Under-17 National Cricket Championships: NSW Metro defeats Queensland to claim title
With the game in the balance, one young gun came up with a devastating performance to lead NSW Metro to victory at the U17 Nationals in Launceston.
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An amazing spell of spin bowling from captain Yash Deshmukh has led NSW Metro to a stunning 58-run victory in the grand final of the under-17 national championships at UTAS Stadium in Launceston.
After Metro posted a total of 7-210 from its 50 overs, Queensland was well placed at 1-105 midway through the chase before Deshmukh came on to turn the game on its head.
In just his first over the leg spinner slid one through the defences of Sohaan Sharma to bowl him out for 42 and break the 88-run stand the opener had put on with star batter Steven Hogan.
The wicket proved pivotal as Queensland went on to lose 9-47 in an almighty collapse to be bowled out for 152, with Deshmukh finishing with the remarkable figures of 6-22 from 6.2 overs.
“That’s probably the best figures so far in my whole career, and probably the right moment to take it I guess,” the Fairfield-Liverpool player said.
“Over the years I’ve become more of a full time spinner.
“Our middle order did stand up today and got us to a competitive score.”
Indeed, after winning the toss and electing to bat in overcast conditions, Metro found itself in trouble at 4-65 in the 19th over after a positive start from openers Athan Maraziotis (31) and Angus Tesoriero (27) was undone by some dangerous bowling from Queensland quick Theo Tsingos and left-arm spinner Dushyant Thaman.
From here the middle order stabilised the innings, with Deshmukh (26) and Xander Carstens (26) supporting the excellent Toby Robinson (56) to give the side something to bowl at, with some late hitting from Sumair Sira (27 not out) helping Metro to 7-210 from 50 overs.
“There were a lot of twists and turns,” said coach Alex Kemp. “I thought the boys scrapped really well to get to 210. We were probably 20 below par but I think runs in the final, especially in under-17 cricket, is crucial.
“I thought we bowled and fielded the best we have all tournament. The boys peaked really nicely with the ball and in the field, especially in the final and semi-final, and there were a couple of important bits of play.”
While Deshmukh’s dismissal of Sharma was key to opening the door to victory, another huge moment came in the 34th over.
Bowling to danger man, Blake Armstrong, who destroyed fellow NSW side Country in the semi-finals with a stunning ton, Deshmukh managed to draw a leading edge out of the left-hander, with Carstens taking a brilliant diving catch dismiss Armstrong for seven.
Three balls later the skipper had his fourth wicket and Metro its fifth when Eli Brain edged one behind to keeper to put the NSW side in the box seat.
With Hogan still out in the middle, Queensland remained in the contest needing 63 from the final 11 overs with five wickets in hand.
However just as he had done on a couple of occasions, Deshmukh stepped up to put the game to bed, taking the wickets of Rhys Johnston and Thaman in consecutive delivers, before Sira knocked over danger man Hogan with the first ball of the next over to give Metro a team hat-trick.
It was part of an almighty collapse at the end that saw Queensland lose five wickets for three runs in just 10 deliveries.
“The boys just did the simple stuff nicely,” said Kemp. “The fast bowlers just hit a hard length and bowled at the stumps and the spinners kept the stumps in play. When they got Hogan out things moved pretty quickly. They were just very disciplined for long periods and got the reward at the end.”
After watching Deshmukh make a handy contribution with the bat and then win the game for his team with the ball, Kemp had nothing but praise for his skipper.
“He’s quite a calm and naturally relaxed kid. He’s played a bit of first grade cricket already this year at Fairfield-Liverpool and he’s got some really good mentors there,” he said. “The young fella held his nerve nicely and bowled a really good spell. I think he’s going to be a really good cricketer moving forward.”
And while the captain was the hero for Metro on grand final day, Kemp was quick to praise his whole squad for their efforts over the course of the tournament.
