A match-winning partnership from young guns Cameron Tunks and James Moore inspired Combined Independent Schools to an emphatic victory in Thursday’s NSW Primary School Sports Association Boys’ Championship final, the side’s first title win since 2002.
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After CIS bowled its powerful Sydney West opponent out for 168, Tunks and Moore lit Wade Park up after coming together at 2-35 in the chase.
They added 110 for the third wicket at almost a run a ball, Tunks smashing 67 from 69 balls and Moore pummeling 50 from 53.
Although they both fell with the score on 145 and then Dylan Melvey (7) was dismissed not long after – giving Sydney West a tiny glimmer of hope – Daniel Gauci (15 not out) made no mistake in finishing the chase off with five wickets and 17 overs in hand.
His glorious cover drive for four secured the win, and sparked raucous celebrations from his CIS teammates on the boundary.
“We’d [won emphatically] all week but obviously finals can be a different beast, so it was good to see the boys produce again under pressure,” CIS coach Greg Clarence said, before lauding Tunks and Moore’s efforts.
“They can both play, and they’d both missed out earlier in the week too, but it’s super impressive to see them do it under pressure, chasing runs in a final.
“But I was impressed with all the boys throughout the carnival, everyone contributed at some point, we were a little bit smaller than others but we got the job done.”
Both sides were undefeated leading into Thursday’s final, Sydney West taking favouritism into the game thanks to an outrageous quotient.
We just worried about what we were trying to do ... we're all super happy.
- CIS coach Greg Clarence
Not that CIS had taken any notice of that.
“You never really know about the other sides because you’re never at their ground and we hadn’t actually seen them play at all, but you do hear a few things,” Clarence said.
“We just worried about what we were trying to do and the boys got it done, so we’re all super happy.”
The host, Western, couldn’t score a second straight victory on Thursday’s final day either, the red and greens going down to Sydney South West by 32 runs.
Western looked well on track to back on Wednesday’s win over North West, rolling Sydney South West for 105.
After losing two early wickets, Gulgong’s Ollie Hollow (24) steadied the ship, Western was 3-51 when he was bowled.
But the red and greens lost 7-27 after that, handing Sydney South West its second win of the carnival.
Bathurst’s Blake Kreuzberger led Polding to a victory over Hunter on Thursday as well.
After his side restricted Hunter to 8-146 Kreuzberger notched 48 in the chase, successfully completed with eight wickets in hand.
Max Robinson top scored for Sydney East again, making 31 to push past the 200-run mark for the carnival – he averaged 67.67 too – as his side made 5-131.
The red and blues promptly rolled Riverina for 34 to score their third win of the tournament.
Adam Williams smashed a half century for North West, finishing unbeaten on 59 in his side’s innings of 4-167. In reply, Barrier managed 56.
Will Adlam passed 50 as well, he knocked up 58 as Sydney North compiled 9-127 before skittling North Coast for 112.
The NSWPSSA side was also selected after the tournament as well and was dominated by the top five sides.
NSWPSSA: James Moore, Cameron Tunks, Daniel Gauci (Combined Independent Schools), Max Robinson (Sydney East), Brock Campbell, Joel Wright, Krish Thakur (Sydney West), Bohden Learmonth, Toby Laughton (Polding), Matthew Sidhu, Sam Konstas (Mackillop), Alex Stafa (Hunter)