Rhys Howarth redefines carrying your team with classy century

Runaway Bay No.3 Rhys Howarth won’t have to buy a beer again this season if his Saturday batting heroics can inspire the Seagulls to a win against Surfers Paradise next week.

Runaway Bay No.3 Rhys Howarth won’t have to buy a beer again this season if his Saturday batting heroics can inspire the Seagulls to a win against Surfers Paradise next week.

Howarth dug deep to face down 189 deliveries for 124 runs as his teammates fell 9-90 over 72.2 overs at Runaway Bay’s Sam Loxton Oval.

Opener Charles Parsons scored a respectable 38 while No.9 Matt Madeley added 39 runs, leaving eight more batsmen to combine for five runs.

Just three escaped with a run to their name.

If not for Howarth, Runaway Bay’s raft of ducks would be staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat on home soil.

Cricket Gold coast's new pre-season Twenty20 competition begins on Saturday Runaway Bay batsman Rhys Howarth, the leading runscorer in last season's T20s, Runaway Bay. Picture: Jerad Williams

Their final total of 219 is still a difficult target to defend but if successful, Howarth will be rightly hailed as the hero for keeping his side in with a chance.

At Lession Oval, Helensvale Pacific Pines batsman Jack Lickiss was cruelly dismissed for 99 as his side batted out their 75 overs to post 9-240 against Alberton Ormeau at home.

Hurricane Will Hudgson led Alberton with the ball with 5-40 from an 11-over spell.

At Greg Chaplin Oval, Michael Durbridge took 5-25 as his Queens side bowled out Mudgeeraba-Nerang for 153.

The Bushmen rebounded with the ball, taking two wickets from the final 10 overs of the day.

There were similar scenes at Palm Beach Currumbin as Coomera Hope Island declared at 9-252.

The home side faced 13 overs for the gain of 37 runs and the loss of two wickets, both to Phil Tunnicliffe.