After struggling early against Oxford Centennials’ bowling attack, St Pat’s went on to make 173 and then fired back with the ball to have their Bathurst District Cricket Association first grade rivals at 5-70.

From a position of peril, Adam Ryan’s side are now in with a real chance of claiming first innings points in their two-day match with Ox Cents.

They had both Derryn Clayton, who hit 77 coming in at number six, and new-ball bowler Matt Fearnley (3-32 off 14 overs) to thank.

“We started off really well with the bat, we were 1-34 then 1-50 odd at drinks, but I got myself out and from there we had a collapse,” Ryan said.

“Derryn Clayton was the highlight of the day – he hit 77 which got us up to 170. A couple of boys were able to hang around with him, too, which was good.

“As we came back out, Fearnz struck early with the new ball, which was good, and it sort of just kept going. We got regular wickets there for a while.”

Ryan won just his second toss of the season on Saturday afternoon and opted to bat first, a decision which looked a good one as they were 0-32 after a steady 14 overs.

Jared Rowe was the first man to fall as he was caught out off Aaron Seymour’s bowling for 15 in the 15th over, but at 1-34 there was no cause for panic from Pat’s.

That soon changed.

They lost four wickets for 39 runs in the next 11 overs, which included a pair of scalps in the same over for Craig Windus.

Windus, who finished with 4-44 off 10 overs, put Ox Cents in control as he ripped through the middle order. He got the prized wicket of Ryan (16) before sending Kieran Lindsay (duck), Scott Traves (six) and Kurt Hancock (duck) on their way.

Kesh Pillai kept the pressure on when he was introduced into the attack, taking a wicket with just his fourth ball on his way to figures of 3-31 off five overs.

While 15-year-old Connor Slattery showed good fight as he made 33 opening the batting, it was Clayton who helped St Pat’s to a competitive total.

When the seventh wicket fell on 94 runs, Clayton had made 19 runs.

But his aggressive approach soon lifted his tally.

Clayton belted 40 of his 77 runs in boundaries and clubbed a six as well before he was the last man out for Pat’s in the 50th over.

“For a while there we thought we’d be lucky if we could make 100, then we were hoping to make 150 and we ended up with 173. It was a lot better than it looked like being,” Ryan said.

Defending 173, Pat’s needed early wickets and Fearnley provided.

He had Pillai caught out for two in the fifth over before Windus (12) was run out and Brydon Slattery sent Andrew Brown on his way for 10 to make it 3-26.

Fearnley then claimed a pair of wickets in his ninth over, striking with his second and fifth deliveries, as Ox Cents slumped to 5-33.

But skipper Josh Toole, a Western Zone representative, came in down the order at number six and stopped the run of wickets.

Toole (21 not out) and Blake Aubin (15 not out) took Ox Cents to 5-70 at stumps. What that pair do when play resumes on Saturday will be critical to the outcome of the match.

“It’s game on now. Toole steadied the ship for them, so we will need an early one or two wickets. They have got Seymour still to come as well,” Ryan said.

“It is pretty much evenly poised.”