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Pickwick 268, Wanderers 239-4

Chris Humphrey yesterday hit a maiden Division 1 century of the highest class to carry Cockspur Wanderers to within 30 runs of first innings lead against arch-rivals ESA Field Pickwick.

The 27-year-old opener was still there at the end, unbeaten on 126.

He shared an important, undefeated partnership of 112 for the fifth wicket with long-serving all-rounder Ricky Clarke, who made an assured 36.

Humphrey hardly put a foot, or bat, wrong all day. The former Harrison College schoolboy was happy to be a comparatively silent partner during a frantic opening stand of 45 with Michael Edwards.

Edwards, a six-wicket hero Saturday, timed the ball sweetly in a run-a-ball 31 which was laced with six fours and a pulled six.

But seamer Gregory Simmons made the key breakthrough when he induced an edge to the wicket-keeper.

Simmons was gifted the wicket of Gavin Beresford soon afterwards, the burly batsman aiming for consecutive boundaries and only spooning a catch to point.

But, by then, Humphrey was beginning to assert himself with some of his trademark cover drives.

On his way to his century, which arrived off 185 balls and 211 minutes, there were 19 boundaries, all fluently stroked through the off-side across a lightning-fast outfield.

There were about half-dozen so exquisitely timed and placed that Humphrey simply stayed put in his follow through to admire the results.

On passing three figures, Humphrey saluted the appreciative crowd, one of whom was his proud father, who ran onto the field and hugged his son.

Humphrey added two more fours afterwards but then played one of his few false shots all day, when, on 111, he drove a hard return chance that Wren Miller floored.

Miller had earlier grassed a much easier offering off Clarke when he was 21 and the score 199.