Junior cricketers turn out for strong showing

Gunnedah’s under 15 representative cricket  team took on Coalfields at Longmuir Playing Fields on Sunday, winning  the toss and electing to bat.

The local team started strongly to be in a good position until losing their first wicket at 70 runs. The innings was cut short after that when the team had a huge batting collapse and was bowled out for 84.

Coalfields chased the score down in eight overs. The top scorer was Keaton Walters (56) while he also took a catch in the field off the bowling of Georgie Leonard.

Gunnedah will take on Maitland Maroon and Tamworth Blue in the next games on November 13 when two 20/20 matches will be played in Tamworth.

The Namoi under 17s, with players from Narrabri, Gunnedah, Quirindi and Tamworth, faced Coalfields at Kitchener Park on Sunday, winning the toss and electing to bat. Mitch Herden and Eric Peatling opened for the home team, with the first wicket falling with the score on nine. Mitch Herden played a pivotal support role with the incoming batsman, Sid Harvey, scoring a steady 19 runs, while Harvey hit the ball all over the ground to be on 52 and the team 84 for the loss of the second wicket.

Harvey would be the next wicket to fall, run out on 65 from 51 balls. His innings included seven fours and four sixes. Leaving Bernard O’Connor at the wicket, he would stay in until the ninth wicket of the game. Again, great supporting roles by Hamish Craig (18 runs), Peter McCormack (12 runs) and Riley Price (10 not out), all helped Bernard O’Connor to his maiden century – an innings which saw him face only 101 balls, including 10 fours and a six – spectators agreed it was a great innings to watch. The Namoi players saw out their 50 overs with a final score of 9/292.

Namoi had the luxury of being able to use nine bowlers in their defence. Peter McCormack and AJ King opened the bowling in a tentative first over from McCormack with two wides, but he soon settled in, found his radar and was fast. A brilliant first ball from AJ King took the top off the stump – leaving Coalfields at 1/3.

Eric Peatling, Will Hicks, Riley Price, Bernard O’Connor and Darcy Gleeson all contributed during the middle overs taking a wicket each. AJ King was the pick on the day with figures of seven overs, three maidens and four wickets for 15 runs. Pete McCormack took the final wicket to finish the innings and the game – Coalfields all out for 133. Organisers expressed appreciation to Darcy Gleeson and

Max Hunter for stepping up and into the team.

The next game for Namoi will be against a strong Maitland Maroon team at Scone on November 13.