CENTRAL North Zone’s opening Bradman Cup game finished in a dramatic tie with Central Coast at Howe Park, Singleton yesterday.
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CNZ manager Graham Kent believes his side won and was robbed of victory.
The game finished in controversy and almost bedlam as CNZ’s final two batsmen, Pat Magann (47no) and Tom Scoble (11no) stole two leg byes and what Kent and his fellow CNZ coaches thought was the winning run.
However, it was not to be and while he told the umpires he thought they had made a grave mistake he abided by their decision to call it a tie.
“Our boys were taking a third (winning) bye but the umpire was signalling leg byes and ruled it was only two,” Kent said.
“I’ve never seen or heard of that rule. I told them too; I probably won’t ever coach a CNZ side again after that. It was a very bad decision.
“I couldn’t explain to the boys after the game how we had not won it.”
At one stage of the fateful last ball both Magann and Scoble were in the same crease with the CC wicketkeeper breaking the stumps, Kent said.
“Then he ran down the wicket and threw the ball at the stumps. However, one of their fieldsman had broken the stumps at that end and the ball ricocheted off the stumps for what our boys were thinking was the winning run. It was bedlam.”
Maybe the only good thing about the result was the tie ensures CNZ is still alive in the Bradman Cup with its game against Western today a crucial game after Western beat North Coast by 28 runs at James Cook Park.
Central North had started its first round Bradman Cup game well, bowling and fielding well to restrict Central Coast to 9-62.
All their bowlers impressed.
Pat Magann rook 1-24 off his 10 overs. Tamworth’s Lachlan Davidson finished with 0-23, Armidale’s Lochlan Elks captured 2-27 off his seven and Inverell’s Tom Scoble took 2-35 off his nine.
Narrabri off-spinner Ryan Meppem was a star, taking 3-25 off his eight overs and with Callan Sargent (1-18 off 10) dried up the CC batting in the middle overs.
However, CNZ’s top order batting fell apart. Only wicketkeeper and opening bat, Matt Hughes (44) produced any major runs.
At 5-65 at one stage it was left to the lower order bats to shine.
Lochlan Elks started the rearguard action, the Armidale allrounder hitting 24 valuable runs.
At 9-119 CNZ looked dead and buried but Pat Magann (47no) and Inverell’s Tom Scoble (11no) forged a brilliant 43-run 10th wicket stand to take the side to within one manic run of success.
They had needed 13 off the final over as well.
“I just cannot explain why that third run wasn’t allowed. I’ve asked for clarification because I do believe it is wrong. I still believe we won the game.”
n Bradman Cup results in Sport Details