SYDNEY West and Combined Independent Schools will play off for the State PSSA Boys’ Cricket Championship at the Armidale Sportsground today.
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They won their respective “semi-finals” yesterday, with Sydney West ending the title hopes of St Philomena’s Moree’s Patrick Montgomery and William Robinson, and Holy Trinity Inverell’s Jaiden Tasker and their Polding team-mates.
The Sydney side produced a strong batting, effort posting 8-156.
That proved a little out of reach of Polding who could only manage 111 in reply.
CIS, which includes Scone Grammar’s Tom Brooks and Will O’Donnell, were eight wicket winners over North Coast in their clash, reaching 2-92 in reply to 9-90.
Sydney East, Mackillop and Hunter also won batting second.
Sydney East chased down Western’s 71 three wickets down, while Mackillop lost only two wickets in passing Barrier’s 80.
Hunter and Sydney South West had a closer tussle, with Hunter making 2-143 to edge out Sydney South West (7-139).
Batting first was the winning formula for South Coast in its match-up with Riverina.
They reached 3-120 and then dismissed Riverina for 80.
As for hosts North West, they are still winless but continued their batting improvement.
The day started ominously, with Sydney North winning the toss and hitting a massive 6-239 from their 50 overs.
Tamworth Public’s Jack Diebold was the most successful of the bowlers, nabbing 3-23 with the new ball.
Henry Sindel (Armidale City) and Alex Roseby (Quirindi Public) each chipped in with a wicket.
Diebold has been the leading light with the bat for North West all week and was again yesterday, top-scoring with 35 batting at second drop.
It followed an unbeaten 54 on Tuesday.
He was out there for about 20 overs and batted with good control.
North West was never really in the run chase and could only reply with 114 but it managed to drag the innings out to the 48th over.
The plan was to bat out the 50, manager Toby Morgan said.
“Time out on the wicket was what we were after,” he said.
They fell just short but it was still a big improvement to get to the 48th.
“Today they put their heads down and got behind the ball,” Morgan said.
It has been a tough week for them. All three games they’ve had to field first and been out there for the 50 overs.
They’ve then struggled to last with the bat.
The carnival concludes today, with North West facing Barrier.
“Hopefully we can finish the carnival on a high,” Morgan said.
