Faced with a double header on Saturday knowing two wins would secure the Orange District Cricket Association Centenary Cup Twenty20 minor title, Kinross Young Guns didn’t wilt under the pressure.
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In fact, it was quite the opposite. The two blues thrived.
The Young Guns held their nerve to record back-to-back, thrilling victories last weekend over Orange City and then CYMS to remain undefeated through the preliminary rounds and set up a mouth-watering grand final showdown with second-finishers Cavaliers, which will be played under lights at Wade Park on March 8.
Kinross had to fight back from an uncharacteristic batting collapse to beat the Warriors too, the two blues did so before bowling superbly to claim a four-run victory.
Hayden Streatfield (2-8) and Harry McGregor (1-11) combined beautifully with the new-ball to snare Kinross’ first three wickets and leave the two blues reeling at 3-7 and in serious trouble.
However Harry May (47) and Hunter Rose (38 not out) resurrected the innings, adding 87 for the fourth wicket and helping lift their side to a respectable 6-97, far beyond what the Young Guns looked like making early in their dig.
In reply, the Warriors lost Mick Corby (4), Harry Grant (0), Streatfield (1) and Craig Buckley (13) early to sit at 4-27.
Pavel Melnichuk (34) and Sarah Colman (10) added 45 for the fifth to give their side a chance, the former was dismissed with the score at 72.
However Kinross tightened the screws and took the next four wickets for just 13 runs. The Warriors ultimately fell four short at 9-93.
May took 3-25 as Kinross restricted CYMS to 7-104 in his side’s second game of the afternoon at Wade Park too.
He was then the third top scorer with 14 – Rose was the best with 22 and Chris McIntyre was next with 17 – as the Young Guns ran it down with three wickets to spare.
In the Centenary Cup proper on the weekend, Kinross Tens took down Cavaliers.
In Saturday’s second grade action, Orange City thumped Centrals, rolling the red and blacks for 83 before chasing it just three wickets down.
In an feel good twist, wicketkeeper Max Dodds (1-10) snared his first wicket in a competitive game ever – including all his junior and senior cricket – when he claimed the scalp of Adam Cowden (33). Cavaliers also upset competition leaders CYMS, winning by 34 runs.
In third grade a 187-run first wicket partnership was the catalyst for Orange City’s massive win over CYMS Fahys. Jeremy Bartier (94) and Jack Marchinton (94) catapulted their side to 5-252, before the Warriors rolled CYMS for just 76.
Bartier then took a wicket too, to complete a man-of-the-match performance, snaring 1-16 from six overs. Waratahs also beat CYMS Bourkes.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
