason Robertson was his typical miserly self with 2/18 from eight for the Titans and while the Seagulls had some anxious moments, Max Melzer (27), Ben Harris (23) and youngster Angus Ford (14 not out from 12 deliveries) got the side home and second spot on the ladder.
Queenscliff made the undefeated Anglesea work extra hard for a win.
Tyron Norman continued his bumper season with 58 from 84 balls and Luke Taylor made a fine 45 from 44 to get Anglesea to 8/181 also with some help from tailender Darcy Elliott, who made 26 not out.
Jordan Monahan was successful for Queenscliff with 3/35.
The Coutas gave the run chase everything they had with Daniel Stott getting 52 and Kane Leathem 36, but it was the pace of Elliott (4/25) and Dylan Taylor (2/16) that saw the Seas with another win.
