TAMWORTH’S Blue junior sides enjoyed mixed fortunes in their Hunter Valley Junior Competition fixtures against Upper Hunter in Tamworth on Sunday.
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The 12s and 14s both had wins but the 16s suffered their first loss for the season.
The 12s were at Riverside 5 and did the job with the ball, dismissing Upper Hunter for just 46 in the 19th over.
“They bowled very tightly,” coach Bede Maher said.
They had them 6-15 at one stage.
Joey Mead (2-2) and Josh Attard (1-12) led off and were well supported by Luke Maher (2-5), Lara Graham (2-9) and Oscar Spinks (1-18).
But what on paper seemed an easy chase didn’t turn out that way with Tamworth finding itself in trouble.
“After 10 overs we were 7-25,” Maher said.
“The boys just didn’t stick around on what was a good wicket.”
That’s not to discredit the Upper Hunter bowling.
They bowled well, Maher said.
“Both coaches, Peter Mead and myself, were on tenterhooks there.”
But Spinks and Matthew Holmes got them home.
Holmes made 19no and Spinks 11no as they replied with 9-73.
“Once the boys were in sight of victory they started to get their confidence and strike the ball well,” Maher said.
They are undefeated so far, with four wins from their four games.
The 14s’ win was their second, and a big one.
“It was good to beat them,” coach Clive Barton said.
“They were undefeated.”
Tamworth batted first and made 149.
The middle order stood tall, with James Austin top-scoring with 40 at five, and Logan Barnes 24 at six.
They then bowled Upper Hunter out for 104.
“We are a bit of a bowling and fielding side,” Barton said.
“Our bowling is very strong.
“I always felt we could mow them down under 149.”
Austin again led the charge, taking 3-16.
Sam Buster also chimed in with 2-6 and Lachie Barton 2-0.
Their fielding was also very good, Barton said.
The 16s let themselves down with the bat.
“We just didn’t score enough runs,” coach Simon Hood said.
They could only manage 119.
At one stage they were 4-29, a 27-run partnership between Adam Cruickshank (27) and Daniel Redshaw (34) putting some respectability in the total.
Extras also helped them out, contributing 27.
Upper Hunter had little trouble chasing down the runs, reaching 5-120 in the 35th over.
“We bowled well in patches but we didn’t have much to bowl at,” Hood said.
What really hurt them was a nine- over stint before lunch.
“We just didn’t bowl the right length and they scored 44,” he said.
“That put us behind the eight-ball.”
Harrison Hague was the pick of the bowlers with 2-25.
The attention for all three sides now turns to their annual January carnival pilgrimages.