After playing two T20s on Wednesday, all teams played one 50-over fixture as they sought to make a run for the title.
The day was marked by excellent individual performances, with some huge knocks with the bat and quite brilliant bowling lighting up the comp.
A couple of teams also pulled off some upsets to keep the standings close heading into the final round.
Catch up with all the action below.
Western hold off Newcastle chase in high-scoring thriller
Western have held off a valiant Newcastle chase to emerge slender winners in a seesawing contest to conclude round four fixtures.
Electing to bowl first, Newcastle got off to the perfect start as fast bowler Jamie Dickson knocked over both openers cheaply to leave Western at 2/15.
However the middle order recovered well with Harry Roscarel (37) and Thomas Blowes stablising the innings, before Riley Keen continued his good form in the tournament with a team-high knock of 47.
Newcastle struck back through some good bowling from Harry Campbell (3/38) and Dickson once again to take the initiative and leave Western at 8/183.
But last year’s champions showed they have plenty of fight, with Hugh Taylor (45*) and Angus Parsons (33*) smashing 56 form the last seven overs to lift the side to a solid score of 8/239.
Dickson was brilliant with the ball for Newcastle, taking an incredible 3/17 from 10 overs, while Campbell also showed his class with three wickets of his own.
In reply, Newcastle had a horror start, when a mix up saw star opener Joey Gillard run out for a duck after just three balls.
And while the rest of the top order made starts, Western’s tight bowling managed to keep the run rate down to around three an over, with Newcastle finding themselves at 3/47 after 16 overs.
From here, Cameron Claridge once again showed his class with the bat, scoring 55 from 65 balls to push the scoring rate north.
However whenever it looked like Newcastle were taking control, Western made another breakthrough, with Hugh Sienkiewicz claiming Kel Wilson for a well-made 44 and and Liam Cain getting the wicket of Lachlan Williams for 33.
As Newcastle went past 200, Riley Keen struck with a crucial double breakthrough to remove James Burke and Connor Gibson, while with just 15 runs to get in the 48th over, Western skipper Sienkiewicz capped off a fine personal display by taking the final wicket of Selman Hassan caught and bowled to wrap up a thrilling win for his side.
Western 8/239 (Keen 47, Taylor 45*; Dickson 3/17, Campbell 3/38) def Newcastle 10/225 (Claridge 55, Wilson 44; Sienkiewicz 3/33, Keen 2/38) by 15 runs
Century inspires monstrous Riverina win
Despite an incredible seven-wicket haul from a Southern Districts bowler, Riverina were able to cruise to victory with the best batting display of the tournament so far.
Electing to bat first, Riverina opener Oscar Lyons was to be the star of the show for the batters, notching the first ton of the competition with 122 off 133 balls, including four boundaries and two maximums.
Joining Lyons at the crease for a partnership that lasted 22 overs was captain Jake Scott, who also managed to lift the bat for his side with 54 runs.
Lyons would stay at the crease all the way until the 47th over where he was bowled by the other headline act of the innings, Ted Waterman, who notched a massive seven wickets from nine overs of bowling.
However, that massive 102-run partnership between Lyons and Scott, combined with double-digit runs from four other batters, created the biggest run total of the tournament so far in 273 by the time Riverina were bowled out in the 50th over.
Riverina would ultimately maintain form with the ball as well, with Kepler Lukies the pick of the bowlers with a highly economical 4/22 in 10 over of bowling, including the dismissal of three out of the first four batters.
Leo Hunter (28) and Hayden Willebrand (32) built the best partnership of the innings from five and six, but ultimately did little to put a dent in the massive chase.
In the end, Southern Districts were all bowled out for 129 in the 40th over in a comprehensive all-round display from Riverina.
Riverina 10/273 (Lyons 122, Scott 54; Waterman 7/57, Thomson 1/29) def Southern Districts (Willebrand 32, Hunter 28; Lukies 4/22, Scott 2/5)
Greater Illawarra strikes down Central North
Greater Illawarra has bounced back from a tough start to the tournament to record an excellent 33-run win over Central North.
