Western takes out NSW Country Colts Cricket Championships for the first time
Western has made history following a perfect week at the Country Colts Championships in Queanbeyan. Check out all the results and star performers.
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Western has claimed its maiden Country Colts Championship after completing an undefeated week at the tournament in Queanbeyan.
On day four of the championship Western recorded an easy eight-wicket victory against Central North to seal the title, the zone’s first regional under 18s crown since the combined carnival was introduced in 2007/08.
The day four victory was the team’s fifth from as many games, taking Western to 25 points on the table, three ahead of the second-placed Greater Illawarra.
While the week ended in commanding fashion, Western survived a couple of incredibly close games early in its campaign.
In fact, in the team’s opening match of the tournament – a rain-affected 50-over match that was ultimately reduced to 23 overs per team – Western and the ACT both finished with 153 runs, with Western awarded a three-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after initially starting their inning thinking more than 23 overs would be bowled.
The second round match against Greater Illawarra was even closer.
After Western batted first and posted a total of 116, Greater Illawarra put in a solid chase and needed just three from the last ball to win.
In dramatic scenes, Greater Illawarra’s Ryan Cattle hit the final delivery from Connor Whale through mid-wicket.
As Cattle came back for a second that would have tied the match, he was run out by some sharp fielding from Riley Keen, with Western claiming a nailbiting one-run win.
From there the team went from strength to strength and it was relatively smooth sailing for Western.
They defeated Riverina by seven wickets in a T20 match, chased down Central Coast’s total of 120 with more than 23 overs remaining in a 50-over fixture and then capped things off with the commanding eight-wicket win over Central North on Thursday to seal the title.
The team had a number of strong performers over the course of the week.
With the bat, Hugh Sienkiewicz finished with the most runs on 121 at an average of 40, while captain Blake Kreuzberger wasn’t far behind, chalking up 112 over the course of the tournament at an average of 37.
Anthony Atlee was another strong contributor, posting 44 and 41 in the team’s opening two games against the ACT and Greater Illawarra.
There were some other strong individual performances with the bat, such as Luke Hunter’s 40 not out against the Central Coast, Edward Murray’s 48 not out against Riverina and Fletcher Hyde’s 51 against Central North.
However given that the team was only required to chase modest totals in three of their games, Western’s batting line-up never really got the chance to properly let loose.
With the ball, Connor Whale was the side’s leading wicket-taker with eight at an average of 13.5. This included the remarkable figures of 5-35 against Central North.
Lachlan Rummans wasn’t far behind him, taking seven wickets across the tournament in a consistent display that saw him claim scalps in all five games.
**
Day four
Western v Central North
Western capped off its undefeated tournament with a crushing eight-wicket victory over Central North on day four.
After choosing to bat, Central North found itself in trouble early, with the loss of top order wickets leaving the side 4-22 early on.
Although Joseph Hancock (31), Harry Scowen (24) and Thomas Lovegrove (18) proved some resistance, the team as bowled out for 131 inside 40 overs, with Connor Whale ding the damage with the ball with the fantastic figures of 5-35.
In chasing down the total, Western never looked in trouble.
Opener Fletcher Hyde chalked up the side’s first half century of the tournament in his 51, while Hugh Sienkiewicz (48 not out) and Blake Kreuzberger (15 not out) guided the side home with more than 18 overs to spare to claim the Colts title.
Greater Illawarra v ACT
Still in with a chance of claiming the title at the coin toss, Greater Illawarra put in the most destructive batting performance of the tournament in its stunning 230-run victory over the ACT.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Greater Illawarra got off to a solid start, with Willoughby Watson (29) and Bailey Abela (25) both making starts.
However that all changed when Angus Campbell entered the fray. Batting at first drop, Campbell plundered the ACT attack all over the park as he notched up the first century of the tournament.
He finished with 151 from just 112 balls, eerily reminiscent of his stunning 148 scored in last year’s Bradman Cup.
With some strong middle order hitting from Thomas Fletcher (37 from 24 balls), Greater Illawarra finished their 50 overs at 9-331, far and away the highest score of the tournament.
In reply, the ACT never really got going, with the team slumping to 4-27 after some excellent opening bowling from Illawarra’s attack.
Although Lewis Robertson showed plenty of resistance for the Canberra side with an unbeaten 40, the ACT were bowled out for 101 inside 31 overs, handy Greater Illawarra a huge win.
