Joe Clarke and Joe Leach both registered half centuries but experienced varying fortunes for South Perth CC and North Canberra Gungahlin today.
Worcestershire wicket-keeper Clarke's rapid 57 – his third fifty of the winter – enabled South Perth to post a formidable 300 all out on the opening day of the Western Australia Cricket Association first grade match with visiting Scarborough.
The England Under-19 player finished as his side's top scorer after coming in at number seven with the total 209-5. The match will be concluded next weekend.
County all-rounder Leach continued his fine winter form by scoring 72 off just 59 balls with one six and eight fours against Eastlake in the Australia Capital Territory first grade encounter.
But North Canberra were bowled out for 217 all out in 43.3 overs in pursuit of an Eastlake total of 226-9.
Leach came in at 76-2 and scored 72 out of the 112 runs accumulated during his time at the wicket before being sixth out at 188.
He had dismissed Eastlake's top scorer V. Dukoski for 112 and finished with figures of 9-0-47-1.
Ed Barnard was on the winning side as Queanbeyan District overcame home side ANU by39 runs in a ACT first grade match.
England Under-19 all-rounder Barnard was dismissed for two out of Queanbeyan's 245-9 in 50 overs.
But he then weighed in with two wickets as ANU were bowled out for 206 in 48.4 overs.
Geelong City skipper Richard Oliver top-scored with 47 but his side lost on first innings to visiting North Geelong following the first day wash-out last weekend.
Oliver took two catches as North Geelong were bowled out for 226 but his side could only muster 153 in reply in the second versus third clash in the Geelong Cricket Assciation Division One.
