Boundary Rider MATT NICHOLLS
NO ONE is complaining about the rain, but it has halted the momentum of the Armidale Big Bash cricket tournament.
The final was originally meant to be played on Sunday, but the final round has yet to be played.
So the Armidale District Cricket Association is playing the final round matches this Friday night, with the finals to be played on Sunday.
All the games are at the Sportsground and the matches start from 5.30pm on Friday and 4pm on Sunday.
Publican on fire
THERE could be some renovations on the cards at the St Kilda Hotel after publican Harley Payne continued his golden run with the horses on the weekend.
On Friday, Brave Ali, pictured, won the Quirindi Cup at $9 and Monton, another horse he part-owns, won at Randwick, paying $3.40.
Both geldings have big races ahead of them, albeit at much different levels.
Brave Ali will be aimed at the $35,000 Armidale Cup (1900m) on 17 March, while Monton is expected to race in the $500,000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on 8 March.
Tough week for ex-GM
FORMER Armidale Dumaresq Council general manager Shane Burns didn’t have the best week.
Not only did he lose his job, but his much-hyped horse Saguaro failed to live up to expectations at Caulfield.
Burns has a small share of the Peter Moody-trained gelding, along with fellow Armidale residents Kevin Dupe, Bill Miller, his son Sam and John Brown.
Coming off a last-start win at Morphettville in Adelaide, there was plenty of support for Saguaro, including money in various Armidale TABs, but the three-year-old copped a check on the back straight and never got going, finishing ninth.
Riders gearing up
THERE are two big bike events coming up in Armidale next month.
For road cyclists, the return of the criterium in the CBD as part of the Armidale Autumn Festival will be popular.
Road works in Moore Street forced the Armidale Cycling Club to can the event last year, but it should return in style on 16 March.
For off-road riders, the annual 12 Hours in the Piney mountain bike is gathering momentum.
All the money raised from the 22 March event in the pine forest goes back to the New England Mountain Bikers club, which uses the funds to upgrade the track and support its top riders.
Batsmen do it tough
RUNS were hard to come by across all grades in the Armidale District Cricket Association on Saturday, with slow outfields and damp wickets making conditions tough for batsmen.
Guyra’s second and third grade sides were the only teams to pass 150, while the Rafferty brothers almost single-handedly carried the Barbarians in the second grade match against Ex-Services.
Shannan took 7/33 with his leg-spinners, while Brad led the way with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 34.