“I think the key thing for me is that there were key contributors each day. It’s not like one or two guys absolutely dominated the carnival, it felt like all the boys across the week had their day where they stood up for their side by getting runs with the bat, taking wickets or bowling really important spells. So it was really a team effort across the whole week.”
NSW Metro 7-210 (Robinson 56, Maraziotis 31; Thaman 3-33, Tsingos 2-44) defeated Queensland 10-152 (Hogan 72, Sharma 42; Deshmukh 6-22, Sira 2-33) by 58 runs
Additional reporting by Jon Tuxworth
SEMI-FINAL WRAP
The prospect of an all-NSW final was on the cards as both NSW Metro and Country took part in the semi-finals of the Under-17 National Cricket Championships in Launceston.
After having finished the regular rounds in second place, Country took on Queensland while third-placed Metro faced off with Western Australia for a spot in the decider.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
AMAZING OSBOURNE LEADS METRO INTO GF
NSW Metro has the chance to win its third junior national title of the summer after hammering Western Australia by eight wickets in the semi-final at UTAS Stadium.
An incredible bowling performance once again led by quick Julian Osbourne saw Metro rip through WA’s top order before bowling the team out for just 100.
Fresh from taking a stunning 7-13 in the round four clash with Victoria Country, the Manly young gun backed it up with another brilliant return of 5-25 from 10 overs to set his side up for victory.
And despite Metro suffering a couple of early hiccups with the bat, Athan Maraziotis and Blake Noorbergen guided their side past the target in the 32nd over with eight wickets in the shed.
The victory pushed Metro into its third final of the junior representative summer, with the zone having already taken out the women’s under-16 and under-19 titles at the national championships.
After losing the toss and being handed the ball, Metro made an early breakthrough when William Byrom dismissed opener Dylan Ratter for four in the sixth over.
Star man Osbourne then continued his scintillating form to destroy the WA top order, taking the wickets of Vishver Morendage, Zed Hollick and Josh Nathan within seven balls to leave WA reeling at 4-26 after 11 overs.
The Western Australians were struggling to hit it off the square, and when Aarush Soni and Sumair Sira struck in back-to-back overs, the team was in all sorts at 6-30.
And while the lower order showed more resistance, with Franklin Lough and Isaac Diamanti making Metro work for it, the damage had been done. Osbourne came back on and picked up another two scalps in quick succession to secure his five-wicket haul as Metro bowled WA out for just 100.
Despite chasing a small target, Metro got off to a difficult start as Angus Tesoriero and Myles Kapoor were dismissed cheaply to leave the side at 2-36 in the 11th over.
However any concerns of an almighty collapse were eased as Maraziotis and Noorbergen got into their groove.
The pair were patient as they steadily accumulated runs and chewed into the total.
Maraziotis continued his strong tournament by finishing with 53 not out from 102 balls while Noorbergen ended up unbeaten on 24 after hitting the winning runs with more than 18 overs to spare.
The team will take on Queensland in the decider after it defeated NSW Country in the other semi-final.
Western Australia 10-100 (F Lough 33, Diamanti 16; Osbourne 5-25, Byrom 2-18) lost to NSW Metro 2-101 (Maraziotis 53*, Noorbergen 24*; F Lough 1-18, Malajczuk 1-22) by eight wickets
BRUTE POWER SINKS COUNTRY IN SEMI
NSW Country’s title defence of the under-17 national championships has come to an end after the team suffered a six-wicket loss at the hands of Queensland in the semi-final at Invermay Park.
The loss of regular wickets and then some absolutely destructive batting from Queensland’s Blake Armstrong sent the NSW side packing as their northern rivals went past Country’s total of 220 with more than five overs remaining.
The defeat not only ended Country’s title defence but also prevented the possibility of an all-NSW final after Metro defeated WA in the other semi-final.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Country found it difficult to get going as openers Harry Price (11) and Hunter Hall (17) were both dismissed early.
Then when Brody Felton fell shortly after, the team was struggling at 3-37 in the 10th over.
