It was a good start to the season for Old Boys, who beat South Tamworth in the first district round on Saturday, before backing it up with a good win over Armidale on Sunday after opting to hit the Country Plate as a club this season.

Skipper Ben Middlebrook said that entering as a club was just to try something different this season.

Playing at Riverside 2, the visitors won the toss and opted to bat with Ben Spence (32) and Mat Baillie (36) knocking some good runs to have Armidale at 2-79 early before Old Boys spinner Ronnie Hossain took some pace off the ball and the run rate.

“They were going really well early and I thought we might be chasing 250 or 300,” Middlebrook said.

“Ronnie came in and did really well for his first game in a few years.” 

Hossain had the middle order searching for the ball, claiming four wickets to soon have the New Englanders battling at 6-127.

The skipper and Jack Richards kept up the spin attack to claim two wickets each and have Armidale all out for 149 in the 34^th over.

Old Boys openers Adam Lole and Simon Norvill put on a stand of 132 to beat South’s on Saturday, and looked like repeating the dose on Sunday before Norvill fell to Adam Sweeney for 23.

Lole went on with it, adding valuable runs to partnerships with Chris Dobson (15) and Mat Bryant (18) before falling for 46 with his side sitting at 5-114.

Middlebrook added 20 before Jack Richards and Clark Geary knocked them over the line in the 37^th over.

“Lole really held the innings together well again while we chipped away at it,” Middlebrook said.

“The two wins is a great way to start the season.” 

Old Boys will now meet either Peel Valley or Walcha, but will have to deal with some changes as the representative season continues and players get selected for Tamworth in the Country Cup or Tamworth Blue in the Plate, with both beginning their campaign’s over the next fortnight.