Gunnedah’s U17 representative cricketers finished their season on a low note as they fell to a nine-wicket loss against Tamworth Blue at Kitchener Park last Sunday.

It was Gunnedah’s fourth defeat from as many contests in the Col Dent Shield competition, and third in successive Sundays after its opening round clash was back on November 3.

The hosts managed only 62 runs in 24.2 overs after electing to bat in the 50-overs-per-side fixture, before the visitors reached the target in 13.1 overs.

Having top-scored for Gunnedah in second grade cricket at the same venue the previous day, Jonah Cameron was the only local player to register double figures while the poor total included 17 sundries.

The first two balls of the game were wides, and there were 11 more as the innings unfolded.

The rot set in as Liam Griffiths dismissed Keaton Walters and Kate Gander in the space of three balls to have Gunnedah 2-10 after five overs.

Harry Paul’s painstaking innings of eight at the top of the order was terminated in the 13th over, and then another wicket in the next over made the score 4-29.

An ensuing 17-run partnership was the highest of the innings, before the final six wickets fell for only 16 runs.

Gabriel O’Connor and Harvey Stokes hit a four each, and Jonah’s innings included a four and a six.

Having captured the final wicket, Sanchit Jagadeesan went on to score an unbeaten 36 from 39 balls for Tamworth Blue.

Sanchit was the only Tamworth Blue player to find the boundary as he struck four fours and a six.

The fourth over cost 14 runs after Sanchit hit a no-ball for four and then flicked the next ball off his pads for a big six.

Gunnedah’s sole breakthrough came in the eighth over with the total on 35 when Henry O’Hehir hit a catch to Jack Canham at mid-wicket off Keaton’s bowling.

Tamworth Blue 1-63 (Sanchit Jagadeesan 36 not out) defeated Gunnedah 62 (Jonah Cameron 19; Archer Starr 3-8, Charles Hill 3-22, Liam Griffiths 2-9) by nine wickets.

Tamworth Blue’s Sanchit Jagadeesan turns the ball through the legside during his 36 not out.

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