Cricket North: Grand final endures dramatic first day thanks to Daniel Smith, Daniel Murfet

The Lions opted to bowl first and spearhead Tom Gray (3-71) wasted no time in vindicating that decision as he secured the wicket of Matthew Battle on the opening ball of the innings.

That was followed soon after by Gray rattling Nathan Parkin's stumps while Chathura Athukorala came and went after Gray did enough to find the batter's edge to Dean Thiesfield for two wickets in two balls.

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Gray looked set to repeat his preliminary final heroics but Westbury captain Daniel Murfet (60 off 153) and Joe Griffin (38 off 57) settled Westbury's innings and set about compiling a 57-run partnership. Griffin plundered Daniel Smith (4-36) through the covers but it became the former's undoing as he tried to repeat the dose only to find a diving Will Bennett.

"I thought our fielding was exceptional and all the catches behind the wicket were very good," Launceston coach Andy Gower said.

Murfet continued on his way to a half-century as returning Raider Jono Chapman joined him in a 72-run partnership which included some powerful drives down the ground from the latter.

Chapman was the victim of an unlucky dismissal as George Maguire (1-10) knocked Murfet's straight drive back onto the stumps before Murfet also departed courtesy of Maguire in the same over.

"We started to get a few instances of some partnerships but failed to get one prominent one to go on with throughout the day but we'll take the score we've ended up with," Murfet said.

Disaster struck again for Westbury barely five overs later when Daniel Smith cannoned a full ball into Oliver Wood stumps before James Tyson suffered the same fate in the next ball.

"We dropped [Smith] back to the two's a couple of weeks ago just to get some bowling in and get some confidence back up, he got [six wickets] that day and he's been flying which is nice," Gower said.

The Shamrocks battled on with two wickets remaining to add 100 runs, courtesy of Joel Lloyd (38 off 107), Michael Lukic (39 off 125) and Kieren Hume (23 off 28).

Launceston lost Samuel Elliston-Buckley to be 1-21 at the close of play on the opening day in reply to Wesbury's 263.

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