A FIGHTING sixth-wicket stand between St Pat’s Old Boys juniors Bailey Brien and Ben Mitchell helped their side to reach a solid 285 on day one of their Bathurst District Cricket Association clash with Rugby Union.
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Batting first at The Scots School on Saturday, the competition leading Saints looked shaky when losing their fifth wicket in the 31st over with 75 runs on the board.
But Brien (61) and Mitchell (91) settled in on the good batting deck and formed a 132-run partnership that helped put the pressure back on a Rugby outfit keen to climb off the bottom of the first grade ladder.
At stumps Rugby skipper Sam Macpherson was happy to have kept the Saints to under 300, but knows that his side will need to bat well next Saturday to pick up the win.
“We had them on the rails at five down, then Ben and Bailey dug deep and batted well and patiently, and we probably didn’t bowl too well in that third session,” Macpherson said.
“We thought keeping them under 300 on that deck is a really good achievement.
“I think the game in is the balance, it won’t be an easy chase, but it’s a good batting deck and next week we just have to be patient.”
While the Saints won the toss and elected to bat, they may have been questioning that decision early on as Rugby’s attack got on top.
Jeremy Thackray did the early damage as he removed openers Nic Broes (five) and Dave Cant (16) as well as number three Sam Hall (14) to make it 3-48.
Impressively after 10 overs Thackray had conceded just 15 runs, going on to finish with figures of 3-45 off 20.
Ryan Peacock had Brendan Cutmore out for four and when Connor Slattery was trapped LBW by Luke Powell for a handy 29, the Saints looked in trouble at 5-75.
However, that saw Mitchell join Brien at the crease and the momentum swung.
In a stand that lasted 29 overs, the duo scored at 4.55 runs an over, the pair belting 18 boundaries between them.
The partnership was finally broken when Mitchell was eventually run out nine short of his ton, but Ben Parsons kept the runs ticking over for the Saints as he hit an unbeaten 43.
Powell then struck a double blow as he dismissed Brien and Tanvir Singh (duck) the same over, that effort helping him to figures of 3-60 off 17.
Another run out and Aiden McBurney’s (1-36 off 12) maiden first grade wicket saw the Saints all out for 285.
“Aiden McBurney bowled really well on debut, Thackray and Powell also bowled tight at the start,” Macpherson said. “We dropped a few really hard chances, but we caught the easy ones and got a few run-outs.”
