A SECOND successive ton from Jack Massey and two late first-day wickets has South Tamworth and West Tamworth in commanding positions after the first day of their respective Tamworth first grade clashes on Saturday.
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At No.1 Oval, West has City United on the ropes.
Chasing West’s 209, City will resume at 3-12 and with a big job in front of them, with openers Dan Whale and Lachlan Cooke, and skipper Simon Toyer back in the sheds.
Toyer was out on the final ball of the day driving low back to spinner Adam Cruickshank.
The final ball of the previous over, Whale was caught behind trying to fend one from Tim Kensell.
“You’ve got to be happy with it (the day),” West skipper Dave Mudaliar said.
“We did what we came to do, we put 200 runs up.”
Kensell made 47 of those, with Shawn Mepham chipping in with 35 and Sam Pearson an entertaining 39.
It wasn’t the most orthodox batting but did the job, Mudaliar acknowledging Pearson’s knock was probably the difference between them scoring 150 and 200.
Mackenzie Morrison did his best to keep the West total down, claiming 6-45.
At Dick Edwards Oval, Massey produced one of the best hundreds South skipper Tom Groth said he’s seen in Tamworth first grade.
He was deservedly unconquered on 101 as South made 278.
“It was a pretty good team effort,” Groth said.
Troy Osborne batted well at the top and hit 65, while Chris Massey chipped in with 39, he and Jack putting on 81 for the seventh wicket to really turn the game in South’s favour.
Brad Jenkinson toiled hard for the Bulls and was the pick of the bowlers with 5-52.
At Chaffey Park, North Tamworth will resume at 2-38 this Saturday chasing another 199 runs for victory against Old Boys.
They knocked over Old Boys for 236 after dismissing opening bats Simon Norvill (0) off the last ball of the first over and Adam Lole (1) off the fourth ball of the second over.
Old Boys skipper Ben Middlebrook (15) and wicketkeeper Abel Carney (62) fought back, adding 41 for the third wicket then Carney and Chris Dobson (57) put on 75 for the fourth wicket before Aaron Hazlewood (51) and Dobson added another 84 for the fifth wicket.
However Lachlan Fauchon’s brilliant outfield catch changed everything.
Fauchon stunned both teams with his athletic catch, going backwards to dive and snare Hazelwood’s booming off-drive off Phil Constable.
Constable struck two balls later, having Dobson stumped by Dave MacRae and Old Boys lost 6-36 as Constable (4-61 off 16.4) and Brad Redshaw (3-54) ripped through the bottom of the order.
Redshaw and Wayne Price (1-9 off 9 overs) had given the Redbacks a dream start, Price bowling Norvill for a duck and Redshaw rattling Lole’s stumps for 1.
Redback skipper Michael Rixon (11no) and Mitch Holt (0no) resume this Saturday after Fauchon (7) and Glen Lewington (19) were dismissed on 28 by Will Chesterfield (1-8) and Josh Smith (1-11).
