Damien Mortimer posted his second century of the season to rescue Sydney University’s first innings against Mosman, in their Round 7, two-day Belvidere Cup match at University Oval on Saturday.
The former Australian Under 19 captain entered the fray with the Students 2-5 and left 210 balls later with 115, including 13 boundaries, next to his name.
Batting at No.4 he anchored the innings as wickets fell around him and was ninth man out in Sydney University’s total of 267.
Tim Ley, batting at No.9, spanked six picket ticklers and two sixes in posting 55 before opening the bowling and snaring 2-5 as the visitors slumped to 3-17 at stumps.
Mortimer, a St Gregory’s College and Campbelltown-Camden Cricket Club product, is now averaging 83.8 from seven First Grade games this season, from an aggregate of 335, including centuries against Hawkesbury (122) and Mosman (115).
He’s also hit 154 runs in four Twenty20 games at an average off 77. In all, he has racked up 489 for the season at 81.5.
The 21-year-old represented Australia in a 2013 Under 19 Quadrangular series in India, featuring the host nation, South Africa, Australia and Zimbabwe and scored an unbeaten 100 Australia’s win over Zimbabwe.
He also captained the Australian Under 19s on a three-match tour of New Zealand in 2013, topscoring with an unbeaten 87 in their win in Lincoln.
Mortimer was then selected in the Australian squad for the 2014 ICCC Under 19 World Cup in Dubai, starting off with three warm-up matches in Sri Lanka.
An elegant right-hand batsman, he is also handy with the gloves behind the stumps, but when Ryan Carters is not on NSW duties, he’s relegated to the field.
Mortimer wasn’t the only SUCC century-maker on Saturday. Charles Litchfield, batting at No.5, hit 103 in Second Grade’s 9-289 at Allan Border Oval.
Entering the fray with the Students 3-25, Litchfield played a patient 237-ball knock that included 12 boundaries and a six. It was his second century on the trot in the Sydney Grade competition, following his 109 not out against Gordon in a Third Grade fixture the previous weekend.
He now has 421 runs, including Poidevin-Gray Shield fixtures, for the season at a healthy 42.1.
Litchfield, a product of Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange, captained the Country and City Schools side as a 17-year-old last season before being selected in the NSW Schoolboys side.
He was also named Orange District Cricket Association cricketer of the year for the second consecutive year. During a stunning season he earned his first Mitchell Cricket Council cap and selection in the Western Zone and NSW Country Colts teams. He also played in the First XV for Kinross.
Sydney University’s Third, Fourth and Fifth grades are well-placed going into day two, with wins across the board vital to ascend the Club Championship ladder before Christmas.
Scoreboard
Sydney Men’s Premier competition: Two-Day matches – Round 7
First Grade: Sydney University 267 off 84.1 overs (Damien Mortimer 115, Tim Ley 55, Ben Trevor-Jones 20; Matthew Day 5-39) versus Mosman 3-17 (Tim Ley 2-5, Dugald Holloway 1-1) stumps, day one at Sydney University Oval. Toss: Sydney University. Batted first: Sydney University.
Second Grade: Sydney University 9-289 off 96 overs (Charles Litchfield 103 Hayden Kerr 38, Ryan McElduff 32, Jonathon Craig Dobson 28; Thomas Slack 4-69, Hugh Sykes 3-38) versus Mosman, stumps, day one at Allan Border Oval. Toss: Sydney University. Batted first: Sydney University.
Third Grade: Sydney University 8-296 off 81 overs (Matthew Powys 68, Tom Kierath 55, Alexander Shaw 53, Ryann Danne 43, Lewis McMahon 28 not out, Kieran Tate 25 not out; Muhammad Ali 3-57) versus Mosman, stumps day one at St Paul’s College Oval. Toss: Mosman. Batted first: Sydney University.
Fourth Grade: Mosman 165 off 74.1 overs (Louis Kimber 66, Nathan Heath 37; Alasdair Grant 5-53, Aidan Peek 4-32) versus Sydney University 1-8 off three overs, stumps, day one at Rawson Park. Toss: Mosman. Batted first: Mosman.
Fifth Grade: Mosman 7-343 (Darshil Patel 69, Angus Carre 62 not out, Shafeq Nouree 55, Ben Knight 48; Zohirul Islam 3-42) versus Sydney University, stumps, day one at Camperdown Oval. Toss: Mosman. Batted first: Mosman.
Metropolitan Cup competition – Round 7
Georges River 2913 off 52.4 overs (Alejandro Salgueira 145, Ray Panchal 29) versus Sydney University 3-42, stumps, day one at Bland Oval. Toss: Georges River. Batted first: Georges River.
NSW Premier Twenty20 Cup – Round 5
Sydney University 7-105 off 20 overs (Liam Robertson 24, Nick Larkin 22 not out, Damien Mortimer 17, Thomas Rogers 14, Tim Ley 14 not out; Jarrad Burke 2-9, Aaron Bird 2-11) defeated Bankstown 9-104 off 20 overs (Michael Stretton 35, Kerrod White 19; Tim Ley 2-21, Liam Robertson 1-12, Ashton May 1-14, Ben Joy 1-14, Dugald Holloway 1-20) by one run at Bankstown Memorial Oval on Sunday. Toss: Bankstown. Batted first: Sydney University. Points: Sydney University 6, Bankstown 0.
Sydney Women’s Premier competition: Brewer Shield – Round 1 (Twenty 20)
Campbelltown-Camden 4-131 off 20 overs (Jessica Langford 31 ret/not out, Stephanie Ellsmore 22 not out, Tara Brendish 20; Eve Donovan 2-17, Amy McKay 1-13, Christiana Sims 1-6) defeated Universities 9-58 off 20 overs (Zoe Benjamin 12, Stella Campbell 11; Jasmine Underwood 2-2, Eliza Mallitt 2-5 Bethany Jenkins 2-8) at David Phillips North on Sunday. Toss: Universities. Batted first: Campbelltown-Camden. Points: Campbelltown-Camden 7.60, Universities 0.40.