IT HAD been four seasons between Jake Montgomery’s first two centuries in the top grade.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Wallsend batsman waited just seven days to notch up his fourth and fifth.
The 24-year-old now has four hundreds in the space of two summers, most recently from back-to-back efforts for the Tigers the last two weekends.
Montgomery piled on 168 against Merewether at Townson Oval on Saturday, and along with skipper Nathan Price (107) helped the visitors to 7-334 before a declaration was made with three overs remaining. The Lions are 0-9 in reply.
One week earlier the right-handed Newcastle representative steered the Tigers home with 120 chasing down defending champions Wests (281) at Wallsend Oval.
“He [Montgomery] had been a bit quiet before Christmas,” Price said.
“He’d hurt his finger and had been hampered by that, but now he’s back to full fitness he’s shown what he can do. To go back-to-back is great, especially in such important games for us. To have someone like that step up for us is impressive.”
Price described Saturday’s knock as “brilliant”, saying Montgomery “struck it well from ball one” and he simply “took the game away” from the hosts.
His 210-ball innings lasted over five hours in hot conditions. There were 14 fours and four sixes.
Only Montgomery’s maiden century of 178 from 2013-2014 is higher.
Batting at No.3, the former under-19 ACT player arrived in the middle at 1-1 before putting on 121 with opener James Beatty (28).
Montgomery and Price made 144 together, taking the total to 3-266.
Price’s personal tally for 2018-2019 is now 763 runs at an average of 95.38, featuring four hundreds.
He leads both the Newcastle District Cricket Association batting aggregate and player of the year standings.
Before this two-dayer, eight points separated Wallsend (33) in seventh and fifth-placed Merewether (41) on the competition ladder.
Elsewhere, top-four teams Hamilton-Wickham, Toronto and Charlestown have already collected points on day one of their round 11 encounters.
Toronto (7-231), equal third with Charlestown, finished 150 first-innings runs in front of Waratah-Mayfield (81) at Waratah Oval.
Charlestown (1-115) find themselves in a similar situation to a fortnight ago, having snuck past City (106) at Kahibah Oval.
Second-placed University (5-104) require a further 41 runs with five wickets in hand to beat Belmont (144) at Cahill Oval on day two.
Wests (3-24), who sit sixth, are in a bit of early trouble against Cardiff-Boolaroo (181) at Harker Oval.