Bailey Abela and Nicolas Nicastri starred with the bat with half centuries and Mitch Constantinou was brilliant with the ball as the South Coast side knocked over the second-placed Central North.
Coming into the round in second-last place after having only won one of its three previous games, Greater Illawarra got off to a strong start, with Abela and fellow opener Jackson Ingram (24) putting on 42 for the first wicket, before Angus Campbell came in to make another start with 20.
After a difficult start to the tournament that had seen him score just 20 runs in three digs, NSW Country rep Abela returned to form by scoring eight boundaries in an important 62 for his side.
As the innings progressed Greater Illawarra picked up the pace, with Nicastri smashing 58 from 51 balls, and Thomas Fletcher (40), Ryan Cattle (26) and Baxter McDonald (15) all scoring at or better than a run a ball as the team was bowled out for a healthy total of 271 in the final over.
With a solid target to defend, things could not have gotten off to a better start for Greater Illawarra with the ball, with Joshua Garnero trapping Central North opener Tom Thorpe in front for a golden duck in the first ball of the innings.
Harry Scowen (20) and Thomas Porter (38) batted well with opener Harrison Dunn to push the score to 3/131 before Greater Illawarra’s Mitch Constantinou almost single-handedly changed the game.
Brought on to bowl in the 25th over, the leg-spinner bowled Dunn out for 44 with his very first ball, before shortly after running out the dangerous Keanu Botha, who scored an impressive 35 from 26 balls.
While Central North’s Will Parkinson staged a fightback and looked the most likely to get his side home, Constantinou ensured that he would run out of partners, claiming the wickets of Harrison Johnstone, Jett Lee and Tom Callan within two overs to leave the side nine down.
And although he fought till the end, Parkinson was eventually bowled by Campbell for a well-made 53, leaving his side 33 runs short of the total.
Greater Illawarra 271 (Abela 68, Nicastri 58; Scicluna 3/41, Lee 2/49) def Central North 238 (Parkinson 53, Dunn 44; Constantinou 4/35, Garnero 2/35) by 33 runs
Blistering batting as Central Coast dominate
Some tight bowling and arguably the most dominant batting performance of the tournament has seen the Central Coast blow away North Coastal with an impressive six-run win at Gerry Emery Oval in Gerringong.
Set a solid total of 240 to chase, Central Coast’s top three dominated the North Coastal bowling attack to see their side score at better than a run a ball to go past the target with more than 11 overs remaining.
Batting first, North Coastal got off to a patient start, with opener Rory McLean and number three Sam Weir pushing the team total beyond 50 after losing opener Kai Croft earlier.
However some accurate bowling restricted to team to run rate of just 3.2 an over by the time McLean was dismissed for 37 in the 22nd over, with the scores at 2/69.
The north coast side needed to lift the run rate and new batter Beau Mainey provided precisely that spark.
Batting alongside Weir (45), McDowell (16) and Lachlan Carlyle, who finished unbeaten on 40 from 37 balls, Mainey clubbed 11 fours and one six in a brilliant dig of 97 not out from 92 balls to lift North Coastal’s total to 4/240 from its 50 overs.
While North Coastal had plenty to bowl at, the Central Coast made the chase look easy, with openers Alexander Cutting and Thomas Alderson taking on the opposition bowlers to chew through the target.
In stark contrast to the North Coastal top order, the pair hit 19 boundaries between them and scored at 7.6 an over as they put on 139 for the first wicket, with Alderson the first man dismissed for 75 from 60 balls.
Cutting continued to keep the runs flowing alongside Jaylen Johnston, who continued his strong form with another impressive knock.
Just as Cutting was nearing his ton, he was caught and bowled by James Lobb for an excellent 94 from 90 balls.
And while the Central Coast lost another two wickets in quick succession, Johnston finished on 59 not out to steer the team home to an excellent win.
The victory puts the team into second place on the ladder and breathes life back into the title chances after losing back-to-back T20s on day two.
