Cricket North: Dravid Rao, Dean Thiesfield star for Launceston against Riverside

Launceston began the day strongly as their bowling unit, fresh off their heroics against South Launceston, proved why they will be a dangerous threat in finals.

Tom Gray (3-42) was on the mark early as he removed Cooper Anthes when the Riverside opener shouldered arms at a ball that cannoned into his back leg while over an hour later he found the edge of Patrick Mackrell (21 off 87).

Returning Raider Dravid Rao (4-30) demonstrated impeccable control with his spin as he operated around off-stump early to Matthew Kerrison who misjudged the line off a cut shot only to see the ball hit the top of off-stump.

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It was part of a collapse for the Blues as the trifecta of Gray, Rao and Jackson Miller all claimed wickets in the 6-15 slump which left Riverside at 7-85.

Throughout the innings, Tom Garwood weathered the storm as the Blues' captain demonstrated a deft touch and patience to bring up 58 off 202 balls while wickets fell around him.

The opener's stay at the crease was ended by part-time spinner Cameron Lynch (1-5) whose drift and turn caught the edge with Launceston left with the Blues' tail-order to remove.

Riverside coach Lyndon Stubbs (50 off 81) came to the Blues' rescue with a fine knock in the circumstances as he found a willing partner in Kaidyn Apted (2 off 35) in a 29-run stand.

Stubbs proved adept at driving down the ground as he raised the bat for a half-century before being undone by Rao's spin as the tailender was adjudged to be trapped in front for the Blues to be all out at 165.

Lynch (28* off 57) and Thiesfield (51* off 51) ensured that Launceston would close the day unscathed as the latter crashed 11 boundaries to see Launceston close at 0-79.

Westbury will enter their second day against Mowbray in a strong position as the Shamrocks' bid for an undefeated roster season took a major step forward at Invermay Park.

The Eagles were eager to test themselves against the top side and opted to set the tone early by batting first but it was the visitors who made early inroads.

Jono Chapman (3-8 off 18 overs) was the star of the show as the returning Raider knocked over Jason Snare inside the first over.

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Chapman's Raiders teammate Oliver Wood nabbed the key wicket of Ishang Shah which left Mowbray's own Raiders representatives John Hayes (24 off 85) and Spencer Hayes (37 off 54) at the crease.

The pair looked in good touch as Spencer Hayes produced some notably fluent shots to the boundary before Michael Lukic and Joel Lloyd (2-33) removed the pair within five overs of each other.

The Mowbray middle-order struggled against the accuracy and turn of Kieren Hume (3-44) as the spinner's aggressive line accounted for Lachie Dakin, Sam Canny and Karanbir Singh in a slump of 3-6.

At 7-104, Mowbray looked like they would be warming up their bowlers sooner rather than later as captain Luke Scott (35 off 149) and James Storay (29 off 65) found themselves at the crease.

In a 45-run partnership, the biggest of the innings, Scott manoeuvred the strike with Storay while they knuckled down to defy the Shamrocks bowlers.

Eventually Daniel Murfet threw the ball to strike bowler Chapman who sensed the occasion and ended Storay's spirited stay at the crease before he had Ben Spinks miscuing to Hume two overs later.

Scott, in herculean knock lasting over three hours, grinded out a final-wicket partnership of 23 with Joel Proctor before the former was undone by Lloyd to close the innings at 172.

Storay refused to let Mowbray's hopes of closing the season with a win pass them by with two late strikes.

The Eagles' strike bowler claimed Lukic and Murfet (20 off 20) late in the day to leave Westbury at 2-37.

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