Mil Lel captain Jack Miller may be regretting his decision at the toss as his fielders baked in the heat watching North Sportsman’s compile the biggest score of the Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association Barber Shield summer so far.

Despite playing in the hottest temperature possible – play cannot start if 38 degrees or greater is forecast – Miller saw a tinge of green on the Marist Park wicket and elected to bowl.

It proved to be a call from the Nasser Hussain and Ricky Ponting school of captaincy, but for the wrong reasons.

As the Tigers’ top order enjoyed themselves in the sun, Miller’s decision was following a similar trajectory to the infamous ones made by Hussain and Ponting in the Ashes Tests of Brisbane 2002 and Edgbaston 2005 respectively.

Even after taking 22 balls to trouble the scorers, North’s plan of wearing down the potent Mil Lel attack was clear from the outset.

The Tigers turned to experience at the top and paired two of their big guns Michael Johnston and Jake Schutz together.

It proved to be a shrewd move as they both looked to have ambitions for a long stay at the crease after seeing out the new-ball threat from Nick Walters and Logan Gibbs.

Schutz showed signs of his best and targeted the flighty leg-spin of Mitch Little, while being much more circumspect against the seamers.

Johnston was also proactive against spin and put up a strong wall of defence to keep the good balls out.

The duo’s patience paid off when the 50-run milestone was brought up as the visitors started to ponder how to find the breakthrough.

Eventually in the final ball of the 38th over, Mil Lel got an award for its effort when spinner Henry Smith found the edge of Johnston’s bat.

The wicket fell in the middle of a tight period created by Mil Lel when only 13 runs were possible from 83 balls.

However, the sustained pressure from the visitors and the breakthrough from their spinner sporting a new haircut did not have the long-lasting effect they would have hoped for.

Instead, youngster Elliott Fisher showed some bravery and changed the course of an innings where North was crawling at less than two runs an over.

After only scoring a single from his first 17 balls, a flowing four off Walters flicked the switch for Fisher and he went on the attack.

The number three was looking to thrive rather than survive and his positive mindset rubbed off on the more credentialled Schutz and Tom Robertson.

After racing the score well into tiple figures, Schutz looked set for one of his trademark big scores, but was dismissed by Miller for a 165-ball 54.

However, the wicket did not affect the way Fisher was playing and Robertson followed in his slipstream.

The run rate continued to increase and the pressure started to mount on Mil Lel’s shoulders as the Tigers raced to the imposing score of 2/203.

As the shadows were lengthening, North looked set to bat Mil Lel out of the game with Fisher flying.

With a maiden century in any form of the game there for the taking, Fisher raced into the nineties with a commanding six off Smith.

However, the dream was dashed when the Mil Lel captain snuck one past the number three’s defence and trapped him lbw five runs short of a memorable ton.

Despite Fisher’s 115-ball 95 being the highlight of the day, his wicket was part of a significant twist on the stroke of stumps.

After toiling all day in the sun, Mil Lel showed some character and launched a late comeback after finding some life with the old ball.

Leading from the front was the inspirational Miller, who was keen to justify his unexpected decision at the toss and picked up 6/55.

Half of his poles took place in the 80th and final over and if the Tigers bat again, Miller will have the chance to bowl for a hat-trick.

He received strong support from Smith and Gibbs as Mil Lel cut apart North’s middle order taking 7/55 to restrict the hosts to 9/258.