Macquarie hands RSL-Colts a first loss of RSL-Whitney Cup season

In a cracking RSL-Whitney Cup contest on Saturday, the Blues defeated the previously unbeaten leaders by five runs at No. 1 Oval.

Macquarie stalwart Jason Green, who bowled the nervy final over, has no doubt the win will fill his side with real belief heading into the second half of the season.

"Big time," he said.

"Knowing we can beat the top team will give us a lot of confidence, especially the younger guys.

"They all know they played a role too, which is good."

Macquarie showed real fight in the win after Jason Green (7) and Ben Strachan (0) fell early to give Colts all the momentum.

Ricky Medway made an important 30 in a 62-run stand with Myles Smith before the latter teamed up with captain Ed Haylock to really get the Blues back on track.

The pair put on 95 for the fourth wicket, with Haylock making 53 from 59 balls while Smith continued to show how important a player he's become for the Blues by making a game-high 71.

The Parkes-based all-rounder hit seven fours in his knock while he also went on to bowl a tight eight overs in another strong showing.

"He wanted to play more competitive cricket and he's really enjoying it," Green said, Smith having joined the Blues midway through last season.

"He liked it yesterday, there was a bit of banter out there when he was batting.

"He bowled well, he had a sore shoulder so we weren't sure if he was going to bowl but he's been really good for us."

The vital Smith-Haylock partnership allowed Macquarie to post 7/203 from its 40 overs, while Ben Semmler was the best performer with the ball for Colts and took 3/29 from six overs.

The run chase was in the balance throughout Colts' innings as a number of batsmen made starts and kept the run rate ticking over but the Blues bowlers struck at important times.

Charlie Kempston (21), Josh Smith (47), and Mitch Bower (27) all failed to go on and make the big score needed but Jason Ryan and Chris Morton again combined to keep their side in the game.

With Luke Carman unavailable for the game the Blues were short on bowlers, leaving captain Haylock and Green to take the ball late in the game.

Green was given the ball for the final over and while a boundary, a six, and a wide all came early he did enough to secure the victory for his side.

READ ALSO:

- Women's fixture could add to NRL spectacle at Apex Oval

- More Dubbo sides unlikely in planned expansion of Premier League

- Pathway builder: Skinner to start new Western Rams academy

"With Sticks (Morton) and JR (Ryan) in there, they're very experienced and they were backing themselves," Green said.

"But we just needed to bowl full on that pitch which was a bit slow.

"I wasn't expecting to bowl but we looked around and thought 'who have we got?'.

"They needed about 18 off the last over but I just told myself to keep doing what I've been doing ... I kept my cool and like I said to JR afterwards, it was just a really good game of cricket that could have gone either way."

Ryan finished unbeaten on 39 off 34 balls while Morton made 45 from 35 balls before he was knocked over by Green (1/42).

Colts finished at 6/198, with four Macquarie bowlers taking wickets while there was also two runouts.

While the win was a huge boost for Macquarie they won't be able to rest on their laurels during the break as Newtown and Rugby also won on Saturday to increase the pressure on the top three.

Newtown scored a relatively comfortable win over South Dubbo at No. 2 Oval and that result, combined with Rugby's victory over CYMS, has the Tigers just two points off third place.

Lee Price and Mitch Lincoln were standouts in Newtown's win over Souths.

Price knocked over four of South's top five on the way to finishing with 4/35 from eight overs while he also made 38 at the top of the order as his side reached the target of 174 inside 33 overs.

Lincoln top-scored in the successful chase, making the most of his chance up the order by making 62 not out.

Rugby got itself firmly back in the finals picture on Saturday when scoring a somewhat shock win over CYMS.

The Cougars went into the match in second place but were second best throughout most of the contest at No. 3 Oval.

CYMS knocked over Ben Wheeler (8) and Jacob Hill (24) early but youngster Darcy Chewings dug in to again show his potential.

Chewings went on to top score with 69 before being caught and bowled by Tom Barber (2/37) while Nathan Munro (34 not out) and Jakke Gardiner (20) helped Rugby to a total of 7/228.

That proved too much for the Cougars, who finished with 9/191.

Gardiner bagged 3/19 from eight overs in a decisive spell for Rugby.