With their side in a precarious position, Lucas Vincent and Blake Cattle helped steady the ship, with the pair steadily building the total and moving past 100.
They put on 59 and were just looking to lift the scoring rate when Vincent was caught off the bowling of Lakshdeep Singh for 26.
At the other end, Cattle looked in particularly good touch as he brought up his half-century in 69 balls.
Keanu Botha also looked in good for Country with a couple of early boundaries, however his innings came to an end on 17 after being dismissed by Dushyant Thaman to leave the side at 5-136 in the 33rd over.
While Cattle was the rock holding the innings together, wickets kept falling at the other end. And when the Illawarra star was trapped in front LBW by Singh for 69, Country was in a spot of bother at 7-148 and staring down the barrel of a low total.
Fortunately some big hitting from Kasey Barton (16) and excellent batting at the death from Cooper Pullen (27 not out) helped the side to a defendable total of 9-220 from its 50 overs.
Singh was the chief destroyer for Queensland, taking 2-35 from 10 overs, while Thaman (2-38) and Thomas Town (2-47) also made key contributions.
After a positive end to the innings with the bat, Country’s bowlers kept things tight early on.
With scoring made difficult, the pressure paid off as Lachlan Barnes got an early breakthrough by dismissing Queensland opener Sohaan Sharma for three in just the third over.
Country’s openers were doing well and Barton got his reward in the 10th when Theodore Bacalakis nicked off to wicketkeeper Daniel Craig for 18 to reduce Queensland at 2-32.
Looking to build some momentum after a slow start, Queensland’s Hayden Hamilton was pushing for quick runs but took on more than he could bargain for as he was run out for 14 to leave his side in a spot of bother at 3-56.
With his team in trouble, Armstrong tried to turn the tables by taking on the Country bowlers with some aggressive batting.
Along with the steady hand of Steven Hogan, he helped lift the run rate and push Queensland past 100 in the 22nd over.
Armstrong brought up his half-century in just 39 balls as he took to Country’s spinners, belting four sixes and two fours en route to the milestone.
Country had no answers for Armstrong’s aggression, with Hogan also getting in on the act as he brought up his half century with back-to-back boundaries as Queensland cruised towards victory.
With the game rapidly slipping away Country needed something and it came in the form of another runout as Felton caught Hogan short of his crease for a well-made 68 to reduce Queensland to 4-174 in 36th over.
However that only proved to be a minor speed hump. With his team closing in on the win, Armstrong went nuclear by blasting 19 from one Cooper Pullen over.
With the result all but assured, Armstrong worked towards another personal milestone. He brought up his 93-ball century with a boundary that equalled the scores before teammate hit the winning runs in the 45th over to secure the comfortable six-wicket win.
The loss marks the end of Country’s title defence, while Queensland will take on NSW Metro in the decider on Thursday.
NSW Country 9-220 (Cattle 69, Pullen 27*; Singh 3-35, Thaman 2-38) lost to Queensland 4-221 (Armstrong 102*, Hogan 64; Barton 1-28, Barnes 1-28) by six wickets
BLUES EYE OFF ALL-NSW FINAL
With an all-NSW grand final still on the cards ahead of Wednesday’s semi-finals, the under-17 National Cricket Championships in Launceston are shaping up for an exciting finale.
In an effort to repeat last year’s success in Ballarat, NSW Country must first defeat Queensland to book a spot in Thursday’s decider. Still licking their wounds after Monday’s nailbiting loss to Victoria Country, NSW Metro can still redeem themselves with a victory in the other semi against Western Australia.
Speaking after Metro’s loss, coach Alex Kemp singled out fast bowler Julian Osbourne after the Manly quick almost carried the side to victory with a scarcely believable 7-13 from 10 overs.
At 4 for 88 and needing another 19 for victory, the Victorian’s looked like pulling off a major upset until the energetic paceman turned the tables with four wickets in 12 deliveries.
