Lower order rescues Comets from another batting collapse Scott Walsh Friday, 6 October 2006 The ACT Comets defied a second top-order failure to grind out an unconvincing draw against a Tasmanian second-XI in a Cricket Australia trial at Chisholm Oval last night. The Comets finished at 8-88 chasing 270 off 50 overs after a brutal Tasmanian second innings allowed the visitors to declare at 4-345 yesterday. However, the day-two batting heroics of Comets tailenders James Crossthwaite (98) and Adam Ritchard gave the ACT first-innings points despite yesterday's top-end collapse. The pair again rode out the ACT's batting horrors, with wicketkeeper Crossthwaite finishing undefeated on 12 and Ritchard on one not out when umpires ended the match because of bad light 10 minutes before the scheduled finish time of 6pm last night. Peter Radford was the best of the Comets with 26 runs on an otherwise barren scoresheet. Gun Queanbeyan export Mark Higgs, back in the territory after a stint with the South Australia Redbacks, was next best with 22. Coach Simon Helmot was thankful the three-day trial match had exposed batting deficiencies before the Comets' State League Cup one-day game against Sydney Central in nine days. "We just kept losing wickets constantly so it was a disappointing end, even though we won the match," Helmot said. "If we'd got a good start we might have been able to look at winning the game outright but after losing so many wickets early we ended up having to rescue it. "We just need to get stronger at the top. We're getting starts but losing wickets in groups. It's certainly an issue for us so we'll keep working on our games." Tasmanian opener Rhett Lockyear led the visitors' second-innings batting assault, compiling an unbeaten 163 in a 243-run partnership with Matthew Wade (95). Nathan Wegman then rattled the Comets with 4-29 from his 10 overs. It was a tug-of-war over the three days as Tasmania declared at nine for 315 in the side's first innings. The Comets were lagging at 5-91 before Crossthwhaite's heroics spurred his side on to 383. Before yesterday's play, Helmot said despite his side having taken first-innings points, it was keen to chase an outright.