TEAMWORK was the key word when Tamworth celebrated its Walter Taylor Shield final win over Penrith at New England Mutual Armidale Sportsground yesterday.
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Sent into bat by Penrith, Tamworth was 2-8 early after top order batting stars, Jye Paterson and Toby Whale, were both out cheaply before the side recovered to make 7-226 and then dismiss Penrith for 159.
Jye Paterson was coming off an unbeaten 111 the day before as well, a Bradman Cupper in fine form.
With Penrith dominant early, it was left to the likes of AJ Pretorius (92), Jack Diebold (48) and Tyson Rennie (30) to help set a competitive total.
Pretorius and Rennie posted a 53-run third wicket stand and then Pretorius and Diebold knocked up a crucial 106-run fifth wicket partnership to take the side over 200.
Pretorius was unlucky not to make a maiden century, hitting seven boundaries in his busy batting performance.
The number three bat assumed responsibility after the loss of his two top order mates.
“He hasn’t been having a good season,” coach Chris Paterson told The Leader.
“He’s been hitting the ball beautifully in the nets. I’ve been telling him it’s just a matter of time.”
Yesterday was that time and Pretorius and his team-mates delighted the coach by the way they overcome the stunning early blows.
“It was a bad start but a really good team effort, ” Paterson said.
“Our bowling was good too. I told them to bowl line and length and that would put the pressure on.”
Josh Minney (2-34), Dylan Martin (2-54), Murray Miles (2-370 all snared a pair of wickets each while Daniel Smith took 1-19 as well.
Blake Murphy (2-14 off 7), Jack Hannaford (2-17 off 5.2) and James McGowan (1-14 off 9) led the Tamworth bowling attack while Will Fisher (32), Murray Miles (35), Bailey McNulty (24), Dylan Martin (20) and Mitchell Eckford (16) all got starts for Penrith.
McNulty and Fisher put on 45 for the fourth wicket before Diebold struck to have McNulty caught by Harrison Frear.
Murray Miles and Dylan Martin also swung the bat late in late order partnerships that created the prospect of a magical finish, but the Tamworth bowlers remained accurate to claim a third WTS success.
Both sides had entered the final with two shield wins apiece, Tamworth winning in 2006 and 2009 and Penrith in 2008 and 2013.
In the playoff for third Northern Districts made 4-175 and bowled out Lismore for 102, Justin Porter claiming 3-8 off his eight overs for ND and Brayden Dilley (36), Jamie McLeod (38), Jayden Brown (24) and Anshul Baruah (22) top scoring with the bat for the carnival
debutants.
