MACQUARIE Hotel knocked Wauchope RSL over in a low-scoring replay of last year's grand final at Andrews Park on Saturday.
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Macquarie rolled RSL for 105 after earlier scoring 107 on a grassy and soft pitch.
The spin combination of Sam Ward and Chris Cole slowed the RSL batsmen up and allowed Macquarie to get the win.
The game could have gone either way. If Matt Day had have cleared Liam Coelho in the deep, RSL would have won.
Cole and Ward captured two wickets each bowling at the death.
"It was a real benefit being able to bowl an off spinner [Ward] and a leg spinner [Cole] at the same time," Macquarie captain Michael Pelley said.
"It made it really tough for them."
Earlier, pace bowler Josh Hyde snared four wickets.
Single-figure scores were plentiful in both innings. Only four Macquarie batsmen did better than 10.
Liam Coelho's 29 was the team's best. He batted at five.
Ward made 26 at the top of the card. His fellow opener Ethan Hyde and number three Chris Cole were run out.
Number eight Dan Kennedy made a useful 16 to boost the score.
Jason Blythe top scored for RSL, with 26.
He and Josh King had a good partnership which almost got the team over the line.
"That swung momentum back their way a bit," Pelley said.
Opener Darren Bourke scored 21.
Pelley said bowling a nagging line and length would be the key to winning the match on the grassy deck.
"If we bowled in the right areas it would be hard to score," he said.
Comboyne beat Port Panthers Pirates in the other match of round two. Comboyne was five down when it passed Pirates' 5-171.