In the end, the Vics snuck home with one wicket to spare, but the stunning finish was enough to lift the Blues’ flagging spirits.
“It was a typical game of U17s cricket,” said Kemp.
“You’re never too far in front, and you’re never too far out of it. But Julian delivered one of the better spells I’ve seen from a pathways player.
“His pace was up and he held his length very well. There was shape both ways and he utilised subtle changes of pace, picking up two wickets with slower balls.”
A key contributor with the new ball for Manly in last season’s successful Green Shield campaign, Osbourne’s seven-wicket haul included three wickets after coming on to replace the openers.
“We’ll see what tomorrow looks like,” said Kemp when asked if Osbourne would take the new ball against WA.
“He’s the sort of bowler that can swing the ball into the right handers and has enough pace to trouble the batters’ decision making if he comes on first change.
“WA run a well organised program and have a couple of players returning from last year. They bat well and have tall fast bowlers who can hit the deck hard.”
ROUND FOUR WRAP
Semi-finals spots were on the line as NSW sides sought to keep their campaigns alive at the under-17 National Cricket Championships in Launceston.
With both NSW Metro and Country in the top four heading into the final round, both teams had the chance the control their own destinies in round four.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
STUNNING COMEBACK DERAILED
NSW Metro road a rollercoaster of emotions in the final round, falling agonisingly short of maintaining their unbeaten start following a heartbreaking one-wicket loss to Victoria Country.
Despite the loss, Manly fast bowler Julian Osbourne tuned up for the finals with a stunning seven wicket haul that almost saw the Blues pull off an epic comeback.
After heading north to Latrobe Recreation Ground, Metro openers Athan Maraziotis (51 off 75) and Mosman’s Angus Tesoriero (22 off 30) got the Blues away to a brisk start before an almighty crash saw the Blues rolled for 106, with all 10 wickets falling for just 60 runs in the space of 25 overs.
In an unusual looking card, Tesoriero and Parramatta’s Maraziotis were the only two batters to top sevens runs in an innings that included two run outs.
Fuelled by hopes of a major upset, the Vics charged toward the victory target until the innings plunged into free fall at a seemingly impregnable 4 for 88 in the 27th over.
After picking up an early wicket, Northern District paceman William Byrom (2-29) sucked the air out of the chase when he had Liam Biddiscombe (17 off 36) caught behind by Rangers teammate, Josh Bawcombe.
Sensing a momentum shift and with three wickets already under his belt from a lethal first spell, Osbourne continued to unpack the lower order.
In a stunning return to the crease, the right-armer silenced the Victorian’s with four scalps from his first 12 deliveries, including dangerous opener Xavier Grant for 45.
When Bawcombe pouched his third catch it was 9 for 101 and a Blues miracle seemed a formality. However, the final pair saw out Osbourne’s (7-13) 10-over spell and managed to crawl across the line in the 37th over.
While not an ideal way to finish the preliminary rounds, Metro’s title bid is far from over. Following a rest day on Wednesday, the young Blues return to Launceston and a clash with ladder leaders Western Australia for a spot in Thursday’s decider.
NSW Metro 10/106, 31.5 overs (Maraziotis 51, Tesoriero 22; Biddiscombe 4-20, McCann 2-26) lost to Victoria Country 9/107, 36.4 overs (Grant 45, Biddiscombe 17; Osbourne 7-13, Byrom 2-29) by one wicket
COUNTRY STORMS INTO SEMI-FINALS
NSW Country has stormed into the semi-finals of the under-17s national championships after a dominant six-wicket victory over Tasmania in the final group game of the tournament.
An excellent team bowling effort led by Blayde Burke and Cooper Pullen, followed by a classy half-century from opener Harry Price, saw Country chase down Tasmania’s total of 131 with more than 18 overs remaining and the loss of just four wickets.
With a record of three wins and one loss, Country has qualified for the semi-finals and keeps its hopes of winning back-to-back titles alive.
