Cricket North: Taylor tons up, Apted stars on debut

The only batsman to raise his bat on a day for the bowlers, the Lions captain whacked two sixes in a 200-ball 152 to help his side to 265.

Only South Launceston's Nathan Philip (668 runs) has compiled more than Taylor's 513 this season.

"I'm seeing the ball ok - I had a bit of luck today which you always need," Taylor said.

"It's probably up there for one of my better seasons with the way I've hit the ball, but that just comes through a really big pre-season and trying to work my backside off."

Taylor had help from Ben Humphrey (32) and James Curran (28) but had hoped to get more out of a capable tail.

"We needed probably someone to get a 70 or 80 as well to get a really big score, over 300, but 265 at the start of the day is not too bad," he said.

"Riverside bat pretty deep so we'll have to bowl well."

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Riverside finished the day at 1-50 with James Curran snaring the big wicket of Tom Garwood - caught behind on the third bite - for 29.

Garwood praised the efforts of teenage debutant Kaidyn Apted, who finished with 3-33 including the big scalps of Taylor and Humphrey.

"He bowled really well the little off-spinner," Garwood said.

"He came on at an important time and got two wickets - he obviously got AT in the end which was a big wicket, but he got two wickets when needed them before that as well so I was really happy for him.

"To only lose 1-50 is a really pleasing result ... the game's probably 50-50 at the moment so we're looking forward to next week."

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WESTBURY took first innings points at Invermay Park after the first 14 wicket of the day fell for just 106 runs.

Chasing 79 on a tricky deck, Westbury lost Jesse Digney, Dom Barrett, Dan Murfet and Corey Briggs inside 13 overs as Mowbray coach James Storay (3-38) ran riot.

But Jordan French and Nathan Parkin steadied the ship with an unbeaten 65-run stand to put the contest in the visitors' favour.

French's 37 not out marked his highest score in first grade and featured five fours.

"We were crying out for a good, mature partnership and we got that through Frenchy and Naz," Murfet said.

"I'm really happy with him, he didn't back down - it's a tricky situation coming in at four-for-not-many chasing a low total on a pretty tough wicket to bat on and he batted really maturely.

"He's always been a capable batsman, it's just a matter of time hopefully before he gets himself in and has a big knock and eventually he'll get the confidence he needs to keep batting well at first-grade level.

"We'll take a fair bit of confidence out of getting first innings points, but saying that we've seen 14 wickets fall for not many runs today so there's still a lot of cricket to go next week."

Earlier, the Eagles struggled to negotiate Westbury's bowling attack after being sent in.

Mowbray was 3-8 in the fifth over with Nick Spencer (2-16 off 13) on a hat-trick before Jason Snare (16) and Cobey Evans knuckled down to keep the bowlers at bay.

Sam Canny (18) and Storay (13*) made contributions but Westbury's bowlers were particularly parsimonious with Spencer's economy rate of 1.23 the most generous of the six bowlers used.

Spin twins Kieren Hume (3-13 off 11) and Alex Kerrison (2-13 off 12) again led the way.

"It was tough going, the new wicket on Invermay Park the first hour is notoriously tough to negate," Storay said.

"But we just lost too may wickets early again and limited what target we were able to set Westbury to chase unfortunately.

"They did dig in - the next phase of their progression is to go on. Cobey and Snarey both faced 60 or 70 balls ... the next step for them now is to bat another hour or so and get to that 50-mark."