A MATCH-HIGH score in a derby victory, it doesn't get much better than that.
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Bathurst's Callum Hotham notched up 59 runs for Western Suburbs in Saturday's Sydney Premier Cricket first grade clash to help his side claim a 55 run win over Eastern Suburbs at Pratten Park.
Western Suburbs were sent into bat and got off to a dreary start of 3-17 before Oliver Hing (39) and Isaac Taylor (57) gave the Magpies some stability.
Hing's dismissal brought Hotham to the crease, and he added 70 runs with Taylor in a defiant middle order stand to take the score to a more competitive mark of 5-141.
Hotham survived all the way to the ninth wicket, finding the boundary six times in his half century, before Wests finished on 204.
It was the fourth top grade half century for Hotham and his first at the top level since the 2019-20 season.
Wests bowled Easts out for 149 in 40 overs, led by a five-wicket haul for Lachlan Ford.
"Usually our top order has been strong over the past few years so it was an opportunity for myself and Isaac in the middle order to stand up and show some fight, and that's what we did," Hotham said.
"We knew anything over 200 would be competitive if we bowled well enough. Early on the deck was pretty green and there was a fair bit of kick in it ... but it was quite good considering the rain we had.
"I couldn't take too many risks out there and just had to push things along and keep rebuilding.
"We were great in the field this week. Our bowlers Lachie Ford and Jack Bermingham were unbelievable. They're bowling to some high class cricketers - Peter Neville's played for Australia and Angus Robson has played 60 first class games - and the fight we showed was amazing."
Meanwhile, fellow Bathurst top grade player Ben Mitchell scored 22 for Randwick Petersham in their first win of the season over Manly-Warringah.
Bathurst's Max Hope had a solid outing with the ball for Sydney University's second grade team in their bonus point success against Fairfield-Liverpool.
Hope finished his full compliment of 10 overs with 3-35, doing most of the damage with opening bowler Rex Greaves (4-26).
Hotham's club mate and former St Pat's Old Boys player, Tanvir Singh, snared 2-25 in the Magpies' second grade win over Easts.
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