A week is a long time in cricket.
Shane Watson opened the season with a first ball duck last weekend. On Saturday, he set a new batting record, with the highest score by a Sutherland batsman in any grade against St George.
Sutherland have one hand on the Norm O’Neill Cup after they piled on 9(dec)-427 against their fierce local rivals on day one of their two-day, round two clash at Glenn McGrath Oval.
Former Test all-rounder Watson smashed 184 from 151 balls while opener Jarryd Biviano scored 122 after captain Chris Williams had been dismissed without scoring with the fifth ball of the first over by St George skipper Trent Copeland.
It would be 300 runs later that Saints took their second wicket as Watson crunched 16 fours and 11 sixes, with the Sydney Thunder captain and Biviano joining in a record Sutherland first grade partnership for any wicket.
Watson’s knock surpassed O’Neill’s 168 in Sutherland’s first match in 1965 to score his first century in his eight matches for Sutherland since the 2011-12 season. The 36-year-old is expected to play the first three matches of Sutherland’s season before heading off to play in the Bangladesh Premier League later this month prior to his commitments with the Thunder.
St George are 1-14 in reply after Jake Wilson trapped round one centurion Matt Hopkins leg before wicket after Sutherland’s declaration late in the day.
Earlier, Copeland had won the toss and sent Sutherland in at Caringbah. The decision looked a good one when the NSW quick had Williams caught behind by Saints wicketkeeper Jonathan Rose in the first over.
But from there Watson and Biviano took the game away from the visitors, piling on their 300-run partnership before Biviano was caught by Hopkins off Chris MacDougal’s bowling in the 50th over.
St George had Watson dismissed soon after 16 runs short of a double century, with former Sutherland player Adam Whatley taking the catch off Copeland.
After being 1-301, Sutherland lost 6-49 as St George attempted to wrestle their way back into the game. Jamie Brown (4) and Peter Saroukos (1) fell cheaply before teenage all-rounder Austin Waugh came to the crease at No.7.
Waugh made a patient 22 from 52 balls to help guide Sutherland towards 400 before Wilson (30 not out) and Tom Pinson (28) finished off the innings.
It was a tough day for St George’s bowlers, with Copeland showing his class in taking 4-97 from his 29 overs. Nick Stapleton (1-56) and Andrew Walsh (1-37) also toiled hard.
Play on day two starts at 10.30am on Saturday.
Meanwhile, St George are in a strong position in second grade thanks to a Mitchell Gray century.
Gray smashed an unbeaten 156 as Saints made 6(dec)-325 at Harold Fraser Reserve.
Nicholas Amos was the star with the ball for Sutherland, taking 5-98 from his 31 overs.
