BALANCED on a knife edge after first weekend, the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) A grade grand final is still up for grabs with both teams seemingly having one hand on the trophy with a day left to play.

Saturday dawned fine and sunny with the all-important coin toss falling in favour of St Andrew’s and Russell Elton had little hesitation in batting first, as Brendan Huf and Michael Fitzpatrick donned their pads and took strike against Tyrendarra opening bowlers, Sam Wilson and Darren Kilmister.

The opening batsmen combined for another century stand after Huf was given not out to a very confident appeal for a catch at the wicket early in his knock.

Huf carried on to 63 when a century seemed likely, but Ben Menzel found the edge of his bat as the ball passed through to Hamish Withers with 110 on the board.

Damien Logan (11) helped add 20 to the score but was caught short of his ground by a great piece of fielding at cover from Mark Pitt who sent the ball over the top of the stumps to Withers.

Fitzpatrick had been patient as he waited for a bad ball to come along, but with his score on 70, he was caught and bowled by Lachlan Kirk, as Tyrendarra fought its way back into the game by also grabbing the wicket of Liam Walsh as the Drews lost two quick wickets.

At 4-165 the game was evenly poised, but Ben Menzel turned the game for his team by dismissing Kane Taylor (21) and John Walsh (16) to leave the Drews at 6-191 and in danger of collapse after such a solid start.

The Drews’ tail end batting was not about to allow innings to end quickly, as Jacob Hill (43), Josh Nield (17), Latham Wishart (31), and Simon Hatherell (16-not-out) kept Tyrendarra in the field through to stumps on the opening day with the score at 7-255 with Hill and Wishart at the crease.

Tyrendarra looked to end the innings quickly when play resumed on Sunday, but the St Andrew’s tail continued to wag, with the score reaching 300 when the final wicket fell.

Importantly, the batsmen kept the Darras in the field for another 22 overs to add more to already tired legs, but Menzel finished with 5-68 to be the standout bowler, while Lachlan Kirk grabbed 2-31 in support during the 107-over innings.

Tyrendarra had 60 overs to bat until stumps on day two where the game could be won or lost, but the Darras supports could not have foreseen the poor start to the run chase.

St Andrew’s had Kirk (four), Pitt (three), and the prized scalp of Jordi Withers (six) back in the pavilion after 13 overs with only 16 runs on the board.

Josh Nield and Latham Wishart bowled a diligent line and length and were rewarded with the early wickets, and the pressure was well and truly placed on the Darras middle order.

Jake Wilson and Ben Menzel would have been thinking that they wouldn’t have been called on to bat, instead putting their feet up after their bowling innings, but the pair were back in the middle and needing to rescue the innings if the side was going to have any chance.

As the situation required, the pair played themselves in and stymied the bowlers who had been well on top, but once they had the measure of the pitch and the bowlers, the runs started to flow.

They saw the side through to the afternoon tea break without further loss and then carried the score to 119 when Wilson (40) was caught short of his ground by a direct throw from Damien Logan to end the 103-run partnership.

Menzel had raised his bat for his half century before Wilson was dismissed, but he followed soon after for 57, as Logan trapped the all-rounder in front of his stumps to have the Darras at 5-123 in only the 40th over.

With half the side with the pads off, St Andrew’s had one hand firmly on the Dundas Cup and possibly looking at having the Darras all out by the end of the day.

A reshuffled batting order from that of the regular season has Sam Wilson and Darras skipper, Cameron Mather, at the wicket as both would normally bat in the top order.

The pair were determined not to hand their wickets to the Drews, and the batsmen ground out the remaining 20 overs to ensure the minor premiers start day three with five wickets in hand.

The Darras still need a further 144 runs after finishing Sunday on 5-157 with Wilson not out on 34 and Mather to resume on two-not-out with the Drews still needing the five wickets.

Following the opening weekend’s play, both captains are confident of claiming victory.

“I think the game right now could go either way,” Mather said.

“If we were only four wickets down, I’d probably swing it in our favour, but if Sam (Wilson) and I can put together a good partnership and occupy a few overs next week, I think anything is possible.

“On the first day we just had to bowl tight lines early which unfortunately we didn’t do.

“We just allowed them one loose ball an over which normally went for four.

“A couple of dropped opportunities and ‘Killy’ (Darren Kilmister) rolling his ankle five mins before the first ball didn’t help.

“I told the team on Sunday morning if we could get them out in 15 overs for under 300, while also going into bat and occupying some overs it would be a good start.

“Losing 3-16 wasn’t in the plan, but Jake (Wilson) and Ben’s (Menzel) partnership has put us in with a chance.

“Going into next Saturday, the longer we bat the better our chances will be, as once you’re established on that wicket it’s a great deck and oval to bat on.”

St Andrews skipper, Russell Elton, expected a tough second weekend ahead.

“The game is 100 per cent in the balance,”  he said.

“We got the runs on the board and 300 is a great score, but we know if any team is capable of chasing it down, it’s Tyrendarra.”