Leg spinner Ryan Cattle was the star for the victors, claiming 4-16 from six overs.
North Coastal v Newcastle
North Coastal ruined Newcastle’s chances of an unbeaten tournament with a dramatic two-wicket victory that was sealed with just one ball remaining.
After winning the toss, Newcastle chose to bat and finished its 50 overs on 9-192.
In what was a cliffhanger chase the whole way through, a number of North Coastal batters made starts but were unable to go on with a big score, with the regular fall of wickets keeping Newcastle in the game.
Openers Tom Marchant (30) and Beau Mainey (20) got the team off to a solid start, with the likes of Sam Weir (17), Lachlan Carlyle (16) and Nathan Pryke (18) all unable to go on with the job. Kai Croft was the standout for North Coastal with 42.
As the game reached the final over, Jack Stace and Will Barnes got North Coastal over the line with just one ball remaining to secure the dramatic two-wicket victory.
For Newcastle, Selman Hassan picked up 2-40, while Connor Gibson (1-27), James Burke (1-31) and Harry Dwyer (1-32) were also impressive.
Central Coast v Riverina
The Central Coast finished off a disappointing tournament on a high after a strong 54-run win over Riverina.
After electing to bat, the Central Coast once again found itself in trouble at 6-69 after the top order fell cheaply.
Some dogged middle and lower order resilience from Lachlan Snedden (34), skipper Bailey Lidgard (33) and Seth Slominski (17 not out) pushed the team beyond 100, however they were ultimately bowled out for 131 after 47.5 overs.
Jordan Wells was the wrecker, picking up an incredible 7-18 from 8.5 overs.
In response, Riverina never really got going. Only two players reached double figures, with opener William Ashton (32) the only one to make a score, and the team was bowled out for a disappointing 77 after just 20.1 overs.
It was a wonderful team effort from Central Coast’s bowling unit, with Daniel Thompson (3-28), Lidgard (2-1), Slominski (2-8) and Angus Jack (2-19) all among the wickets.
**
Day three
There were some incredible individual performances as the cream rose to the top on day three of the County Colts.
With both the bat and ball, a number of star players dragged their sides to victory to set up a dramatic day four shootout for the title.
Below is a wrap of all the day three action in which all sides played one 50-over match.
Western v Central Coast
In the most lopsided contest of the day Western maintained its lead at the top of the ladder with a comprehensive five-wicket victory over the Central Coast.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Central Coast made a solid start, with openers Thomas Alderson (24) and Jordan McDonald (16) both making starts.
However an excellent bowling performance and steady flow of wickets slowed down the run rate and saw the Central Coast bowled out for just 120 after 44.1 overs.
Flynn Taylor was the pick of the bowlers for Western, taking 3-16 from 9.1 overs. He was well supported by Riley Keen (3-31), while Lachlan Rummans and Tyson Deebank also picked up wickets.
In reply, Western found itself in trouble early in its run chase, falling to 4-42 as Flynn Newell (3-11 from seven overs) ripped through the top order.
It looked like an upset was on the cards, however captain Blake Kreuzberger (25) and Luke Hunter (40 not out) steadied the ship to see Western home and extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
Western (5-121) def Central Coast (120)
Greater Illawarra v Riverina
Greater Illawarra kept the heat on Western and in doing so kept its chances alive of winning the Country Colts Championships after some excellent batting got the side home against Riverina.
Riverina won the toss and got off to a strong start with the bat.
Top order batsmen William Ashton (30), Hayden Forner (21), Oscar Lyons (52) and Patrick Lavis (48) all got starts to take the team to 3-143 and in a position to post a strong first innings total.
However some tight bowling from leg spinner Mitch Constantinou (0-27 from 10 overs), Alec Dobson (1-21 from nine over) and Bailey Abela (2-33 from 10) slowed down the run rate and ultimately led to a lower-order collapse that saw Riverina finish on 8-194 from its 50 overs.
Other key performers with the ball included spinner Ryan Cattle (2-43 from seven) and Jack Yates (2-9 from two).
Greater Illawarra started its chase in a positive fashion, with opener Abela (60 from 96 balls) and number three Angus Campbell (92 from 112) providing a fantastic platform for the team.
Campbell’s innings was particular impressive, hitting eight fours and one six in what is the highest innings so far in the tournament.
Although Greater Illawarra lost a couple of cheap middle order wickets, Oliver Needham (19 not out) and Thomas Fletcher (nine not out) guided the time home with nine balls to spare.