Going into the game knowing that a win would be enough to secure a spot in the top four, Country got off to the perfect start as Harry Askey claimed the wicket of Gabriel Tichanow with just the fourth ball of the game.
Things got better in the very next over when Burke dismissed Tasmania’s other opener Ethan Arnott to leave the home side reeling at 2-5.
Change bowler Pullen then continued his strong tournament by bowling Luca Di Venuto for 11 as Tasmania fell to 3-33.
And while Riley Whitelaw and Charles Hill settled things down with a 56-run stand, Country captain Hunter Hall got the breakthrough by dismissing Hill for 25 and Mason Wright shortly after to once again put the NSW side right on top.
From here, Burke and Pullen did the rest, with the pair cleaning up the tail to bowl Tasmania out for just 131.
Burke was outstanding with figures of 3-21 from nine overs, while Pullen claimed 3-9 from three. Leg spinner Hall also continued his good form with 2-20 from 10.
Despite chasing a small target, Country hit a few speed bumps early on as Hall, Lucas Vincent and Brody Felton were dismissed cheaply.
However at the other end opener Price was holding things together with some excellent stroke play.
He teamed up with Blake Cattle to chew into the total as he brought up his first half-century of the tournament. However no sooner had he raised the bat he was on his way back to the pavilion, dismissed for a well-made 50 from 75 balls.
From here the result was never in doubt, with Cattle (32 not out) and Keanu Botha (13 not out) cruising home to go past the target in 33.1 overs.
Tasmania 10-131 (Whitelaw 42, Hill 25; Pullen 3-9, Burke 3-21) lost to NSW Country 4-132 (Price 50, Cattle 32*; Crane 2-36, Coe 1-12) by six wickets
ROUND THREE WRAP
Round three was a crucial day for both NSW teams at the under-17 national cricket championships in Launceston.
After a round one victory and narrow defeat to local rivals NSW Metro, Country needed a victory against South Australia to remain in the hunt, while Metro looked to extend its unbeaten run against the ACT.
Find out what happened in our wrap below.
FORMER FOES JOIN FORCES IN EPIC STAND
NSW Metro kept its perfect record intact after three rounds when a couple of former grand final adversaries joined forces, hammering twin tons in a 108-run victory over the ACT.
This time last year, Manly’s Myles Kapoor got the better of Parramatta captain Blake Noorbergen in the U16s AW Green Shield after a classic scrap in the grand final at Manly Oval.
Fast forward 12 months to Launceston, and the dynamic duo found themselves celebrating each other’s century on a magic day for the Blues at UTAS Stadium.
When opener Angus Tesoriero (22 off 40) departed at 2/63 in the 15th over, Noorbergen joined Kapoor at the wicket and for the next 32 overs the pair broke ACT’s spirits with a winning stand of 185 runs.
With boundaries hard to come by, the left-handed Kapoor worked the field to perfection and continually turned over the strike in a brilliant knock of 103 from 131 deliveries that included four fours and one six.
Typically aggressive after a subdued start, Noorbergen found the fence on 10 occasions and cleared the boundary once before he was caught in the final over for 108 off 114 deliveries.
In pursuit of 4-278, ACT found the going tough but managed to recover from 4-61 before being bowled out for 170 in the 42nd over.
Aminda Weerasooriya (45 off 56) and Steven Maglasis (36 off 55) propped up the middle order after Metro quicks Sumair Sira (2-17) and Connor Culnane (2-19) made early inroads.
After opening his campaign with runs on the opening two days, Gordon’s Toby Robinson struck with the ball, cleaning up the ACT tail with a five over spell that yielded 3-23.
NSW Metro 4-278, 50 overs (Noorbergen 108, Kapoor 103, Tesoriero 22; Louis 2-54) defeated ACT 10/170, 41.5 overs (Weerasooriya 45, Maglasis 36; Robinson 3/23, Sira 2/17, Culnane 2-19, Soni 2-39) by 108 runs.
