Ahead of Saturday's RSL-Whitney Cup top-of-the-table battle, Ben Patterson told his CYMS teammates he wanted his side to make a statement.
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That was certainly achieved as all anyone was talking about post-game was Patterson and the Cougars.
Patterson produced one of the all-time great performances in first grade at No. 3 Oval as he took five wickets against Macquarie before hitting a simply sensational century.
The former Australian Indigenous representative made a staggering 101 not out from just 39 balls in a near-perfect display of clean hitting.
It secured a dominant double bonus point win for CYMS, after Patterson's 5/24 had earlier restricted Macquarie to 164.
"That's definitely my best on-field performance and I don't think I'll be topping it any time soon," Patterson said of his day out.
A CYMS junior who is now back at the club this season after stints with Newtown and Rugby locally and, more recently, Campbelltown-Camden in Sydney, Patterson returned to Dubbo cricket with plenty of fanfare.
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While he'd performed well for the Cougars up to Saturday there hadn't yet been the scintillating performance many were expecting.
That all changed against Macquarie as the hard-hitting speedster emphasised his side's premiership credentials.
"I've been hitting the ball nice and hard in the nets but I hadn't been able to transfer it to a game so it was nice to get that to tick over and with the ball, I was just happy to contribute and keep the run-rate down because Macquarie really can get away from you," he said.
"To get a strong win over them should be sending a message to other teams."
After the teams held a minute's silence following the passing of CYMS legend Tom Nelson, the father of current CYMS president Marty Nelson, earlier in the week it was Macquarie who started the better.
While Patterson removed Hugh Sienkiewicz (2) early on, captain Ricky Medway (61) and Lachlan Strachan (51) rebuilt things and took the score to 1/91 at the midway point of the innings.
But then Patterson returned and after he bowled Strachan it was a procession.
Patterson ripped through the middle order as the Blues lost 5/18 at one point and when Ben Knaggs (3/31) knocked over Medway it wasn't long before the innings was all over.
Brock Larance then started the run chase in style as he hit a quick 33 at the top of the order but that was nothing compared to the show Patterson put on.
The right-hander pummelled 10 fours and seven sixes in an innings that even had the players next door at No. 2 Oval watching.
The Cougars lost just two wickets and reached the target in the 16th over.
"It's just nice to be off the mark and get that first five-fa and first hundred for CYMS, and it's just awesome I got to do it one game," Patterson said.
"Obviously I back myself. It was about summing up conditions and acknowledging where the wind is going, looking to small boundary and playing high percentage shots.
"It was all part of a process and yesterday (Saturday) I just had a day out."
The win means CYMS and Macquarie are locked at the top of the ladder heading into the Christmas break while Newtown strengthened its grip on third on Saturday by scoring an impressive win over RSL-Colts.
Colts, the defending premiers, have now lost three straight matches after the Tigers held on to score a nervy two-wicket win at No. 1 Oval.
Newtown's depth of bowling talent again shone as five different bowlers took wickets to knock over Colts for just 148.
Colts' bowling attack, led by captain Marty Jeffrey's 5/38, was then in total control and reduced Newtown to 7/73 before Dan French and Matt Purse combined in a match-winning partnership.
French finished 52 not out while Purse made 39 not out from 41 balls at number nine to secure a win which gives his side's finals hopes a huge boost.
Colts is five points off third and level with Rugby, who made it three straight wins when defeating South Dubbo on Saturday.
After Greg Rummans (68) led Souths to an imposing 7/204, Rugby started the chase in style through Ben Wheeler (44) and Darcy Chewings (62) before a middle-order collapse left plenty of work to be done.
Jakke Gardiner was the batter to stand up and he hit an unbeaten 46 to get Rugby across the line with two wickets and 10 balls to spare.
The competitions resumes on Saturday, January 15.
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