Central Coast 4/241 (Cutting 94, Alderson 75; Lobb 2/19; Weir 1/24) def North Coastal 4/240 (Mainey 97*, Weir 45; Johnston 1/36, Newell 1/37) by six wickets
ROUND THREE
Final-over finishes appeared to be the order of the day, with a string of absolute nailbiters highlighting day two of the Country Colts tournament in Shellharbour.
After day one’s 50-over fixtures, all teams played two T20 matches on a busy Wednesday that saw a couple of teams make a charge up the ladder.
As always, there were stunning batting displays and destructive bowling performances, with some big plays from key cricketers at the death securing huge wins for their teams.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
Rummans the hero in thrilling Western win
After two narrow defeats, Western has chalked up first win of the tournament with a thrilling final-over victory against the Central Coast in their T20 clash.
Spinner Lachlan Rummans was the hero, taking key wickets with the ball and flashing the willow with a lower-order cameo to see his side home with just two balls remaining.
In a day that saw three matches decided in the final over, Western were in trouble at 6/109 when Rummans came out to the crease, needing 17 runs from 10 balls and with four wickets in hand.
Remarkably, the number eight clubbed NSW Country bowler Liam Roche over the mid-wicket boundary for six with his first ball, before charging down the pitch and putting one across the rope for a four with his second to completely change the dynamic of the game.
With Western needing five from the final over, Central Coast representative bowler Zak Graham showed all his skill by bowling two dot balls to kick things off as Western struggled to get bat on ball.
Batting with a runner following an injury sustained earlier in the match, Western’s Angus Parsons managed to hit a single, which left Rummans on strike with the team needing four from three balls.
With Graham charging in, Rummans gave himself some room and clipped the ball over backward square leg to run away to the boundary and seal a famous win.
It capped off a brilliant match for the left-arm orthodox spinner, who earlier knocked over both Central Coast openers to snare the innings-best figures of 2/15.
After losing a couple of early wickets, the Central Coast middle order clicked into gear, with Lachlan Shedden (29) and Roche (18) getting the innings going, before Graham (14), Alexander Cutting (13 not out) and Seth Slominski (12 not out) helped the side to a competitive total of 7/126 after its 20 overs.
In response, Western kept pace with their rivals, with Harry Roscarel (29) and Thomas Blowes (14) building the team a solid platform and captain Hugh Sienkiewicz putting his side in a strong position with a run-a-ball 30.
Just as Western looked like it was on top, Roche took two quick wickets to turn the game once again in the Central Coast’s favour.
However in what is a contender for game of the tournament, Rummans stepped the crease and produced some magic to get his side home in a thrilling contest.
Western 6/127 (Sienkiewicz 30, Roscarel 29; Johnston 2/13, Roche 2/34) def Central Coast 7/126 (Shedden 29, Roche 18; Rummans 2/15, Sienkiewicz 2/24) by four wickets
Newcastle edge out North Coastal in rain-affected clash
Newcastle has surged to the top of the rankings after round three following a DLS victory over North Coastal in a rain-affected top-of-the-table clash.
Chasing North Coastal’s total of 5/119, Newcastle were on 2/59 after nine overs when rain halted play, with the team 15 runs ahead of the target, according to DLS calculations.
It was a disappointing end to what proved to be a thrilling contest as both sides entered the match unbeaten.
Batting first, both North Coastal openers were cheaply and team team fell to 3/39 on the back of some strong Newcastle bowling and fielding.
From here, Sam Weir took control of the innings, scoring an excellent 51 not out from 46 balls to get his side to 119 after 20 overs. He was well supported by Brodie McDowell and Charlie Howard (21 not out), while James Burke was the pick of the bowlers with 2/8.
In reply, Newcastle got off to a strong start with openers Joe Merlino and Joey Gillard both getting starts.
With the Hunter side seemingly cruising, North Coastal spinner Lachlan Carlyle gave his side a fighting chance by snaring the key wicket of Gillard for 19, before jagging the incredibly dangerous Cameron Claridge for a golden duck the very next ball.
However rain sniffed out any chance of a comeback, with play stopped with Merlino unbeaten on 29 and Bailey Creer on five.
