COFFS Harbour is setting the early pace after an opening day of the Tamworth U14 Invitational Carnival that saw some brilliant individual performances and thrilling finishes.
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None more so than the Armidale/West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook game with Armidale winning off the final ball of the game.
Chasing WPHC’s 4-89 Armidale needed six from the last over to win.
They got there off a no ball after Vincent Marshall had got them level.
Armidale couldn’t follow up their heroics in the afternoon going down to a Hastings side inspired by a half-century to Ambrose Humphreys.
It left them with one win for the day.
Hastings, Tamworth and Barbarians were all in the same boat with Coffs the only side to win both their games.
They started off with a 20-run win over Tamworth after Jessie Ferrett destroyed the home side.
The off-spinner claimed 6-6 to help roll them for just 69.
It undid the work of the Tamworth bowlers to restrict Coffs to 7-89.
After losing Ferrett early, Liam Watson-Merritt (21) and Harry Parker (34) hit Coffs to a strong position.
But after Sam Buster ran out Watson-Merritt the innings tailed away.
Nathan Watts topped the wickets for Tamworth with 2-2.
Lachlan Barton (14) and Pranav Majumdar (21) were then the only two batsmen to reach double figures in what was a disappointing run chase.
Coffs then chased down WPHC’s 5-99 with six wickets and two overs to spare.
Ferrett was again among the wickets taking 1-18 to support Noah Pilon (2-18) and Katar Singh (1-14).
Max Harkin followed up his 21 in the first game with an unbeaten 42 to anchor the WPHC innings before Harry Parker hit 39 and Liam Watson-Merritt 24 to help Coffs get home.
Manager Brendan Cunningham said it was a great start and was looking forward to getting into the 50 over games today.
He said it was a good all-round performance in the field against Tamworth.
While Ferrett and Brock Symons (3-5) particularly bowled tightly, there was some good fielding as well.
And importantly they got early wickets.
They weren’t defending as much as they would have liked.
“We were hoping for 100 plus,” Cunningham said.
At 1-55 at drinks they looked on target for that.
“But they bowled really well in the second session to peg us back,” he said.
In the other morning fixture the Barbarians recovered from a terrible start – they were 4-2 – to post 8-81.
Sydney recruit Max Nash was the star for the Barbarians, anchoring their innings with an unbeaten 46.
He was the only batsmen to make double figures with the next best Ben Grant, who was unbeaten on seven.
Jake Morgan-Monk and Toby Fraser led the bowling for Hastings with two wickets each.
They then gave the chase a good shake but could only manage 5-70.
“We got bogged down and left our charge too late,” coach Mike Fraser said.
Toby Fraser was their top-scorer with 16 just shading Lachlan Bennett (15).
They’d earlier let a few chances slip.
“We were right on top early, then we dropped a few catches,” Fraser said.
They dropped Nash a couple of times.
Brodie Blackett-Gregg and Casey Baker each took two wickets to help the Barbarians put the squeeze on Hastings.
Hastings rectified that against Armidale with Humphreys hitting 68 not out as they reached 3-119.
“Our openers gave us a great start,” Fraser said with Humphreys and Zane Haywood (14) putting on 59 for the first wicket.
“And then the batsmen after that played for the team rather than themselves.”
They then came out and bowled well, he said.
The two spinners – Bennett (2-19) and Fraser (1-18) – particularly bowled well and tied the Armidale batsmen down.
Armidale were all out for 90 in reply with Blake Cameron top-scoring with 25.
Hastings’ fielding was also a highlight getting three run-outs from direct hits.
Armidale coach Michael Dennis said they gave away too many runs.
“It got away from us a bit the second part of their (Hastings) innings,” he said.
He thought they still batted well, as they did against WPHC.
“They batted well at the beginning.
“We had a bit of a middle order collapse but we came through,” he said.
Cameron was again at the top of the runs with 22 along with Ben Friend.
Todd Hutchinson was the best with the ball for WPHC with 3-17.
Callum Ferguson (2-10) was likewise for Armidale with Harkin, Tom Pratt (22no) and Oliver Mayberry (17) the main contributors for WPHC.
Tamworth’s batsmen redeemed themselves in their second game with Majumbar (28no) and Barton (28) again leading the way as they made 4-126.
Watts also hit 24no and will be on a hat-trick today after taking two wickets with his last two balls to dismiss Barbarians for 76.
Lachlan Bradfield top-scored with 25 while Alex Roseby (2-14), Sam Buster (2-15) and Jo Doherty (2-10) all chimed in with two
wickets.