CAPTAIN’S KNOCKS PUSHES COUNTRY INTO TOP FOUR
NSW Country has surged into the top four and remains in control of its own destiny after defeating South Australia by 42 runs in a crucial round three clash at the NTCA Ground.
Strong knocks from Blake Cattle (63), Cooper Pullen (35) and some heavy late hitting from Kasey Barton (29*) rescued the team from a tough start to see it finish with a total of 7-223, before skipper Hunter Hall put on a matchwinning performance with the ball, taking a stunning five-wicket haul to bowl South Australia out for 181.
The victory pushed Country into fourth place on the ladder and ensures that a final-round victory over Tasmania will be enough to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
With both teams coming into the game with records of one win and one loss, Country got off to a tough start when Hall was dismissed for one in just the fourth over.
Newcastle pair Harry Price and Lucas Vincent steadied the ship before the former was dismissed for 19.
And while the rest of the top order made starts, none were able to go on with the job, with Brody Felton dismissed for 16 and Vincent trapped on the pads in front for a patient 29.
Then when Daniel Craig was bowled for a duck, Country was in a spot of bother at 5-74.
However Cattle and Pullen teamed up in the middle to get the innings back on track. The pair steadily built the total with some sensible batting, first moving past 100 and then 150.
They put on 82 together before Pullen was run out for 35, just as they were looking to lift the run rate.
From here Country really put the foot down, with Cattle finding the boundary and Barton showing plenty of power with some effective lower-order hitting.
And while Cattle was finally dismissed for a crucial 63 from 64 balls, he helped Country smash 67 from the final eight overs, including 43 from the last three, to finish on 7-223.
In what has been trend among several teams throughout the tournament, South Australia did well to see off the new ball as openers Henry Fogden and Hayden Barbulovic got the team off to a steady start.
Country quicks Barton, Harry Askey and Austin Hunt were unable to find a breakthrough as the opener pair cruised past 50.
They moved their way to 62 before Hall brought himself into the attack. In his third over he struck, dismissing Fogden for 24.
The leg spinner was in excellent rhythm and soon he had three wickets after knocking over Lucas Doe and Thomas Schulze in quick succession.
It almost seemed like a one-man band for Country, with Hall coming up with the goods in the field as he ran out Barbulovic for 42 to reduce South Australia to 4-98.
Country was on top and rammed home its advantage when Pullen dismissed the dangerous Jack Appleton for 27 to give wicketkeeper Daniel Craig his second stumping of the innings.
Opening bowler Barton was brought back into the attack and he has an almost immediate effect as he took two quick wickets, while Hall capped off his perfect day with the ball by dismissing Curtis Alsop and Connor Gregory to make it five wickets and finish with the outstanding figures of 5-36 from 10 overs.
Pullen then finished the job by taking the final wicket to bowl South Australia out for 181 and cap off the crucial win.
NSW Country 7-223 (Cattle 63, Pullen 35; Appleton 2-27, Robertson 1-21) defeated South Australia 10-181 (Barbulovic 42, Appleton 27; Hall 5-36, Pullen 2-17) by 42 runs
ROUND TWO WRAP
It was an all-NSW affair on day two of the under-17 national championships in Launceston as NSW Metro and NSW Country met in a local derby away from home.
From outstanding partnerships to batting collapses and match-turning bowling spells, the game had it all and was decided in the final over.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
METRO EDGES COUNTRY IN ALL-NSW THRILLER
NSW Metro has claimed crucial bragging rights and in the process kept pace with the competition frontrunners after defeating local rivals NSW Country by six runs in an exciting round two clash at Invermay Park.
Strong contributions from Angus Tesoriero (57), Athan Maraziotis (50) and Toby Robinson (46 not out) with the bat helped Metro set a healthy total of 7-261 from its 50 overs before spinners Myles Kapoor (3-34) and Aarush Soni (3-45) disrupted Country’s chase with some clutch bowling to secure the nailbiting win.
