Lara closed in on a GCA1 top four spot with a superbly timed run chase against St Peters in round 10 on Saturday 17 January.
Lara’s fourth win of the season has it sitting in sixth spot, but only 1.03 points behind fourth-placed St Peters with South Barwon lodged in between.
Lara won the toss and sent the Saints in at Bisinella Oval and it was Luke Ford who again dominated.
The classy left-hander backed up his unbeaten century last weekend with 91 not out helping St Peters to set Lara a total of 236 for victory. Mitchell Ford made 43 from 37 balls and Brogan Hayman contributed 32.
Captain Daniel Weigl (1/30 from 10 overs) and Kaden Marum (1/41 from 10) kept things tight for the Cats.
Vishesh Malhotra got Lara off to another blistering start with 49 from 37 balls while Robert Sodomaco made 57. Weigl made 32, but with the score at 6/171 in the 39th over, St Peters would have been confident of victory.
Englishman George Blatherwick (31 not out) and Varinder Singh Cheema (38 not out) then went about hauling in the further 65 runs needed and they did with five balls remaining.
GROVEDALE put a handy 6.49 point gap between it in third spot and St Peters with a 44-run win against St Joseph’s.
Jack Wrigglesworth made a stylish 90, which contained just one boundary, but four sixes. Michael McNeel contributed 34 to the final total of 225 all out with seamer Ryan Simmonds bouncing back from an expensive first few overs to take 3/44 from 10.
Oliver Metcalfe made 41 for Joeys, but the seam of Luke Guest (3/32 from 10 overs) and spin of Nathan Berry (3/29) got the job done.
EAST BELMONT defeated Newtown & Chilwell by 104 runs.
Hayden McMahon whacked 84 from 63 deliveries and Lachie Inglis made 67 from 45 and with Shane McNamara (62) steering the top order, East Belmont made an imposing 5/276.
Left-arm quick Jack Jenkins then produced a superb performance, taking 5/26 to have the Two Blues all out for 172 in reply despite the efforts of Sam Taylor (43 from 44 balls) and Nick Keast (40).
NORTH GEELONG welcomed back Layton McCann to the first XI after he almost died on his honeymoon in Mexico in July last year.
McCann spent more than a month in hospital before finally recovering. After scores of 57 and 67 in the seconds, McCann made 20 from 55 balls in response to South Barwon’s 4/182 in which Clay Mulgrew (68), Sam Ellis (37 not out) and Nick Butters (37) got runs.
The Magpies then overhauled the total in the 50th over with four wickets in hand with Tom Mathieson (38) top scoring.
BARWON HEADS was always in control against Drysdale, winning by six wickets in BPCA A1 Grade.
Leg-spin duo Dan Donaldson (3/18) and Angus Mackie (3/26) were instrumental in dismissing the Hawks for 119.
Lewy Hyland made 34 at the top of the order for the Heads, but Drysdale bowled well and took the game deep into the 38th over.
ANGLESEA is in second place after a nine-run win against Barrabool.
Ash Poulton (56) and Simon Umbers (40) helped the Seas to 8/230 batting first while Joel Denyer picked four late wickets.
Shane Stevens (53) and James Fisher (46 from 25 balls) and a late 28 from 18 deliveries from Luke Clift got the Bulls close before Dylan Taylor stepped in with two wickets with Leon Jacobs taking three earlier in the innings.
INVERLEIGH got its third win of the season with an impressive seven-wicket win against Queenscliff.
Paceman Locke Perrett was the star with 5/18 for the Kookaburras with the Coutas all out for 143 despite Frank Mileto making 54.
Will Collins batted through the run chase to be there on 58 when the winning runs were hit in the 37th over with Lachlan Platt (37) and Henry Collins (20 not out) also contributing.
ARMSTRONG CREEK ended a three-game losing streak with a win against Jan Juc.
Ben Norgrove (64) made his fourth score in the 60s for the Titans while Ben Fary took three late wickets. Nick Hyden (70) again made runs for the Sharks with his last four knocks yielding scores of 79 not out, 61, 100 not out and 70.
