CRICKET: A stoic rear-guard effort from Tucabia-Copmanhurst GI Hotel middle order batsman Andrew "Bucky” Buchanan has put the side in the driver's seat in its clash with South Services.

It was appearing dire at one stage for the third-placed Tucabia side as Services duo Linden Harris (2 for 23 off 11) and Jacob Ellis (5 for 41 off 15) tore through the top order to have Tucabia at 4-14.

But a determined Buchanan walked to the crease intent on getting the side through the afternoon at Lower Fisher Park, and he would go close, spending more than three hours at the crease.

"It was just our usual start,” Tucabia captain Brad Chard said. "(Ellis) and Linden bowled really well at the start.

"Between their bowling and a bunch of blokes pushing at balls they shouldn't have is what put us in strife.

"But Bucky did what he has done for the past four years. He just went out and blunted the attack and hit the bad balls.”

Buchanan put on 33 alongside Tim Bultitude (26) before he linked with all-rounder Rohan Hackett (75) for a 105-run seventh-wicket stand.

While he struggled to find the middle early on, Hackett soon warmed into his innings before flicking the switch after the late drinks break.

"He said before he went out that he had come off two ducks and he wasn't getting a third one,” Chard said.

"It took him a bit, but then he really started getting hold of them. Two balls after the second drinks break he hit the hockey field fence on the full before taking 20 off the over.”

Hackett put on another 22 opposite Chris Adamson (19) before Chard declared the innings at 9-201 to give his seam attack a late blitz at the Services top order.

Justin Rainbow was cleaned up by Chard in the opening over before Tom Kroehnert (10) and Dylan Cleaver (5) saw the side to stumps at 1-20.

"We would like to think we are in the box seat, but Tom and Dylan are still out there and they can score runs,” Chard said. "We just need to come out with the right intent and look for early wickets next weekend.”

SOUTH SERVICES V TUC-COP GI HOTEL

At Lower Fisher Turf

Toss: Tucabia Copmanhurst

Umpires: Tony Blanch

Tuc-Cop 1st Innings

DJ Cootes c & b Harris 2

B Ryan c Cleaver b Ellis 11

MJ Dougherty b Ellis 0

TA Cootes c Harris b Ellis 4

MC Pigg b Harris 1

AJ Buchanan c Cleaver b Amos 50

T Bultitude b Amos 26

R Hackett b Ellis 75

CA Adamson c Kroehnert b Ellis 19

B Chard not out 2

DW Woods not out 6

Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 0, nb 1) 5

NINE wickets (dec) for 201

Overs: 63

FoW: 1-2(DJ Cootes) 2-3(MJ Dougherty) 3-7(TA Cootes) 4-14(MC Pigg) 5-30(B Ryan) 6-63(T Bultitude) 7-168(AJ Buchanan) 8-190(R Hackett) 9-191(CA Adamson)

Bowling: L Harris 11-5-23-2, J Ellis 15-3-41-5, J Amos 17-1-45-2, DW Cleaver 8-1-17-0, A Cottee 6-0-48-0(1nb), J Peady 6-2-23-0

South Services 1st Innings

J Rainbow b Chard 2

DW Cleaver not out 5

T Kroehnert not out 10

Extras (b 0, lb 0, w 3, nb 0) 3

ONE wicket for 20

Overs: 9

FoW: 1-2(J Rainbow)

Bowling: B Chard 5-2-8-1, R Hackett 1-0-4-0, CA Adamson 3-0-8-0(3w)