Greater Illawarra (5-196) def Riverina (8-194)
Central North v Newcastle
In the most remarkable individual performance of the tournament so far, Newcastle’s James Burke rescued his side from the jaws of defeat to keep Newcastle’s undefeated record alive against Central North on day four.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Newcastle found itself in deep trouble at 8-93 following an excellent performance from the entire Central North bowling unit.
Coming in at number eight, Burke teamed up with number 10 and fellow leg spinner Connor Gibson to put on a brilliant 77-run partnership and give his side a target to defend.
Burke finished on 47 not out while Gibson posted 23 as Newcastle was bowled out for 170 after 48.3 overs.
Newcastle made the best possible reply with the ball, with Jack Hogan removing Central North’s dangerous opener Zac Craig for a duck with the team’s score just on one.
Bernard O’Connor (23) stabilised the innings for Central North before Burke entered the fray again.
In a brilliant display of leg spin bowling he took 6-22 from his 10 overs, tearing apart Central North’s top and middle order, with four of his dismissals coming via LBW.
He was ably supported by Gibson (2-44), Alex Sylow (1-17) and Hogan (1-17) as Newcastle bowled Central North out for 115 in just 35.2 overs to seal the dramatic win and keep the team’s chances alive of taking out the title.
Newcastle (170) def Central North (115)
ACT v North Coastal
In the most dramatic finish of the day, some of North Coastal’s star batters came to the fore to guide the team home in a final-over victory over the ACT.
This match was certainly one for the batsmen, with the ACT getting off to a strong start after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Middle-order pair Lewis Robertson (74) and Gen Casarotto (62) dominated the middle overs as they put together a 123-run partnership that saw the ACT finish its 50 overs on 7-232, the highest score of the day.
Leg spinner Lachlan Carlyle was the standout with the ball for North Coastal, taking 3-29 from his 10 overs, supported by captain Will Elliott (3-18) and economical bowling from Will Barnes (0-26 from nine).
In reply, North Coastal opener Tom Marchant took the game on from the front, scoring a team-high 72 as he batted with the top and middle order to give his side a strong platform to complete the chase.
He was supported by Carlyle (48) and Sam Weir (28) as the north coast side looked on track for victory.
Although a number of middle and lower order wickets set up a grandstand finish, Kai Croft (30 not out) and Jack Stace (11 not out) guided the team home with just four balls to spare to secure the exciting win.
North Coastal (7-233) def ACT (7-232)
***
Day two
After a rain-interrupted opening day, the Country Colts Championship continued with T20 action on day two in Queanbeyan.
All teams played two T20 matches, with Western emerging as the early team to beat after extending its unbeaten run to three matches in the tournament.
Below is a wrap of how each team fared on day two.
Western
The team has emerged as the side to beat after back-to-back T20 wins on day two saw it climb to the top of the ladder.
Fresh from its dramatic three-run DLS win over the Central Coast on day one, Western kicked off the day with a thrilling last-ball victory against Greater Illawarra.
After being sent into bat, Western struggled to build partnerships as the regular loss of wickets slowed down the run rate.
Anthony Atlee continued his good form with the bat, top scoring with 41 from 37 balls, and was supported by Hugh Sienkiewicz (20).
However in a sign of the difficult conditions, just three players reached double figures as Western finished their 20 overs at 7-116.
In what was a tight run chase, Greater Illawarra needed nine from the last over to win. Connor Whale, who finished with figures of 2-18, bowled well and kept it tight to ensure that three runs were needed from the final ball.
In dramatic scenes, the final delivery was hit through mid-wicket.
As Greater Illawarra’s Ryan Cattle came back for a second that would have tied the match, he was run out by a team effort from Riley Keen and Edward Murray.
This left Greater Illawarra on 6-115, delivering Western a dramatic one-run win.
In the team’s second T20 of the day, Western recorded a resounding seven-wicket victory against the Riverina after a brilliant batting performance helped the team chase down their opponent’s strong total of 138.
With the ball, Parth Bassi was the pick of the bowlers with 2-17, while Sienkiewicz recorded figures of 2-24.
In reply, Blake Kreuzberger (29) and Riley Keen (25) both got starts to put the team in a good position, before Sienkiewicz (30 not out) and Edward Murray finished the job by reaching the total comfortably with seven wickets in hand and 10 deliveries to spare, with the latter really turning on the fireworks by smashing an unbeaten 48 from 25 balls.
