Nambucca-Bellingen came out winners with one ball left to bowl at the North Coast Cricket Council Under 12’s Inter-District Competition grand final, at Toormina on February 28.
In an exciting match between Coffs Harbour and Nambucca-Bellingen junior cricket clubs, Nambucca-Bellingen took the title.
Eight boys from the Nambucca Valley played in the team. From Macksville Ex-Services junior cricket club there was; Laurence Vernon, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Bekis, Brodie Bartlett and Ossie Kinnear and from Nambucca Heads junior cricket club, Jack Ireland, Jake Hardy and Sam Welsh played for victory.
The remaining team members being Andrew Trist (Urunga), Sam Harber (Dorrigo), Jonty Neaves and Jesse Hopper (Bellingen).
Coffs Harbour won the toss and elected to bat, scoring a decent 153 runs before they were all out in the 47th over.
Laurence Vernon and Ossie Kinnear opened the bowling followed by Alec Baldwin and Jesse Hopper.
All the boys bowled well keeping the Coffs total to an achievable run chase. Bowling figures for Nambucca-Bellingen were; Brodie Bartlett: 3/34 off 8 overs; Ossie Kinnear: 2/9, 2 maidens off 6.2; Alec Baldwin: 1/15 off 8; Laurie Vernon: 0/16 off 5; Jessie Hopper: 1/19 off 6; Andrew Trist: 1/13 off 5 overs; Jonty Neaves: 0/10 off 2; Jack Ireland: 0/25 off 5; and Sam Welsh 0/4 off 2 overs.
Jack Ireland and Jonty Neaves taking catches in the field. Jonty and Jamie Bekis got a runout each to see all Coffs wickets down.
Brodie Bartlett and Alec Baldwin opened the batting, Alec Bowled, unlucky, loosing his wicket early to a very good ball, scoring five off 15. Sam Harber out soon after with some very good bowling from Coffs.
Jack Ireland came in to bat, with Brodie and they settled in with some very cool, steady batting, a great partnership from the two had Nambucca-Bellingen just below the required run rate when Jack lost his wicket, caught, 42 runs off 85 balls faced.
Ossie Kinnear was sent in early, in the hope of lifting the run rate. Brodie and Ossie put on some very quick runs, surviving dropped
catches and run out attempts to put the team back in the game and the crowd on the edge of their seats to the end of the match.
Brodie, eventually out caught, 48 off 150 balls faced. Andrew Trist came in to bat, Ossie out soon after, run out, 17 off 28 balls. Jamie Bekis, run out and Andrew Trist three, bowled, saw the Bello boys at the crease with Nambucca-Bellingen needing 13 runs to win. Jonty Neaves, 7 off 20 and Jesse Hopper 6 off 5 Balls hitting the winning run, Nambucca Bellingen 7 for 154 after 49.5 overs. Laurie Vernon, Jake Hardy and Sam Welsh did not get to bat.
Man-of-the-match went to Brodie Bartlett for his outstanding performance both batting and bowling.
The team was coached by Justin Saker and managed by Paul Ireland (both from Nambucca) with some early help from Ron Auld (Bellingen).
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