Junior Cricket with Odette Quine
IT was all Cudgen in this weekend’s Tweed District Cricket under-12 round with the Green and Gold teams both recording impressive victories in the second round games.
Cudgen Green scored an 80-run victory over Murwillumbah at Kingscliff on Saturday morning. The visitors won the toss and chose to bowl on a wet deck.
Cudgen openers Kirk Matthews (13) and Oscar Bryant (11) provided the ideal launch pad for Cudgen’s innings. This positive start was continued right thought the 24 overs with contributions being made evenly throughout the innings. Among the top scorers were Hugh Easterbrook (26 not out) Parker Bryant (18 not out) and Cooper Roberts (13 not out). At the end of the 24 overs Cudgen were 9/143. Chance Noori for Murwillumbah, playing against some of his school mates, took three handy wickets with contributions from Angus McFarlane, Cameron Evans, Jordan Towner, Aiden McDonald and Bailey Logan, who all claimed one wicket each.
Cudgen then dominated with the ball with restricting the vistors to 7/60. Outstanding bowling results included Vinnie Clark (0/4), Harvey Moase and Will Linch (0/4).
Meanwhile Pottsville, at home to Cudgen Gold, were all out for 87 after losing the toss.
Josh Cameron made a solid contribution of 17 to the home team’s total. Cudgen Gold easily accounted for the score and reached the target in the 16th over. Highlights of the game included first wickets for Pottsville’s Jing Hao Chow, Michael Buffett and Cooper Pollock.
It was a great round for the Cudgen Club with two wins. This week, Murwillumbah is at home to Cudgen Gold and Pottsville at home to Cudgen Green.
In the Far North Coast under-14 competition it was a tough day for both of the Tweed sides.
Pottsville played Byron Bay at Banglow, winning the toss and sending Byron into bat. The home team struggled early due to some tight bowling by the Pottsville team, led by Bailey Engler with figures of 2/3 and Connor McDowell with 1/11.
However Pottsville’s fielding after the drinks break let them down and Byron Bay managed to reach 9/95 in their 28 overs. Beau Kelly and Jarryd Lohman both ended with two wickets.
Pottsville’s run chase started slowly and they were 4/21 at the drinks break. A revival after the break, with Bailey Engler 15 and Beau Kelly 8, was not enough to get them home with Byron Bay taking the points in a close match.
Meanwhile at Murwillumbah, Ballina proved too strong for the home side.
Murwillumbah, who won the toss and batted, lost a couple of early wickets before Callum Opperman steadied the ship. He batted beautifully hitting all around the ground to reach 34 not out. But he received little support at the other end and the home team was bowled out for 87.
Facing a challenge to defend 87, Murwillumbah started well with Zach Jones picking up two wickets in his first two over spell. At the other end Callum Opperman and Rowan Donnelly also contributed with the ball picking up two wickets each but wasn’t enough to stop the Ballina team reaching the total required.
This week, the first two day game of the season will be played with both Tweed teams playing away. Pottsville plays Alstonville at Alstonville and Murwillumbah plays Ballina Bears 2 in Ballina.
The newly formed Mullum/Murbah team has continued on its winning way recording it’s second win of the season in the FNC under-16s. Opposition Tintenbar won the toss and batted on a wet Ballina wicket and must have been regretting that decision when they were restricted to just 124 off their 30 overs. Anthony Bird 3/18 and Alex Thomson 1/10 off four overs were the main wicket takers. Mullum/Murbah reached the target in the 28th over with another strong batting performance by Issac Fisher with 51.
In the other under-16s game, Cudgen was too strong for an understrength Ballina Bears. Cudgen had the visitors all out for 45 runs with Cooper Lowrey and Max Bryant each taking two wickets.
Reece Perram took a dynamic catch behind the stumps to dismiss one of Ballina’s top batsmen.
Cudgen easily accounted for the run chase, batting for 25 overs to be 3/161 with Kyle Lohman retiring on 44 runs off 50 balls, Max Bryant 45 off 29 balls, Brodie Padden 24 and Connor Ziebell not out 29. The first two-dayers for the under-16s start this weekend with Mullum/Murbah playing Alstonville Gold at Alstonville and Cudgen at home playing Alstonville Blue.