Newcastle 2/59 (Merlino 29*, Gillard 19; Carlyle 2/7) def North Coastal 5/119 (Weir 51*, Howard 21*; Burke 2/8) via DLS
Riverina down Greater Illawarra with bowling masterclass
A masterful captain’s knock with the bat and terrific all round bowling performance has helped Riverina to a crushing nine-wicket victory over Greater Illawarra.
Electing to bat first, Greater Illawarra got off to just about the worst possible start, with their first three batters all dismissed without scoring within the first two overs.
With all the momentum with the bowling side, middle order batters Thomas Fletcher (23) and Oliver Needham (21) managed to steady the ship somewhat and get some runs on the board.
However Riverina were proving lethal with the ball in hand, with fast bowler Luke Naumann (3/6) running through the top order
Patrick Lavis and Rhys Drennan both got into the action with two wickets each as Greater Illawarra were eventually bowled out for 90 in the final over.
In response, Riverina captain and opener Jake Scott turned on the fireworks, smashing 68 not out from 54 balls, which included seven fours and two maximums.
While Oscar Lyons (4) fell cheaply to spinner Ryan Cattle, Shaun Smith (13*) helped Scott take the team to their second victory of the day with more than five overs to spare and nine wickets in the shed.
Riverina 1/92 (Scott 68*, Smith 13*; Cattle 1/14, Garnero 0/7) def Greater Illawarra 10/90 (Fletcher 23, Needham 21; Naumann 3/6, Lavis 2/13) by nine wickets
Central North go second after big win over Southern Districts
Some excellent bowling and composed batting has pushed Central North into second place on the ladder after a convincing nine-wicket victory over Southern Districts.
Still searching for its first victory of the campaign, Southern Districts once again struggled at the top of the order, with four of the team’s top six failing to reach double figures.
After his brilliant knock during round two, William Thomson was once again the pick of the batters with 24, while Hayden Willebrand also contributed with 20 as the team finished its 20 overs on 9/98.
Brandon Carman was the most economical of the bowlers, securing back-to-back wickets in the 12th over to finish with figures of 2/6, while Will Parkinson (2/19) and Tom Callan (2/22) were also dangerous.
The result was never in doubt in the chase, with Central North openers Harry Scowen (42) and Thomas Thorpe (36*) putting their team in a commanding performance with an opening stand of 76, before skipper Thomas Porter (14*) came to the crease to see his side to victory in the 17th over.
Central Northern 1/100 (Scowen 42, Thorpe 36*; Herd 1/17, Hilless 0/8) def Southern Districts 9/98 (Thomson 24, Willebrand 20; Carman 2/6, Parkinson 2/19) by nine wickets
ROUND TWO
Brilliant batting sees North Coastal prevail in last-over thriller
Some excellent death bowling and clutch final-over batting has helped North Coastal to a dramatic six-wicket victory over Central North at Geoff Shaw Oval in Shellharbour.
Brodie McDowell was the hero for North Coastal with some innovative batting to get his side over the line with just one ball remaining.
Needing five runs to win with three balls to go, McDowell shuffled across his stumps and paddled a full delivery from Central North paceman Jett Lee to the fine leg boundary to level scores with a remarkable piece of short-form batting, before knocking a single with the next ball to claim the win.
It was a fitting end to an excellent contest between the two sides, with Central North overcoming the early dismissal of vice-captain Harry Scowen to get off to a strong start, with top order batsmen Tom Thorpe and Tom Porter building nicely.
Their progress was halted when North Coastal quick Kai Croft came on for a devastating spell that removed Thorpe for 31, Porter for 26 and Keanu Both for a duck to leave Central North at 4/67.
Blake Scicluna sought to reclaim the momentum with a well-made 22, however late wickets to Bryce Cook and Charlie Howard restricted Central North to 9/115 from its 20 overs.
While he starred with the ball, Croft had a horror show with the bat, run out for a duck in just the second over.
And although the rest of the top order all got starts, the loss of wickets left North Coastal in a very similar situation to their opponents at 4/69 in the 12th over.
However McDowell (34*) and Lachlan Carlyle (27*) held the innings together with some brilliant T20 batting to get their side within striking distance.
