At the start of Wednesday’s third round of the Western NSW Under-15 Carnival an all-Western Zone final looked pretty likely, with Mitchell Cricket Council and Dubbo both heading into the penultimate day of play undefeated.
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Blacktown, similarly unbeaten, had other ideas though.
While Mitchell skipped away to a third straight win and a place in Thursday’s grand final at Wade Park by thumping Newington College Blacktown denied Dubbo the same opportunity, trumping the Macquarie Valley-based side at Jack Brabham Park.
Where last week’s under-13 carnival’s finalists were decided by quotient, Mitchell and Blacktown were the only two undefeated sides at the end of the preliminary round games this week.
Bathurst’s Bailey Brien knocked up a half-ton in Mitchell’s win, scoring 54 as the Black Caps were skittled for 152 – not their best batting performance by any means, but it turned out to be enough.
Bathurst’s Hugh Parsons and Mudgee’s Lachlan Rayner were the only other batsmen to pass double figures for Mitchell, scoring 15 and 14 respectively.
With a somewhat meagre total on the board Mitchell was in some danger of missing the final if Newington produced a good chase.
It didn’t start well, Bathurst’s Jack Goodsell struck with his second ball to leave the Sydney school 1-1. It never really recovered, particularly not after the Blue Mountains’ Aaron Long tore through Newington’s middle order. He finished with game-best figures of 4-22 from his eight overs.
Newington finished 9-112 in reply.
Blacktown made a defensible 9-195, before skittling Dubbo for 146.
Cam Laird followed up his half-ton from Monday with another strong dig, knocking up 47 for the Orange Invitational XI.
After smashing 73 against Newington College on the opening day, the Cavaliers gun combined well with Blake Weymouth (26) at the top of the order on Wednesday but the black and golds couldn’t run down Shoalhaven’s total of 7-168.
The black and gold caps were rolled for 124 in reply, 45 short of their target. Nick Warburton was strong with the ball for Orange, taking 3-49 from his 10 overs however he suffered a slight knee injury, he’s at risk of missing the final day on Thursday.
The ACT fell out of final contention after being thumped by Manly-Warringah at Kinross Main Oval. The Emerging Comets managed just 82, with Manly-Warringah’s Jack Hobson (3-9) the main destroyer.
Jake Osborne (38) and Brynn Mendel (30 not out) made sure the Waratahs claimed a win, with 35 overs to spare.
Ben Lavender took 4-15 as his South Coast side rolled Wagga Wagga for 128, before Fletcher Allerby knocked up 36 in the successful chase. Illawarra (9-168) also trumped St George (9-166) by one wicket in an absolute thriller.
If Mitchell claims a victory on Thursday, it will be the third time in the past six years the Black Caps have prevailed in the under-15 carnival, after victories in 2012 and 2014.
This week signals a remarkable turnaround for Blacktown, which finished with one win last summer.