With both teams coming into the game on the back of round one victories, it was Metro who started brighter as openers Tesoriero and Maraziotis saw off the first few overs before starting to lift the momentum.
The pair cruised past 50 with relative ease as the Country bowlers struggled for a breakthrough.
Scoring at a good click, the Metro duo brought up their 100-run stand in the 21st over, with both players bringing up half centuries.
Of all the Country bowlers, left-arm spinner Harry Kershler was proving to be the hardest to get away and he got the breakthrough in the 25th over when he deceived Maraziotis to have him stumped by wicketkeeper Daniel Craig for 50.
As so often happens, the wicket triggered another, with Tesoriero dismissed by Cooper Pullen for a well-made 57 to leave Metro at 2-112.
Country had done well to slow the run rate to below 4.5 an over, with Pullen striking once again to dismiss both Kapoor (28) and Blake Noorbergen (27) before they really got going.
With quick Kasey Barton chiming in with a wicket of his own, suddenly Country had taken 3-2 in a 10-ball stretch to leave Metro in a spot of bother at 5-174.
While the Country bowlers had their tails up and would have been hoping to rip through the lower order, Metro pair Robinson and Sumair Sira had other ideas, with some excellent hitting pushing the score well beyond 200.
Robinson in particular was excellent with a knock of 46 not out from 41 balls as Metro belted 55 off the last five overs to finish with a competitive total of 7-261.
Pullen was the clear standout with the ball, taking 4-38 from eight overs, while Kershler was also impressive with figures of 1-31 from eight.
Looking to chase down a solid total, Country took a cautious approach as openers Harry Price and Hunter Hall were determined not to throw their wickets away.
Under pressure from some tight Metro bowling, the pair scored just 11 from the first five overs and were 0-25 after the first 10, with Hall remarkably on just three from 25 balls.
However after seeing off the new ball the pair really started to get a move on. Price had looked the more fluent of the pair but Hall also started to get going as they pushed the score along.
They moved past 60 and were looking good before Soni got the breakthrough, bowling Price for 36.
After a slow start, Country skipper Hall was starting to show his class as he pushed his strike rate beyond 80 to bring up his half-century.
At the halfway mark Country was well placed at 1-115 and moved on to 137 before Kapoor dismissed Brody Felton for 24.
The left-arm tweaker struck again shortly after, this time getting the big wicket of Hall for 72 to put Metro back on top.
Things got worse for Country when star batter Blake Cattle was run out for 12 to leave the side at 4-158.
With momentum going against his team, Mid-North Coast batter Daniel Craig appeared the most likely for Country as he kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Requiring 62 from the final six overs, Country needed a big finish – something that become infinitely harder when Kapoor and Soni continued their brilliant display of bowling by claiming the wickets of Pullen and Lachlan Barnes, respectively.
Then when Craig was runout for 35, Country looked finished. However some defiant lower-order hitting from Barton and Kershler dragged the team to within striking distance of the target.
And despite hitting 35 from the last three overs, including 11 from the 50th, Country ultimately fell six runs short in an entertaining all-NSW derby.
The stars of the show for Metro were undoubtedly Kapoor and Soni, with left-armed Kapoor finishing with the outstanding figures of 3-34 from 10 and leg-spinner Soni 3-45 from his 10 overs.
The win maintains Metro’s unbeaten start to the tournament while Country sits in fifth with one win and one loss.
NSW Metro 7-261 (Tesoriero 57, Maraziotis 50; Pullen 4-38, Barton 2-47) defeated NSW Country 9-255 (Hall 72, Price 36; Kapoor 3-34, Soni 3-45) by six runs
ROUND ONE WRAP
NSW Country and Metro have kicked off their campaigns in the best possible fashion after a dominant opening day of the Cricket Australia under-17 National Championships in Launceston.
Coming into the tournament as the defending premiers, Country put on a masterclass as it wiped away rivals Victoria Country in round one. While Metro had to fend off a gallant South Australia.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
COUNTRY PUTS VICS IN A SPIN
NSW Country has kicked off its title defence in fine style with a thumping six-wicket victory over Victoria Country at UTAS Stadium.
