COMBINED Catholic Colleges took out the NSW Schoolboys Cricket Championships for the second year in a row, the first time they have managed to do so since the competition began in 1966, while the underdogs got up in the grudge match that is Combined High Schools firsts verses seconds.
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Led by captain and Player of the Tournament Arjun Nair from Patrician Brothers Blacktown, the catholic boys only dropped one game from three one dayers and two Twenty20s through the week.
Coach Dean Merola was beaming with pride after the boys beat Greater Public Schools (GPS) yesterday to finish clear on top of the ladder after claiming their third win late on Thursday night under lights at No. 1 oval.
That was the third of three back-to-back matches at the ground that afternoon after rain washed out the morning and the riverside wickets.
“We have never gone two in a row,” Merola said.
“We had two late pull-outs that could have got the side down but they bonded so well and really played with confidence all week.”
One of those losses was national U19 player of the year Luke Bartier, but in the end they cruised home without him.
“No one really put on any big scores they all just chipped in and did their job,” Merola said.
“Our middle order partnerships at crucial times was outstanding.”
“But bowling was the key and how we won the tournament.”
Maitland bowler Johno Maloney and fellow opener Mitch Hardie, from Leeton, took 11 and 10 wickets respectively, and consistently got the side on the front foot early before the captain stepped in.
The off-spinner has been playing Sydney grade for Hawkesbury since he was 15 and is one to watch for the future with a variety of balls in his bag of tricks, including a reportedly excellent doosra and wrong-un.
Nair finished with a swag of wickets, his best being 3-11 from 10 overs as he kept an average below one and half runs an over throughout the whole carnival.
No mean feat for a spinner, especially with two Twenty20s.
“He just had them bamboozled,” Merola said.
“He also bats at three and hit a half century.”
“The catholic program has become excellent and offers a lot more pathways then it used to.”
“I think that has been shown with back-to-back championships.”
CHS I finished in third after being beaten by CHS II.
Inverell’s Sage Cook capped off the victory by hitting a huge six at Dick Edwards to win the match, and cap off what has been a fantastic carnival for the batsmen who was top run scorer for CHS II.
The win on Thursday saw them leapfrog the firsts squad into third place while firsts finished behind them by three points on 12.
CHS II coach James Allsop said that the boys really enjoyed playing against each other but also admitted that it did feel good to put one over the firsts.
“We have had a great week,” Allsop said.
“The boys have improved with every game both with skills and tactics.”
CHS I ended up finishing in fourth with CHS II in fifth and GPS behind them.
At No. 1 Oval Country and City Schools (CCSC) beat Associated Schools (CAS) to take outright second place behind CCC, while CCSC dropped from equal second to fifth.
