A classy century from North Tamworth batsmen Michael Rixon in tough conditions has boosted Tamworth to a first round Country Cup win over Maitland at Chaffey Park on Sunday.
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Tamworth named a young side for the first outing of their representative season with five debutatantes, and despite the top order scoring plenty between them in the opening two grade rounds, the damp conditions made for tough going after Tamworth won the toss and elected to bat.
Former Armidale now City United batsmen Brad Smith scored 21 at the top of the order, although apart from the centurion Smith was the only other batsmen to score more than ten as the Maitland attack kept pinning the batsmen down.
Fellow debutante Jye Paterson lost his stumps for 10, bringing Rixon to the crease.
Rixon made his intentions clear early when he launched a delivery over the boundary, but then put his head down and went about constructing an innings that saw him plunder 110 not out from just 123 balls to lift the hosts to 9-198 off 50 overs.
Skipper Tom Groth has played a lot of cricket with the top order batsmen but had never seen him play an innings as well as he did on Sunday.
“It was a chanceless ton,” Groth said.
“It was the best knock I have ever seen him play.”
The skipper said that while the wicket was “a bit two paced and difficult” a few of the top order “still probably got themselves out.”
Maitland quick Chris Archer was the best of the bowlers taking the top five wickets to finish with 5-35 from his ten, while Blake Chandler chipped in to clean up the tail with 2-24 from six.
In reply the hosts had Maitland in trouble early as well after Angus McNeill took two wickets in his opening spell, before their first drop also got in the runs.
Aaron Mahony hitting 47 to get Maitland back on track before the slow bowlers came on and slowed the run rate right down and apply some pressure.
Harrison Kelly took two 2-24 from his ten, while Rixon returned to put the ball on the spot and bowl seven overs for just 17 runs as Maitland lost their final wicket with the final ball of the day to finish with 174 runs, 25 runs short of victory.
“Angus (McNeill) and Tom (O’Neill) were really good at the start,” Groth said.
“Then the slow bowlers came on and really got the run rate up.”
“We have a really young side and it is great to see the young guys coming through and getting a go.”
Meanwhile in Walcha Old Boys belted Walcha in the second round of the Country Plate, scoring 5-351 before bowling the hosts out for 161 to progress.