Greater Illawarra
Despite the team’s dramatic last-ball loss to Western, Greater Illawarra finished day two in second place after one win and one loss in the T20 fixtures.
In the loss to Western, Michael Amadio (2-29) and Bailey Abela (2-16) were impressive with the ball, while Abela (32), Willoughby Watson (23) and Oliver Needham (23) the major contributors with the bat.
The team put the disappointment of the narrow loss behind them with a three-wicket victory over North Coastal in a low-scoring affair in their second T20 of the day.
Bowling first, Greater Illawarra did well to restrict the North Coast side to just 86, with Jack Yates taking 2-21 from four overs. Ryan Cattle was also excellent, finishing with figures of 1-11 from four overs, while Michael Amadio (1-9) and Mitch Constantinou (1-20) also claimed some scalps.
In what has been a trend throughout the tournament, Greater Illawarra were strong in the field, running out three North Coastal players, with Constantinou responsible for two of them.
Despite bowling well, Greater Illawarra made hard work of their chase, losing three early wickets to leave the team in trouble.
Remarkably, Oliver Needham top scored for the team with just 16. He was supported by Noah King (13), before Thomas Fletcher (13 not out) and Constantinou (12 not out) saw the team home with two overs remaining.
Newcastle
The only other undefeated team in the tournament aside from Western, Newcastle finds itself in third position on account of its day one 50-over match against Riverina being abandoned due to the rain.
Newcastle kicked off its campaign with a hard-fought, low-scoring victory over local rivals the Central Coast.
Bowling first, Newcastle’s attack put together a superb performance to restrict the Central Coast to 9-79 from its 20 overs.
Leg spinner James Burke (2-8), Selman Hassan (2-11) and Alex Frith (2-15) were all excellent, while Connor Gibson, Harry Dwyer and Alex Sylow all picked up wickets in a fantastic effort from the bowling unit.
Although only chasing a low score, Newcastle lost regular wickets to keep the Central Coast in the game.
However scores from Cameron Claridge (19), Harrison Allomes (15), Kel Wilson (12) and ultimately James Burke (12 not out) got the team over the line with four wickets in hand and four balls remaining.
Newcastle had an even closer finish in the second T20 of the day against the ACT, chasing down the Canberra side’s total on the last ball.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, Newcastle’s bowlers once again did the job for the team, restricting the ACT to 7-102 from their 20 overs.
Selman Hassan was once again impressive, remarkably finishing with 2-11 from four overs – the same figures as in game one.
He was well supported by Alex Frith, who took 1-14 from four overs.
Newcastle made a steady start in reply with the bat, with top-order batters Joe Merlino (32), Cameron Claridge (12) and Bailey Creer (21) all getting starts.
However it proved to be a grandstand finish, with some late wickets meaning that Newcastle needed until the final ball to secure the win, with Kel Wilson guiding the team home with 26 not out.
Central North
Central North bounced back from its opening day defeat to North Coastal with two strong victories in the T20 fixtures on day two.
The team set the tone in the first game against the ACT, batting first to post a decent total of 125 from its 20 overs.
Opener Zac Craig top scored for the side with 38, while Tom Thorpe (29 not out from 22 balls) and Tom Porter (23 from 16 balls) offered plenty of support with the bat.
The main damage was done with the ball, however, with a top order blitz seeing the ACT bowled out for just 74 inside 15.1 overs.
Harry Lewington was the star, finishing with the remarkable figures of 5-11 from four overs, while Craig, Sid Harvey, Jett Lee and Jaxon Brooks all picked up one wicket each.
In the day’s second game, Central North batted first against the Central Coast.
As has been common in the tournament, Central North lost wickets at regular intervals as many batters got starts without converting them into meaningful scores.
Craig once again top scored for the team with 22, while Joseph Hancock (17) and Harry Scowen (16) made reasonable contributions as the side was bowled out for 120 in the final over.
Once again it was Central North’s bowling and fielding that got the team over the line, with the Central Coast finishing its 20 overs at 9-100.
Brooks finished with figures of 3-18 while Lee recorded 2-4 from just one over. However it was arguably the fielding that helped get Central North over the line.
Wicketkeeper Porter finished with two stumpings, while three Central Coast batsmen, including top-scorer Alex Cutting, were run out during the innings.
