NAMBUCCA cricketers Jared Baldwin and Austyn Nugent are a handful on their own for batsmen – together, they’re a strikeforce as deadly as the left and right of Muhammad Ali.
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If Jared’s snarling, nagging spin doesn’t befuddle, then the heat from the other end – the pace and bounce from Austyn – will surely see most quickly back under the trees wondering how it all went so wrong.
The attack weapons have long been targetted as something special from a valley well versed in producing cricketers of the utmost quality – and their progress through the ranks has only picked up speed over winter.
The 16-year-olds won selection in the Under 17 State Challenge at Coffs Harbour – a three day tournament featuring two metro and two country sides from the best of generation next in NSW.
The teams were linked to the State’s Big Bash syndicates – the Sixers and Thunder – though ironically Jared and Austyn found themselves turning out under opposing banners, with the former coming into Camp Thunder while Austyn was aligned with the Sixers.
“I got the way better shirt,” Jared chirped, while Austyn noted “it was the first time we had played against one another since the under 12s”.
Jared’s best figures at the face-off were 3 for 47 off 10 overs, while Austyn didn’t have to wield the willow in any of the games but he wasn’t picked at this high level to bat.
“On the last day my coach just told me to go out there and bowl as quick as you can. So I tried to get myself a bit angry,” Austyn laughed.
While their stats in the 50-overs round robin weren’t remarkable, they did more than enough to progress to the next level, winning selection for the Under 17 NSW Country side who will represent at the national championships in Brisbane.
And that’s all to the good for the boys who will re-link with the Nambucca Valley Cricket Club later this year for a fresh assault on the North Coast competition.
The long and the short of it will no doubt be more than a few hot sleepless nights for opposition batsmen over the summer.