And with the pressure on in the final over, McDowell came up with a moment of brilliance to see his side record its second win from as many starts in the tournament.
North Coastal 4/116 (McDowell 34*, Carlyle 27*; Callan 2/24, Scicluna 1/17) def Central North 9/115 (Thorpe 31, Porter 26; Croft 3/13, Howard 2/17) by six wickets
Greater Illawarra seal dramatic final-over win
A five-star performance from Greater Illawarra all-rounder Angus Campbell and some clutch tail end hitting has given the South Coast side a dramatic final-over victory against Western in a high-scoring clash at Howard Fowles Sports Oval.
Needing six to win from the final over and facing NSW Country representative quick Angus Parsons with just three wickets in hand, number nine Mitch Constantinou showed the poise of an opener by clipping a low full toss away to the fine leg boundary to put the side within touching distance of victory.
After a dot ball, Constantinou then slashed at a shorter delivery, getting a thick top edge that flew narrowly over the head of fly slip and to the boundary to seal a dramatic win with just three deliveries remaining.
It was an exciting finish to a see-sawing contest, with Western’s Riley Keen smacking the ball to all parts of the field to give his side an excellent start.
While he regularly lost partners at the other end, Keen clubbed eight sixes and one four in his brilliant 69 from 43 balls to leave the side in a healthy position of 5/98 from just 12.4 overs when he was dismissed.
While wickets continued to fall, Angus Parsons (26 from 16 balls) and Hugh Taylor (12 not out) kept the momentum going to push Western to a very strong total of 9/150 after its 20 overs.
Greater Illawarra skipper Angus Campbell led the way with the ball, taking 3/27, while Jack Yates (2/17) and Michael Amadio (2/17) were also strong.
Captain Campbell continued his impressive day with the bat, smacking 41 from 26 balls as he and number three Nicholas Nicastri (26 from 23) put on 59 runs for the second wicket.
And while the team lost 3/21 in the middle of the innings and then another 3/6 in the final overs, starts from Thomas Fletcher (18), Jackson Ingram (16) and Ryan Cattle (12) kept the team in the game, with Constantinou and Joshua Garnero (5 not out) combining to get the team home in a thrilling match.
Greater Illawarra 7/153 (Campbell 41, Nicastri 26; Cain 2/27, Blowes 1/14) def Western 9/150 (Keen 69, Parsons 26; Campbell 3/27, Amadio 2/17) by three wickets
Riverina pitch-perfect in Central Coast thumping
A batting, bowling and fielding masterclass from Riverina has helped the side to a dominant 92-run victory over the Central Coast.
After a tough start that saw the team lose both openers to be 2/25, young guns Shaun Smith (24 from 22) and Jay Lavis (47 from 37) well and truly got things going with a smart T20 batting.
Despite the loss of lower-order wickets, Caleb Walker, who hit 30 from 21 balls, kept the momentum going as Riverina were bowled out with the final ball of the innings for the monster score of 162.
Central Coast captain Bailey Lidgard was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets with his left arm tweakers.
Chasing a huge total, Central Coast got off to a terrible start, initially falling to 2/22 and then collapsing to 6/51 as Riverina’s Jed Guthrie (3/10) ripped through the top and middle order.
Central Coast opener Jaylen Johnston was the only batter to show any resistance with a fighting 31, as no one player managed to crack double figures. Riverina leggie Hunter Hall joined the party to clean up the tail, taking an impressive 3/8 as the Central Coast were bowled out for just 70.
Riverina 10/162 (Lavis 47, Walker 30; Lidgard 3/27, Johnston 2/25) def Central Coast 10/70 (Johnston 31, Graham 10; Hall 3/8, Guthrie 3/10)
Claridge stars again as Newcastle go two from two
Cameron Claridge has continued his red-hot form with his second-straight man-of-the-match performance as Newcastle saw off Southern Districts in their T20 clash to go two from two to kick off the tournament.
One day after belting 99 in his team’s emphatic victory over Greater Illawarra, the all-rounder once again top scored for his side, picked up two wickets and made a run-out as Newcastle recorded a six-wicket win.