North Coastal
After a day one victory over Central North, North Coastal had a tough day two, going down in both T20 matches.
The first was a high-scoring shootout with the Riverina at Rockley Oval in Googong.
Riverina elected to bat and got off to a strong start, with the top order piling on the runs to help the team to 6-164 at the end of its 20 overs.
Will Elliott was the pick of the bowlers for North Coastal, finishing with 3-24 from his four overs.
In reply, North Coastal got off to a tough start with both openers dismissed cheaply.
The middle order stabilised things, with number three Sam Weir scoring 38, number four Lachlan Carlyle picking up 22 and number six Brodie McDowell top scoring with 39 to give the team a chance of pulling off a remarkable victory.
However a lower order collapse saw the North Coastal finish 23 runs short at 9-141.
In a complete contrast, the team’s second match of the day against Greater Illawarra was a gritty, low-scoring affair decided by the bowlers.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, North Coastal struggled to gain any momentum, with the regular fall of wickets – including three run outs – keeping the team to 8-86 after 20 overs.
In a sign of the difficulty in scoring, Weir and McDowell both top scored again with 18, while Beau Mainey was next with 17.
North Coastal started off brilliantly with the ball, reducing Greater Illawarra to 3-10 early on in the innings.
While wickets kept falling at regular intervals, Greater Illawarra did enough to get over the line, finishing at 7-87 with two overs remaining.
In a great team bowling effort, Carlyle was the pick for North Coastal with figures of 2-13 from four overs, while Will Barnes, Jack Stace, Mainey, Weir and Elliott all picked up one wicket each.
Riverina
After having its day one match against Newcastle washed out, Riverina showed off its strength with the bat off in a mixed day two in Queanbeyan.
Kicking off its Colts campaign against North Coastal, Riverina posted a monster total of 5-164 from its 20 overs, with top order batsmen Hayden Forner (66 from 57), Oscar Lyons (40 from 35) and Brady Marshall (24 from 12) setting up the innings with some spectacular power hitting.
Despite North Coastal putting in a gallant effort, Riverina did enough with the ball, with Lyons (3-9) and Luke Naumann (2-6) helping to restrict the north coast side to 141 and secure the 23-run win.
It was a similar story in the Riverina’s second game against Western. After winning the toss, the team got off to a great start, with Lyons (59), Forner (22) and Cooper Manson (22) helping the side to a solid total of 6-138.
However an aggressive Western batting line-up proved too much, with the competition leading chasing down the Riverina’s total with seven wickets and 10 deliveries to spare.
In an expensive innings, Kai Brunker was the best of Riverina’s bowlers, finishing with 2-9 from four overs.
Central Coast
Despite being competitive in all of their games, the Central Coast remain winless after day two of the Country Colts Championships.
They took Newcastle all the way to the final over in their first T20 fixture of the day.
In a low-scoring affair, Central Coast were restricted to 9-79 from their 20 overs, with opener Jordan McDonald (28) and number seven Lochlan Smith (21) the only players to reach double figures.
Despite putting in a spirited bowling performance, led by Liam Roche (2-19) and Seth Slominski (2-22), Newcastle reached the target with four balls remaining and four wickets in hand.
In the team’s second match against Central North, the Central Coast’s bowlers were once again solid, bowling out Central North for 120 in the final over.
Captain Bailey Lidgard (3-13) and Matthew Toohey (3-16) were standouts, with Slominski once again proving his worth with figures of 2-27 from four overs.
In reply, Central Coast got off to a nightmare start, slumping to 3-12 before Alexander Cutting (33) and Lachlan Snedden (24) stabilised the innings and gave the team a chance to chase down the target.
However a lower-order collapse left the team at 9-100 after 20 overs, falling 20 runs short of Central North’s total.
ACT
The defending champions’ difficult start to the tournament continued on day two with another two losses to leave the side without a win after three games.
Central North scored 125 against the ACT attack in first game of the day, with Monty Green the pick of the bowlers with 2-14 from four overs.
In reply, the Canberra side struggled with the bat, collapsing to be bowled out for just 74 inside 15.1 overs.
Captain Jakome Roberts-Charlton (16) and Finn Matthews (15) were the pick of the batters in a disappointing innings.
The ACT put in a much better performance in its second match of the day against Newcastle, pushing their opponents to the final over in the narrow four-wicket loss.
Roberts-Charlton was once again the star with the bat, top scoring with 33, while Lachlan Malcolm was next with 26 as the team finished its 20 overs at 7-102.
