Cavaliers’ all-rounder Josh Doherty ripped through the City line up that last week made 5-376.

Doherty grabbed seven wickets for just 20 runs off 13.3 overs, which included two maidens.

Cavs replied with 159 on a lively Wade Park wicket to leave them with a handy 109-run lead going into next week’s second day of this crucial penultimate round of Orange District Cricket Association first grade action.

The battle between the two top teams on the ladder lived up to all expectations of an exciting game – but probably not how most pundits predicted it would go.

Cavs’ captain Matt Corben said it was a great toss to lose.

“Losing the toss was definitely a good thing for us as we would have batted,” he said.

“There was a lot in it for the new ball bowlers.”

Corben said it caught everyone by surprise.

“Everything happened so quickly,” he said.

“I don’t think either team adapted to the pitch.”

He said his players benefited from batting second as it gave them the chance to better understand what the wicket was doing.

Corben praised Doherty for his astounding performance which took his total to 21 wickets for the season.

“He definitely bowled well,” he said.

“He bowled just back of a length which proved hard to score off.

“Yesterday [Saturday] was definitely a day the ball talked for him.”

Only one City batsman, Nathan Rosser, got into double figures.

He made 10 before he was caught by Corben off the bowling of Brad Wright.

Taylor Beatty made a stunning 122 last week against Kinross but this week he could manage only nine runs before Doherty added him to his list of scalps.

Doherty backed up with a handy 23 runs in Cavs’ innings.

Chris Brown scored nearly as many runs on his own as the City team managed.

Brown topscored with 43 before falling leg before wicket to Shaun Grenfell.

Ryan Kurtz added 37 including a six.

Darren Barrett was handy with the ball taking 4-15 while opening bowler Ed Morrish took 2-22.