Kinross Blue dominated Orange District Cricket Association's Centenary Cup in 2018-19 and, thanks largely to another massive show from Luke Hunter, backed that up in Saturday's decider to claim the club's third straight premiership.
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Hunter was superb in a player-of-the-game effort on Saturday afternoon, taking 2-2 from his five overs, picking up a run out and then anchoring his side's successful chase with an unbeaten 58 from the top, the students eventually downing Orange City by seven wickets.
While that margin looks comfortable it was anything but, the Warriors pushed Kinross all the way to the decider's penultimate over, although that does signal Hunter and his teammates timing the chase perfectly too.
The students won the toss and sent the young Warriors in at Anzac Park - the clash was moved from Kinross Main thanks to the rain leading in - and that decision looked the right one from the word go as Arnie Tancred (2-6) removed Darcy Climpson (5) early before Hunter ran out Mike Badman (14) to leave the Warriors 2-27.
That quickly became 4-27 after Harry Gutterson (1-25) claimed the scalp of Nathan Seib and Tancred bowled Gary Burton, both falling without scoring.
Jeremiah Murphy (46 not out) and Jarryd Seib (17) mounted a fightback, adding 36 for the fifth wicket before the former was run out. Murphy continued ticking the score along but wickets continued falling, before he and Will Burdack (12) added 20 for the final wicket.
Kinross' chase didn't start well, with Darryn Marjoram (5) and Charlie Tink (1) falling early. But Hunter and Sam Gee (25) added 61 for third wicket before the former was joined by Dan Hunter (14 not out), the pair keeping their composure to guide their students home with seven wickets and seven balls to spare.
The man-of-the-match effort completed a stunning season for Luke Hunter, he ended the Centenary Cup season with 488 runs at an average of 40.7 and a highest score of 104.
With his junior cricket numbers included as well, he piled on 733 runs during 2018-19, at an average of 30.5
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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.