Defending a modest target, the ACT bowled tight to keep Newcastle from running away with the game, with Lewis Robertson jagging two wickets and both Matthews and Sidharth Vasiraju bowling economical spells.
However the total just wasn’t quite enough, with Newcastle notching up the win in the final over with four wickets in hand.
***
Day one
There were rain delays, shortened matches and plenty of Duckworth-Lewis calculating on show as the NSW Country Colts Championships kicked off in Queanbeyan on Monday.
Rain had a big say on the day’s play, with all four matches of the under-18 country championship significantly affected.
In what were meant to be 50-over games, the clash between Central North and North Coastal was reduced to 29 overs per team and the ACT-Western match was restricted to 23 overs each.
The match between Greater Illawarra and the Central Coast was initially set for 28 overs per team, however rain throughout the day saw the latter’s innings reduced to 16 overs, ensuring that the calculators were out to try and find a winner.
Meanwhile, the fixture between Newcastle and the Riverina was completely washed out due to the wet conditions.
Below is a wrap of the day’s play.
ACT v Western
In what was arguably the most exciting – and confusing – game of the day, Western prevailed over the ACT by just three runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
After being sent in to bat, Western got off to a difficult start, falling to 3-34 as ACT bowlers Tyreece Ryan and Finn Matthews knocked over the top order.
But skipper Blake Kreuzberger (44 not out) and Anthony Atlee (44 from 27 balls) steadied the ship, putting on a 68-run partnership to see Western finish with the highly competitive total of 6-153 from 23 overs.
However given that rain had delayed play during Western’s innings and subsequently reduced the number of overs the team had available to bat, the DLS method was applied and the ACT’s target was set at 157.
The Canberra side got off to a strong start with top-order batsmen Jakome Roberts-Charlton (38), Gen Casarotto (34) Fletcher Tarry (33) and Lewis Robertson (20) all getting starts to leave the ACT in a comfortable position at 3-103 in the run chase.
However a remarkable four run outs triggered a lower-order collapse that saw the ACT bowled out for 153 in the 23rd over.
Although both team finished with the same amount of runs, Western was awarded a three-run victory by the DLS method on account of the rain delays.
For Western, Lachlan Rummans was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2-20 from five overs, while Connor Whale, Ryan Goodsell, Tyson Deebank and Flynn Taylor all chipped in with a wicket each.
Greater Illawarra v Central Coast
In another heavily rain-affected match, Greater Illawarra scraped home against the Central Coast by seven runs via the DLS method.
Sent in to bat, Greater Illawarra got off to a steady start, with Bailey Abela (41), Angus Campbell (24), Alec Dobson (14) and Willoughby Watson (13) all getting starts to leave the team well placed at 3-111.
However a middle and lower order batting collapse saw Greater Illawarra lose five wickets for just 10 runs in the final overs to finish with the modest score of 8-121 from 28 overs, with Oliver Needham unbeaten on 15.
Daniel Thompson was clearly the pick of the bowlers for the Central Coast, finishing with figures of 4-24 from six overs.
In reply, the Central Coast had only just started their innings when a rain delay reduced their maximum overs to just 16 – and in the process radically changing the equation.
It was more or less a two-man effort from the Central Coast side, with Alexander Cutting (22 from 39 balls) and captain Bailey Lidgard, who hit a match-high 53 from 38 deliveries, dragged the side to 6-89 after 16 overs, seven runs short of the revised target.
For Greater Illawarra, Alec Dobson (2-5), Michael Amadio (1-9) and Hayden Willebrand (1-10) were the pick of the bowlers in an innings that remarkably saw another two run-outs as Central Coast pushed for the win.
North Coastal v Central North
The match between the two northern NSW sides saw the most action of any over the course of the day with 29 overs per side.
North Coastal won the toss and decided to bat, and were bowled out for 142 after 28.5 overs.
Zac Craig (3-23) and Sid Harvey (3-25) starred with the ball for Central North, while Alex Stafa was also impressive with 2-17.
In reply, Central North got off to a shaky start, losing both openers cheaply before the middle order steadied the ship.
Joseph Hancock (32), Thomas Porter (23) and Harvey (20) all made starts to give the side a good chance of chasing down the total in what could have been a grandstand finish.
However a late-order batting collapse saw Central North bowled out for 124, 18 runs short of North Coastal’s target.
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