Hugh Le Lievre defies injury in big-game effort as Matt Corben continues Steve Smith-like BOIDC form

A hamstring injury he picked up against Redbacks seven days prior ruled him out of Orange's Western Zone Premier League loss to Dubbo and threatened to sideline him for the opening day of Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket's crucial fifth round too.

But considering the magnitude of the game, in which CYMS can consolidate a top four spot leading into the second half of the summer, Le Lievre made the call to battle through the niggle, it proved the right one as he finished the day unbeaten on 101 and led his side to a more-than-competitive 273.

The ton was his third since linking with CYMS ahead of the 2012-13 summer, of course his other two being those famous, match-defining, grand final centuries in the two following seasons, both of which inspired the side's premiership wins.

The second of those, an even 100 as CYMS routed Cavaliers by 267 runs, was as gutsy an effort as Saturday's too, he'd battled illness leading into the game and throughout it as well.

"The leg did keep me out of the representative game and I thought it might keep me out of this one, but being such a big game for the club in terms of the season I wanted to be out there to try and help put us in a position to consolidate that top four spot," Le Lievre said.

"To be completely honest I would probably describe myself as a witch's hat in the field and I'm definitely looking forward to the Christmas break (to recover), but I managed to run in a straight line when I was out there batting.

"I wouldn't say the injury made me knuckle down more because I think I'm a pretty determined batsman anyway, if anything the wickets falling at the other end probably did help my determination.

"It's my first ton since [the 2015-16 grand final century] and it was nice to get a few away because I feel like I've been hitting it really well and have made a few starts but, typical of me, I've been finding ways to get myself out."

Le Lievre made a point of highlighting how important the efforts of tail-enders Gus Wilson and Al Dhatt were, not just to him passing triple figures but to the green and golds' performance as a whole.

Le Lievre came to the Jack Brabham 2 crease at 3-104 but watched another five wickets fall reasonably quickly at the other end as the side slumped to a precarious 8-224, he was unbeaten on 64 at that point.

He moved to 78 as Wilson (1) dug in long enough to add another 16 for the ninth wicket before Al Dhatt (10) held up his end for nine crucial sets. He helped guide Le Lievre to his ton and the pair added another 33 for the final wicket.

In fact, the dig shares eerie similarities to the first of Le Lievre's grand final tons. He finished with 119 in that game and it was Dhatt, who also made 10 in that innings, that guided him past triple figures in another crucial, 46-run, last-wicket stand.

"Al has helped me to a couple of tons now and just like that last one I think he was more pumped than I was when I got there," Le Lievre said.

"We were very lucky to have Gus and Al able to hang around like that at the end, obviously it made a difference for my innings but those 50-odd runs we were able to add could end up being the difference in a game like this.

"I guess it was just my day in a way and I think the fact we were able to take a couple of quick wickets (to leave Centrals 2-36 in reply) at the end was proof it was our day as a team, we'll just have to back that up next weekend now because a win is important to our season."

Le Lievre also saved some praise for Belmonte too. In a side that, comparatively, hasn't set the world on fire with the bat as a whole this summer the young gun has been consistent at the top of the order, he's now bludgeoned 302 runs this summer at 60.40, with a best of 108.

"It was a touch disappointing for him that he didn't go on with the start but at the same time I think you could definitely use the words purple patch to describe his form," Le Lievre said of the 20-year-old.

"He obviously got away to a great start with that superb [ton] against Kinross earlier in the summer and he's made some good starts since then.

"Being an opener there's that pressure of getting your side off to a good start and while we probably haven't being as good collectively as we'd like so far he's definitely been doing that.

"He's been threatening a summer like this for a while, remember he's been playing first grade since he was 15, so it's been really pleasing to see him doing well, here's hoping he keeps that kind of form up now."

That description of Belmonte's form is the only way to describe Cavaliers skipper Matt Corben's exploits too, as he plundered his second ton of the summer on Saturday afternoon to carry the maroons to a reasonably-competitive total.

Already the competition's leading run-scorer leading into the opening day of the fifth round, Corben banged out 101 in a 152-ball, three-hour stint at the Wade Park crease, continuing his stunning, almost Steve Smith-like run of form.

Incredibly, he's yet to fail in the reinvigorated, combined competition. The ton follows his efforts of 92, 176 and 89 in the fourth, third and second rounds respectively, and he didn't bat against St Pat's Old Boys in round one as he was away on representative duty.

His 458 runs this summer have now come at a ridiculous average of 114.50 and he tops the run-scoring list despite batting fewer times than the other nine inside the top 10 on that list.

Of the weekend's other best-performed bats St Pat's Old Boys' Bailey Brien celebrated his first top grade ton with a superb dig of 105 against Rugby Union, while Connor Slattery also made 86 for the Saints.

City Colts' Henry Shoemark made his second half-century of the summer as well, knocking up 68 against Bathurst City.

Of the bowlers a leg-spinning Shaun Grenfell picked up 4-98 from 23 overs at Wade Park while Brett Causer also claimed 3-43, and Centrals' Ed Dodds snared 3-41 from his eight overs against CYMS.

The full scorecards from Bathurst City's clash with City Colts and Kinross' encounter with Centennials Bulls were both unavailable at time of publication, Rugby Union's bowling numbers were also unavailable.