Medway hit 14 fours and two sixes in his innings, but it was almost worth nothing as some late support from Ben Page (50) and Oliver Hoare (25) provided the only assistance.

In the end Macquarie rallied from being 6-120 to finish with 300 before taking two late wickets to leave the Cougars 2-2 when they resume this Saturday.

“I’d been hitting the ball pretty well before Saturday but it just came together on the day,” said Medway, who filled in for Jason Green as skipper despite the latter making a last-minute decision to play.

“When we lost those early wickets and were in a bit of strife it was about trying to bat time and not play any silly shots.

“I think I did that pretty well. I only gave them one sharp chance at short cover on about 20 and the rest was pretty good from there to 100.

“They dropped me a couple of times after 100 but by that stage I had Oli and Ben Page batting well with me.”

Page’s knock of 50 was his first half-century in the top grade and made up almost half of the 110-run partnership he shared with his captain.

“I was happy for Ben because he played a really mature knock and I think it was really that innings which made 300 possible,” Medway said.

CYMS captain Ben Strachan toiled hard through 30.3 overs and finished with figures of 2-112 while Adam Wells finished with 4-83 from his 18 overs.

With two overs to see out late in the day the CYMS chase started in the worst way possible as Dave McAlister was bowled by Adam Thurlow for a duck before Jacob Hill fell LBW to Hoare for one.

“They will probably be shaking their heads a bit to think they sent us in on a wet deck and had us 6-120 and are they are now 2-2 chasing 300,” Medway said.

“That’s what can happen in two-day cricket though. We have to come out and do the job with the ball next week because they have shown already this year that they can make big totals.”