The Verdict clinches U18 cricket premiership

The Verdict romped to victory over Ultra Fleet in the U18 cricket decider at Donnelly Fields last Friday, after Ultra Fleet had finished on top of the ladder while The Verdict was second.

Seven dismissals rendered Ultra Fleet all out for 105 in 17.2 overs, before The Verdict powered past the target in just the tenth over for the loss of one wicket.

Were it not for Will Hicks’s 51 not out from 42 balls for Ultra Fleet, the contest could have been even more one-sided.

Ultra Fleet was 1-1 as Marnee Walters bowled Archie Swain with the fourth ball of the game, before Tyler Howes hit the second ball of the next over to the boundary.

The third over was entertaining as Tyler hit two fours in three deliveries and then played the ball onto his stumps. A single, a wide and a four followed, before the first ball of the next over produced a top-edged catch to the wicketkeeper.

The next wicket left Ultra Fleet struggling at 4-25 in the fifth over, before the next wicket fell in the ninth over.

Will came to the rescue, and lifted the tempo when he hammered the final two balls of the 12th over for six.

Ten runs in three balls – including back-to-back boundaries – took Will to his retirement score in the 15th over before Angus Johns cleared the boundary in the following over.

Toby Blinman dismissed Sam Dorrington with the first ball of the 17th over, and then Keaton Walters finished the innings when he dismissed Angus in the subsequent over.

Six of the seven dismissals were bowled, with Keaton claiming 2-2 in eight balls while Marnee, Toby, Owen Rixon, Lucas Welch and Noah Kelly nabbed one wicket each.

The first over of the run chase cost 12 runs, following two fours to Harvey Stokes from the final three balls.

Toby cracked a six and a four from successive balls in the second over, before doing likewise in the fifth over which also contained two fours to Harvey.

The seventh over yielded 14 runs and a wicket, with Harvey falling for 23 off 18 balls as Tyler Howes held a catch off Archie. Toby progressed to 37 not out from 28 balls while Keaton smashed 33 not out from 11 balls.

After hitting his first delivery for four before striking a six to reach 16 off seven, Keaton clubbed Will for six, four and six from the first three balls of the tenth over to seal the deal. Incidentally, Keaton and Will were teammates the following day as they played for Gunnedah’s second grade team at senior level.

It was a special moment for siblings Keaton and Marnee to play together in a premiership victory although another sibling, Kallie, was not so fortunate in the U13 grand final.

In the other U18 fixture last Friday, the third-placed Rhazzad Concreting & Excavation had a comfortable win against the bottom-placed Gunnedah Plumbing.

Gunnedah Plumbing made 2-119 in its 20 overs, with Brock Jensen (36 retired), Lucas Grosser (36) and Ben Grosser (23 retired) the main contributors with the bat while Phoenix Wild was Rhazzad’s sole wicket-taker.

Jonah Cameron (45 off 30 balls) and Harry Paul (26 not out off 22 balls) were Rhazzad’s main scorers, while Jai Wilson chipped in with 19 in the total of 5-122 in 18.1 overs.

Ben took two wickets for Gunnedah Plumbing, as did Jack Fouracre.

Harvey Stokes plays a slog-sweep during The Verdict’s successful run chase.

U18 premiership winners. Back: Owen Rixon, Olivia Semmler, Harvey Stokes, Keaton Walters, Noah Kelly. Front: Coen Gough, Riley Lancaster, Toby Blinman, Marnee Walters, Lucas Welch.