OLD Boys skipper Ben Middlebrook polled his first Cool Blue Ice Tamworth Best and Fairest Award points of the season while Bective’s newest recruit, James Bellamy, wasted little time snaring his major award and West skipper Adam Penman celebrated rare individual and team triumphs.
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Penman skippered last-placed West Tamworth to a 20-run win over competition leaders South Tamworth at Dick Edwards Oval on Saturday.
It was only a second win of the season for a West side which climbed off the bottom of the ladder as well as knocking South off the top.
Off-spinning Penman had opened the bowling and finished with 3-34 from his eight overs as South fell for 141.
West had made 8-161 in its 40 overs, with Isaac Kensell (32), Matt Kent (33), Campbell Baker (27) and Ed Nankivell (24no) the only double figure batsmen.
Andrew Maher claimed his first points of the season when the South Tamworth quick took 3-27 and then remained unbeaten on 11 after figuring in a 32-run 10th wicket stand with James Hammond (15).
Penman was a delighted young skipper after the match but even more so when told he had polled the three B&F points.
“They’re too nice,” he said of the umpires.
“That’s always nice too but the main thing was we got a win, our second of the season.”
He was delighted for Kensell too, the swashbuckling opener flaying the South attack early.
South skipper Nick Leyden thought Maher deserved his two points, returning well in his second stint and “bowling with heart”.
Penman also got his nod.
“He did captain them well,” he said. “And they did bowl and field well too.
“Isaac’s cameo at the top was pretty handy – he found the gaps.”
At No 1 Oval, Bective-East welcomed Bellamy to the Bulls’ yard.
The former coastal batsman finished with a fine 76 for Bective.
He was fourth man out at 118 for a side which made 189 against an attack where skipper Peter Mead picked up 2-17 and Simon Toyer 3-37.
The two City United allrounders then put on 57 for the fifth wicket to give their side a good chance of running down the Bulls.
However, Toyer (37) and Mead (24) were out within a few runs of each other and there were no more heroics from the side.
While Bellamy earned the three points, Toyer snared the two and Mead the one point.
Middlebrook showed the way for his depleted Old Boys side against a gutted North Tamworth Redbacks.
Middlebrook picked up his first B&F points of the season after he smacked 56 off 75 balls at Chaffey Park. His half century included four sixes.
Teammate Adam Lole received the two points for his steadfast 50 (125 balls) and that took him equal top of the B&F ladder with Old Boys teammate Aaron Hazlewood and Bective-East’s Calum Rowe.
Lole and Middlebrook also put on 118 for the third wicket.
North Tamworth’s Joey Holt also picked up a point for his enterprising 55 in the 48-run loss.
