A spot of soul-searching has done wonders for North Tamworth, after the side rebounded from some ordinary performances with a strong batting display against South Tamworth at Riverside 2.
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Following two losses in their past three matches, to City United and then Bective East last round, Norths captain Brendan Rixon admitted that “a few frustrations” had set in amongst the players.
He said the players had talked about the need “to keep getting in the battle”.
They did that against second-placed Souths, producing easily their best batting performance of the season to finish on 291 in the 80th and last over of the day.
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Redbacks No.4 Michael Rixon top-scored with 103 –the eighth ton of his career and the first since his 112 against Old Boys in round 13 last season.
Brendan Rixon, who opened on Saturday and scored 44, believes enhanced “self-belief” will be a byproduct of the side’s showing on day one of the two-dayer.
Each player, he said, had to believe they were picked in first grade for a reason – that they “can do the job that we want them to do”.
He said the players had become “a bit relaxed” – “a bit blase”. “There’s been a few frustrations, I guess, for the team and personally in the last little while, and it’s good to get a [healthy] total,” he said.
“We know we’ve got to do a lot of work next week to win but it’s a reasonable total to put on the board in the first innings, that’s for sure.”
After winning the toss, Michael Rixon and Lachlan Fauchon (24) put on 69 for the opening stand before Fauchon fell to quick Tom O’Neill, who claimed his second five-wicket haul of the season (5-64 off 28 overs).
When Rixon fell with the score on 72, it triggered a mini collapse. Norths lost their next three wickets for 33 runs, before Michael Rixon and Adam Daley (22) complied a vital 52-run sixth-wicket partnership
That was followed by a 116-run partnership between Rixon and Lincoln Peters (60).
Bowling first change, young leg-spinner Conrad George snared 4-76 off 19.1 overs.
