Sam Fox’s perseverance finally paid off in Armidale on Saturday with the young opener notching his maiden century as the Tamworth under-15s finished off their Walter Taylor Shield campaign in commanding style.
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Fox has been knocking on the door of the coveted milestone, boasting two half centuries for his City United fourth grade side this season.
“It was really good for him. He’s been persevering and working pretty hard,” Tamworth 15s coach Damian Henry said.
His run-a-ball 102 lifted Tamworth to 8-207 from their 40 overs – their best score of the carnival.
Matt Holmes then led the charge with the ball snaring a remarkable 6-5 with five maidens as they routed West Pennant Hills for 61.
Adam Williams also chimed in with 3-19.
Holmes’ haul saw him finish as the equal leading-wicket taker for the carnival with 12 wickets at an average of 5.83.
He was also Tamworth’s second-top run-scorer, behind Fox who was fifth overall and struck the second-highest score of the carnival.
The win was only Tamworth’s second of what was overall a disappointing carnival, although the disappointment was tempered a bit by the fact they were missing arguably their four best players.
Callum Henry, Kilian Apen and Jack Hamilton weren’t allowed to play due to their impending Bradman Cup duties while Landan Price is on restricted duties ahead of the under-15 national championships.
“Having the four of them out made it a bit difficult,” Henry said.
At the same time it gave some younger kids and kids who haven’t had a lot of exposure to representative cricket an opportunity.
“It was a good learning experience,” Henry said, adding that there was only really the one game that they really performed badly.
The first day they had South East Queensland 4-84 before a 100-run stand took them to 194.
They then in the chase got a bit overawed and lost wickets in clumps.
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They bounced back to beat Ballina by 16 runs in the first of their two Twenty20’s on day two.
“We played some really good cricket,” Henry said.
“The other Twenty20 we lost that in the final over against Gold Coast, who went on to win the carnival.”
All the positive vibes they’d built from that though dissipated the next day as Manly Warringah steamrolled them for just 74.
Only two players made double figures, the Sydney side then chasing the runs in 12.3 overs.
Holmes was the equal leading-wicket taker for the carnival and Tamworth’s second-top run-scorer, behind Fox, but they all stood up at different times Henry said.
“Michael Lewington stepped in as keeper and did a good job and Tom Laird did some good things up the top of the order,” he said.
He also noted Williams efforts stepping up from the under-14s.
”He got some runs and took some wickets and Tarlan Ward, we pushed him up to opener in the first Twenty20 and he batted the 20 overs out, and took a few wickets.”
