Southern Districts has battled out a gutsy draw as round four of SACA Premier Cricket wrapped up at Bice Oval on Saturday. Tea Tree Gully had finished day one on 4/316 and they decided to bat on for another four overs on day two, adding a further 33 runs for the loss of just one wicket before declaring at 5/349. Shaun Tanner (2/65) and Sunam Gautam (2/112) were the multiple wicket takers for the Stingrays.

The run chase couldn’t have started off any worse for the hosts as Tea Tree Gully’s opening bowlers Ben Atkinson (2/34) and Adam Somerfield (3/42) cut a swathe through Southern Districts’ top order to leave them reeling at 4/10. Sunam Gautam started to ease some of the pressure with a breezy 30 from 41 balls but when he was dismissed, with the score at 5/52, a home victory was out of the question with salvaging a draw the only aim for the Stingrays. Veteran all-rounder Shaun Tanner was joined by David Sboro and this pair set about blunting the Bulls attack. They did this with great effect for over two and a half hours until Sboro was dismissed for 38 after an excellent 112-run stand for the sixth wicket. Tanner was ploughing on and he found another ally in Lewis Hatchett who batted for over an hour for his eight not out, while Tanner notched his second ‘A’ grade century, finishing 119 not out in a tick under five hours of intense concentration. It was a match saving innings as the Stingrays held on for a well deserved draw at 7/215.

The Stingrays have the bye next week before taking on West Torrens in round six at Henley Grange Memorial Oval on 16 & 23 November.