The biggest hits of 2023: Our top five innings of the season so far

But now that we've all but reached the middle of the season, the Leader thought it was time to look back and think about who has produced some of the definitive performances of the year so far.

These are our top five best individual innings of the season to this point. Did we get it right?

5-38 against Tamworth City United on October 21

Bective East's lankiest paceman more than proved his worth against the reigning premiers early this season.

As City United captain Tait Jordan noted midway through the day, "he takes wickets for fun [against City]", and that's certainly how it looked on a Riverside 1 pitch that was nibbly and helpful for the new ball.

Boydell was the chief architect of City United's collapse for 96 on the first day of this two-day fixture, which ensured first-innings points for Bective after Lachlan Barton's subsequent half-century.

5-19 against Bective East on November 18

If drama was the only factor we judged on, this entry would be number one.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Peters' haul, characterised by Norths captain Brendan Rixon as "unbelievable", was that it came from just 26 balls.

The wily veteran wasted no time after being introduced when Bective were 4-96 chasing 159. Luke Paterson and Adam Jones had resuscitated a flagging run chase, but once Peters snared three wickets in his first over, the momentum was back with North Tamworth.

Needing a wicket in the last over before penalty runs would give the match to Bective, Peters delivered again and dismissed Jones. Chaotic celebrations ensued.

5-5 against Bective East on November 3

The young, flame-haired quick from Gunnedah has always been easy to watch. His athletic run-up and rhythmic action send the ball whizzing down to the batter at good pace, and, in his late teens, he's getting better every year.

And for Souths at Riverside 1 in early November, he was irresistible.

After the men in blue had closed their innings at 225, McIlveen opened the bowling under grey clouds and proceeded to blow away Bective's top order. Twice, he was on a hat-trick.

The biggest shame was that rain washed out the second day of the game - McIlveen might otherwise have been significantly higher on this list.

77 against South Tamworth on October 14

Over the last two years, Taylor has repeatedly shown what a valuable pick-up he was for Bective.

But the former Australian under 19s representative's undeniable quality was never more obvious than in this innings, when the next highest score of the game was 23.

Taylor's "game changer" of a knock, as described by captain Jye Paterson, was the result of the Canberran's iron concentration on a wicket that seemed to actively hate batters.

To cap off a near-perfect match, the allrounder took 1-16 from eight overs with his left-arm orthodox as Souths fell 45 runs short.

119 not out against North Tamworth on October 7

They weren't the hardest conditions in which he has batted, but we couldn't really rank Fitzgerald's innings anywhere else.

The Tamworthian broke a more than two-year first grade hundred drought in his first innings of the season, and he did it in style.

Fitzgerald's hitting left captain Tait Jordan "in awe", as he collected seven sixes (to go with 13 fours) en route to one of the most dominant hundreds many present had seen, with Brad Smith unbeaten on 80 at the other end.

The Redbacks' total of 5-220 would have been daunting to most sides. But that night, under lights, Fitzgerald made the chase look easy.