Palmerston youth fires to beat Waratah in T20 quarter finals but will need to back up in the semis

PALMERSTON all-rounder Hamish Martin was ecstatic with his young side’s T20 quarter-final win against Waratah, but knows they will have to do it all again when they face off once more in the semi-final

Palmerston all-rounder Hamish Martin about to put bat to ball. Photograph: Che Chorley

PALMERSTON all-rounder Hamish Martin was ecstatic with his young side’s T20 quarter-final win against Waratah, but knows they will have to do it all again when they face off once more in the semi-final.

In what was somewhat of an upset Palmerston (8/124) pulled through in the final overs to beat Waratah (3/120).

Harry Zimmermann was a standout for Palmerston, top scoring with a crucial 47 runs from 46 balls, while also securing two catches in the field.

MORE NT SPORT STORIES

Swimmers to hit the open waters of the Darwin Waterfront when they compete in the NT Open Water series

Southern Districts’ batsmen find form in a 309-run score against rivals Tracy Village

Ashanti Bush, Bella Clarke and Grace Mulvahil selected to take part in AFLW Draft Combine

Bowlers Daniel McKell and promising Palmerston junior Charlie Bignell impressed with the ball and were equally impressive with their work in the final overs securing the winning runs.

“We came in not quite knowing what to expect but knowing that we had nothing to lose so we were pretty fearless and brought in a few younger guys,” Martin said.

“To get the job done against the top side was unreal. We’ve been on the losing side of a few tight games so to get the win was great.

“All the bowlers did their jobs and that gave us the momentum we needed and even though we had a couple of collapses in batting we took the win.

“We were impressed with Harry, he’s from Perth and has been unreal for us. Him doing well is a credit to the whole group that has worked hard with him.”

Martin knows his side will have to do it all again against Waratah in the semi-final to book themselves in the T20 final.

Waratah have plenty of firepower with captain Isaac Conway a more than proven bat in Darwin conditions.

“The win gives us a lot of momentum. We’ve had a couple of tight games with them so it’s a nice feeling knowing we’re their bogey team,” Martin said. “They’re a quality team and top side for a reason. There’s a lot of fire in the bellies for both sides when we come up against each other.”

Darwin plays against Tracy Village in the second semi-final with the sides scoring wins over PINT and Southern Districts in the quarters.