Without strike bowler Matt Miller, captain Matt Day led the way with both bat and ball as his side inflicted United’s first defeat.

Day (25), Nathan Lyon (30) and Jake Morgan-Monk (30) provided the glue that held the Wauchope innings together after it lost the toss and were sent in.

The captain admitted he thought their 125 was about 30 runs short, especially after they were 3-70 at drinks.

Remarkably, United were then bowled out for 97 in the 32nd over in reply.

The visitors lost their final five wickets for just 13 runs with Day (4-17 off eight) and Tony Brown (4-3 off 2.3 overs) ripping through the lower order.

Bailey Smith (2-31 off eight) also chipped in.

“It was a super bowling and fielding performance,” Day said.

“Without a doubt it’s our best win of the season and to do it without Miller adds a bit of a kick to us.

“Taree are a good side and for them to be undefeated it was great for us to do what we did.”

Day said it could be a performance that suggested his side could be a force in the competition this season.

“It’s going to be one to look back on if we get ourselves into a rut that we get back to doing what we did on Saturday,” he said.

“It was a really good team morale performance – we didn’t think we had enough, but to put in that bowling performance was fantastic.”

Macquarie Hotel captain Josh Hyde has requested his side never plays at Kempsey Golf Club again after they continued their perfect start to the Mid North Coast Premier Cricket League.

They were rarely challenged during a 97-run win over Rovers, but Hyde was far from impressed with the conditions they had to do it in.

He has already taken steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“It was on a pretty disgraceful cricket pitch that isn’t up to local first grade standard up there,” he said.

“They haven’t played on it for three years and then they go and put a Premier League game on it.

“I’ve put forward that we never play there again.”

Chris Cole (83) led the way with the bat as Macquarie compiled an imposing 7-254 off its 40 overs.

Hyde (37), Scott Witchard (39) and Michael Pelley (22) all chipped in.

Sam Dwyer (4-29 off six overs) then picked up vital wickets as Rovers were bowled out for 157 in the 25th over.

“He bowled at the top of off stump every ball and no one else found their line to do it on that wicket,” Hyde said.

“They were one or two for 60 or 70 off not many overs and he came on and got rid of their better batsmen.”