Rovers United Bruck firmly established themselves as the benchmark side in the A grade competition after handing fellow Wangaratta side City Colts an eight-wicket loss at Bill O’Callaghan Oval on Saturday.

After restricting the Colts to 134 all out, Rovers chased the target down in 19 overs, with 156 balls remaining, thanks to a Charith Perera masterclass.

The Hawks sent the home side in to bat, and Jacob Schonafinger was on the money early, taking 3/5 from his first five overs.

When the first change of bowlers came, Ryan Barnes rapped Alasdair Brett on the pads to dismiss him LBW for a duck, and reduce the Colts to 4/21 in just the 13th over.

Max Marek set about reviving the Colts’ innings, building a strong partnership with Will Petersen.

Petersen (nine off 50 balls) was happy to absorb the pressure at one end, to allow Marek to play the role of aggressor, but when Petersen edged a Ryan Barnes ball to the waiting gloves of Ryan Collier, Jed Marek joined his brother in the middle.

The duo forged a 53-run partnership, allowing Max to raise his bat for an important half-century off 77 balls, but was dismissed soon after.

Mitch Feldtmann (16* off 37) was the last man standing after immense pressure in the field saw three run outs for the innings, before Ryan Barnes skittled Connor Ormond to close the innings.

Barnes (3/25 off 7.3 overs) enjoyed a breakout innings, but it was the pressure from Jacob Schonafinger (3/17 from nine) which set the tone for the innings.

Despite the incredible innings with the ball, Hawks captain Jeremy Wilson said there was always room to improve.

“We were a little bit flat with the ball, it was one of those games where a few of the boys probably thought it was just going to happen,” he said.

“I think sometimes we can be guilty of that, everyone can be guilty of that, so it’s just about finding ways to really keep the pressure on and put the foot on the throat.

“Once we get on top, we don’t want to let up, because when you play the better sides, if you let up for any period of time, you’re going to let them off the hook.

“Still, we got the job done, and that’s all that matters.”

RUB opener Charith Perera was determined to close the game as soon as possible, hammering 99 from 60 deliveries in a display of clean hitting.

His innings featured a whopping 19 boundaries and a maximum, while at the other end, Collier (16 off 33) played his part in their 112-run first wicket stand.

Perera came agonisingly close to his century but was caught by Max Marek in the deep, trying to find the rope and end the game.

Reid McNamara (12* off 17) and Jacob Schonafinger (one not out off four balls) steered the innings home with more than half their overs in hand.

“Chazzy just showed how true the deck was - to be fair, I don’t think the Colts’ bowlers would’ve been rapt with how they bowled, but with the mood that Chaz was in, it probably wasn’t going to matter where they bowled,” Wilson said.

“It’s hard when it’s a really good deck and you can only have two fielders out because anything semi-loose, not even semi-loose, good balls were going to the boundary from Chaz.

“He’s just a class act, and it’s a shame he didn’t get that one extra run but he doesn’t play for those milestones, he came off with a smile on his face.

“He had fun, we had fun watching him, it was just one of those innings you sit back and you’re a bit in awe of.”

Rovers United Bruck are the only side yet to taste defeat in the 2025/26 season, and will take on Wangaratta Magpies next week to close out the first section of one-day cricket.