THE Hastings under-12 representative team won a hard-fought game against Macleay Valley at Kempsey.
Hastings Westport captain Daniel Pretty won the toss and elected to bowl, showing confidence in the team’s bowling and fielding.
The Hastings bowlers started off very accurately and had the Macleay team 1/30 after 15 overs. The Hastings boys then were put under pressure by Macleay captain Jarrod Prosper, who scored 67. The sundries were high with the young Hastings boys bowling lots of wides and no-balls.
The Macleay team ended up with a competitive 4/167 off their 45 overs. Daniel Pretty 0/16 off seven overs and Connor Cooke 1/15 off seven were the pick of the bowlers. Other wicket-takers were Nicholas Smith and James Chambers.
The Hastings opening batsmen started off with a 54-run partnership. Harley Watts was first to go with an aggressive 21. Lachlan Wood and Tom Connolly put on another 24 runs before Connolly was out bowled for 6.
Daniel Pretty then played aggressive cricket to put the opposition under pressure.
Wood went for a solid 40 runs and then a mini-collapse saw Nicholas Smith, Connor Cooke and Hayden Ryan go in quick succession.
Man of the match for the Hastings team, Pretty displayed a very level head to score 43 not out chasing four runs per over to win the game.
A great last stand from Harry Amon and Pretty (35-run partnership) saw the team home with two and a half overs to spare, with both players showing great composure.
