TALENTED young cricketers such as Coby Cornish, Ryan Meppem and Lachlan Davidson will not only line up in today’s Gleeson Shield State CHS Boys’ Cricket Knockout semi-final between Narrabri and Farrer Memorial Agricultural high schools at No 1 Oval but again on Sunday in the much-anticipated McDonald’s Country Plate match in Narrabri.
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Winner of today’s Farrer-Narrabri clash will play either Gunnedah or Inverell high schools in the Gleeson Shield final.
Meppem and Cornish will spearhead the Narrabri High side today, with allrounder Meppem to skipper the side and bowl his off-spin and Corrnish behind the stumps while Davidson will lead the Farrer pace cartel including Brock Ridgewell, Zac Johnston and Lachlan Barton.
Yesterday, Cornish was named in the Central North Zone Under 16 side to contest the Bradman Cup in Newcastle in early January.
He is also coming off a patient and unbeaten hundred against Hunter Valley in Sunday’s CNZ Under 16 Challenge match in Tamworth.
Meppem has had a big season already after playing for NSW Country/ACT in the National Under 17 Championships in Brisbane and was a member of last year’s Bradman Cup team with Davidson and Cornish.
Narrabri will meet a Farrer side which has five Tamworth first grade players – Lachlan Fauchon (North Tamworth), Lachlan Cooke (City United), Adam Cruickshank (Wests), Cooper Barnes (Bective-East) and Davidson (Bective) although Barnes is away in Adelaide at the “Pink Test”.
Farrer will not be taking Narrabri lightly though, Davidson said.
“Ryan (Meppem) and Coby (Cornish) are definitely class players and have been in some devastating form. Our bowlers must execute our plans or it could be a long day, “ Davidson said of the two Narrabri representative players.
“Our main plan to Ryan in the middle overs will be to work singles and get him off strike so we can stop the constant pressure he builds.”
Davidson believes they are showing signs of the team that made it to the State CHS Knockout semi-finals two seasons ago where they were eventually beaten by Pennant Hills Boys High School.
“Our Farrer First XI is very similar to the team that made the Davidson Shield semi-final two years ago, with a great contrast of youth and experience,” Davidson said.
Cornish, Davidson, Cooke, Barnes and Meppem were also named in the North West open side to contest the State CHS Boys’ Cricket Championship next February but they will be opposed today while Meppem and Cornish will be in the Narrabri side to tackle Tamworth Blues on Sunday, a side that will contain Davidson and maybe Cooke as well in their third-round Country Plate match at Collins Park, Narrabri.