Lachlan Cameron put on a batting masterclass at Chaffey Park on Sunday as Narrabri Gold defeated Peel Valley in their second round Connolly Cup clash.
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The Central North rep, who missed the opening round due to Northern Inland Bolters commitments, top-scored with 76 and with opening partner Ty Baker helped the visitors power to 0-113 at first drinks.
Sixty at the break, there was an interesting moment as Cameron closed in on his half-century with his team-mates celebrating the milestone two runs early.
Peel Valley eventually brought their stand to an end for 123, Cameron Bullock taking a sharp catch in the slips to dismiss Baker for 40.
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Not long after one of their three father-son combinations combined to end Cameron's knock, with Brett Douglas taking a good catch off son Zeb's bowling.
From there they were able to contain Narrabri to 232, Douglas (Zeb) the standout with 5-37.
"The first eight-10 overs we really struggled to put the ball where we needed to," Peel skipper Sam Bowden said.
"But we managed to peg them back in the middle overs."
Mark Stephens then hit 39 and James Hindmarsh 31 as they replied with 153.
Considering the calibre of players they were up against with several regulars in the town's War Veterans Cup side (that competition has been abandoned this year), Bowden said overall it was a really effort from his bush cricket side.
They knew it was going to be tough but there were some "good signs."
"For us to score 153, that's our second highest total since we entered the competition," he said.
And in previous years most times that would be a "very competitive" score.
Cody Kember (3-23) and young spinner Clay Hoffman (3-32) were the pick of the bowlers for Narrabri, Ty Baker also chiming in with two late wickets to finish the innings.
It was mixed fortunes for the Narrabri sides with the Blue going down to Gunnedah.
Chasing Gunnedah's 6-194, a 76 run second wicket stand between Nick Smart (54) and Shane Murphy (27) had them in a good position but a steady fall of wickets through the middle of the innings and a late collapse (they lost 5-14) saw them dismissed for 158.
Gunnedah's bowlers all chipped in with wickets, Braithen Winsor leading the way with 3-15.
It was a similar story with the bat with Kaleb McIlveen hitting 37, Justin Carter 30, Oscar King 29 and Mitch Swain 44no.
