A late wicket has left Oak Flats innings in the balance after the opening day against Shellharbour at Geoff Shaw Oval.
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The Rats are 4-97, after Brett Gilly was given out in contentious cirrcumstances on 13. Captain Scott McAndrew made 31 for Oak Flats before falling victim to Mitch Watterson, who finished with the remarkable figures of 2-5 off 10 overs, including seven maidens.
“We’re a bit unlucky to lose one late, if we were only three down I’d probably think we were in front for the day,” McAndrew said.
“We had to work really hard out there, our deck usually plays really well, but 97 off 47 overs shows it was pretty slow going.
“Still, I think we can get enough runs to dangle the carrot for them a bit and hopefully still get a result.”
Brynley Richards provides the key for Oak Flats, still unbeaten on 24, with Stuart Tobin the new man in.
McAndrew admitted Watterson proved difficult to handle.
“He was just able to put them in good areas and with the wet weather it made it hard to get him away,” he said. “They bowled well, I thought Geribo was bowling well when I was out there.”
The Rail have a chance to pull off a huge South Coast boilover against reigning premiers Lake Illawarra.
After being rolled for 115, it seemed The Rail’s struggling season would continue, but two wickets before play ended has potentially turned the match on its head.
Ruan Pieters (4) and William Gamble (0) were dismissed in the nine overs the Lakers faced, leaving them 2-8 in reply.
Kale-Trent Talbott and Tyler Lister-Serrano will resume at the crease at Howard Fowles Oval on Saturday, with captain Kerrod White, who has already posted a century and half-century this season, still to bat.
The Rail were 8-62 on Saturday, but Michael Brannigan, batting at No.10, made a crucial 25 including four fours, in support of captain Tim Goodall’s 46.
Lake Illawarra are joint competition leaders with Oak Flats after five rounds, while The Rail are winless.
The Lakers have amassed 1138 runs so far, but face a tricky challenge in Saturday’s run chase.
Meanwhile, Kookas lost 3-2 at the end of the day, but still finished at 7-194 after 52 overs against Kiama Gerringong. Defying the trent, Kookas chose to bat first and were rewarded when Scott Peachman (53) and Nathan Whiteman (44 not out) combined for an 81-run opening stand.
Darren O’Connell helped correct some mid-innings wobbles with 36, before opener Hugo Ikeda struck twice late.