Country’s spinners set the platform for victory in the low-scoring match, combining to take eight of the 10 Victorian wickets as Vic Country was bowled out for just 70.
And while the NSW side suffered an early collapse of its own, Blake Cattle (36 not out) and Daniel Craig (25 not out) guided the team home after just 20.1 overs.
After winning the toss and sending the Victorians in, NSW Country had some early joy when quick Kasey Barton knocked over opener Oscar Scott-Waters in the sixth over.
On a pitch offering plenty to the spinners, offie Blayde Burke struck in the next over as the Country tweakers ripped through the batting order.
Victory Country lost 4-15 in just six overs, with Burke being almost unplayable as he finished with figures of 2-8 from seven overs.
The scale of the collapse became complete once fellow spinners Hunter Hall and Harry Kershler entered the attack. With a leg spin-left arm unorthodox combination, the pair both took three wickets each to bowl Vic Country out for just 70 with the final ball of the 30th over.
Despite only chasing a small total, NSW Country found itself in trouble early on after a top-order collapse. The team lost three four wickets in five overs to at one stage slump to 4-15.
And while the Victorian bowlers had their tails up, Cattle and Craig put a stop to any chance of a shock NSW loss by steadying the ship and chipping away at the total.
After seeing off an early onslaught, the pair increased the scoring rate and went past the total after just 20.1 overs to cap off an excellent start to the tournament for Country.
Victoria Country 10-70 (Biddiscomb 15; Hall 3-11, Kershler 3-11, Burke 2-8) lost to NSW Country 4-71 (Cattle 36*, Craig 25*; Braden 3-7, James 1-7) by six wickets
METRO FENDS OFF SHAKY START
After an early scare, NSW Metro made a perfect start on the opening day, as Toby Robinson and Sumair Sira rescued the Blues with the bat in a come-from-behind victory over South Australia.
Desperate to wipe away the memories of failing to reach last year’s final in Ballarat, Metro found themselves in early trouble after being sent into bat at NTCA No.2 before recovering to record a comfortable 118-run victory.
When Mosman’s Angus Tesoriero was caught first ball in the opening over, it set the wheels in motion for a challenging period where the South Aussies landed another three blows to make it 4-68 when Myles Kapoor (32 off 44) trudged off in the 14th over.
But in an example of the Blues’ batting riches, Gordon’s Robinson teamed with Fairfield-Liverpool all-rounder and captain Yash Deshmukh (38 off 32) to steady the ship with a valuable 40-run stand.
Back on an even keel, Parramatta’s Sira (48 off 72) joined Robinson and the pair carried NSW to a position of strength with a mature 112-run partnership that eventually saw the score finish on 6-235 after 50 overs.
A consistent contributor for Gordon third grade and Shore School, Robinson (78* off 105) played the perfect innings. Steady early on, the right-hander timed his run to perfection in a dig that included five sixes, including three in a row from the bowling of Sam White (1-62) in the 48th over.
Holding all the aces, Metro went to town with the ball, rolling South Australia for 117 inside 34 overs.
In a proud day for the Hawkesbury club, prodigious leg-spinner and Hawks first grader Aarush Soni dismantled the middle order with 5-22 from 8.2 overs.
The win sets up a day two blockbuster against NSW Country on Friday at Ivermay Park in the northern suburbs of Launceston.
Used to playing the role of Big Brother, Metro can expect a tough hit out against the reigning champions.
NSW Metro 6-235, 50 overs (Robinson 78*, Sira 48, Deshmukh 32, Kapoor 32; Appleton 2-24, Alsop 2-50) defeated South Australia 10/117, 33.2 overs (Barbulovic 31; Soni 5-22, Kapoor 1-5, Osbourne 1-16, Sira 1-17, Byrom 1-18) by 118 runs.
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