BDCA won the toss and elected to bat first on home turf, the top order setting up a strong first innings in the 50-over clash.
Brodie Reaper came out of the blocks firing, smashing six boundaries and scoring 31 of his side’s first 37 runs from 18 deliveries.
Anthony McMahon ended the cameo as quickly as it began, but new batter Angus Chisholm joined Xavier Grant for a longer-term pairing.
Grant was well beyond 50 and Chisholm was homing in on the milestone before Russell Stockdale struck for the first time in the match, removing Grant for 73 and ending the partnership at 110.
Chisholm accelerated over the next few overs, breezing past 50 before Kobyn James trapped him in front.
BDCA was 3-178 and looked in good stead to post a monster total, particularly with Kyle Humphrys keeping the scoreboard ticking over well.
However, having cracked through the top three, GMC’s bowlers found the going a little easier against the middle order, continuing to strike throughout the latter half of the innings to keep BDCA in check.
Humphrys found his way past 50, but no further, departing for 51, and there were no more significant contributions as BDCA limped its way through the final few overs to finish its innings 8-261.
Stockdale snagged a couple of late wickets to finish with best figures of 3-32, while McMahon took two and Angus Martin, Asantha Singappuli and James took one each.
The attacking duo of Stockdale and captain Regis Chakabva put GMC straight onto the front foot in the run chase, putting on 61 for the opening wicket.
Singappuli stepped right into Stockdale’s shoes and continued to push the score forward as Chakabva surged past 50.
The GMC captain blasted five fours and three sixes before his luck eventually ran out on 61.
The visitor was 2-102 in a little more than 16 overs and another huge partnership, this time between Singappuli and Sean Williams, put their side on the cusp of victory.
Like they did against Murray Valley in an inter-association clash earlier this season, the pair added more than 100 runs, Williams showing no mercy and striking at 114.63.
The Rochester star bat would fall just short of another inter-association century, caught for 94 from 82 balls, but the partnership of 137 had GMC 3-239 and within 22 runs of victory.
Singappuli notched his own 50, but was out on his next delivery, the Moama duo of James and Joel Murphy putting the final touches on the six-wicket win.
Ahead of BDCA once again taking on an inter-association match against Cricket Shepparton this weekend, the second of the 2025-26 season, discussions are increasing around the introduction of a four-team round-robin tournament in future years between GMC, CS, BDCA and MVCA.
“In conjunction with Northern Rivers we’ve been trying to get something bigger going, but there’ll be a bit of conversation going on Sunday to see if we can get that to work,” organiser of that game Paul Trevaskis said.
The Game
Bendigo District Cricket Association 8-261 (Xavier Grant 73, Russell Stockdale 3-32, Anthony McMahon 2-52) lt Goulburn Murray Cricket 4-263 (Sean Williams 94, Regis Chakabva 61, Asantha Singappuli 50, Keiran Hogeboom 2-47)
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