After a tough opening day performance, Southern Districts put in a far stronger showing, getting off to a strong start as openers Leo Hunter and William Thomson put on 52 for the first wicket.
From here, Claridge came on to rip into the middle order, trapping Preston Hilless LBW for three, running out Oscar Knight for three and snagging the wicket of Hayden Willebrand for a duck as Southern Districts lost 5/26.
Keeping things ticking over was Thomson, who scored an excellent unbeaten 65 to lift the carnival newcomers to a respectable total of 6/109 after their 20 overs.
Southern Districts then got off to the perfect start with the ball, with Ted Waterman claiming the wickets of both Newcastle openers to leave the side sitting at 2/21 early in the chase.
However out came Claridge, who continued his form from yesterday with a well-made 35, while Kel Wilson (28) and Bailey Creer (25*) helped guide Newcastle home with six wickets in hand and two overs remaining.
Newcastle 4/110 (Claridge 35, Wilson 28; Waterman 2/8, Hunter 1/4) def Southern Districts 6/109 (Thomson 65*, Hunter 14; Claridge 2/13, Hassan 1/15) by six wickets
ROUND ONE
There were plenty of fireworks on day one of the Country Colts tournament as a string of excellent performances kicked off the carnival in style.
From brutal batting displays to devastating bowling and an almighty collapse for the ages, the best young cricketers from regional NSW put forward their claims for state selection as all eight teams played one-day games.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
Newcastle put on pinch-hitting masterclass
Newcastle has got off to the perfect start in the tournament, with some A-grade power hitting helping the team to a thumping 167-run win over Greater Illawarra.
Cameron Claridge was the hero for Hunter side, plundering seven sixes and six fours in a brutal display that was cruelly ended on 99 as the team posted a big total.
Sent in to bat, things didn’t start well for Newcastle, who lost two early wickets to be 2/5 in just the third over.
However NSW Country rep Joey Gillard was joined in the middle by Harrison Allomes to steady the ship, with the pair putting on 59 before the latter was bowled by Mitch Constantinou.
This brought Claridge – and the fireworks – to the crease, with the right-hander taking the Greater Illawarra attack apart with some clean hitting.
With Gillard playing more or a holding role and Claridge going hell for leather, the pair put on 138 before Gillard eventually holed out for a well-made 72 from 106 balls.
One run short of his ton, Claridge wanted to bring up the milestone in style, however he didn’t get ahold of a Ryan Cattle leg-spinner and was caught on the long off boundary by Jack Yates for a brilliant 99 off 87 balls.
While Cattle’s excellent spell slowed down the scoring somewhat, young gun Lachlan Williams put on an excellent display of late-innings batting, knocking the ball all around the field for an unbeaten 46 from 29 balls to push his side to 8/283 after the 50 overs.
Greater Illawarra was in desperate need of a strong start, however explosive opener Jackson Ingram was bowled by young Newcastle tearaway Jamie Dickson in just the fifth over with the scores on 21.
The young quick was on a roll and bagged the wicket of the second opener Bailey Abela just two overs later.
While Angus Campbell showed resistance with a fighting 33, he ran out of partners quickly as Newcastle’s Jonah Roser ran riot through the Greater Illawarra middle order with an excellent three-wicket spell.
Spinner Connor Gibson then joined the party with three late wickets of his own as Greater Illawarra was bowled out for 116 inside 30 overs to hand Newcastle a very impressive first-up win.
Newcastle 8/283 (Claridge 99, Gillard 72, Williams 46*; Amadio 3/51, Cattle 2/38) def Greater Illawarra 116 (Campbell 33, Garnero 16; Gibson 3/14, Roser 3/17)
Central Coast skittle Southern Districts
The Central Coast has put on a blistering bowling display to skittle newcomers Southern Districts cheaply and take an emphatic eight-wicket victory to start their tournament in style.
After winning the toss and taking the ball, the Central Coast side got off to an excellent start, with seamers Flynn Newell and Daniel Thompson ripping through the Southern Districts top order to leave the side at 3/14.
And while the likes of Leo Hunter (22) and Oscar Knight (20) showed some resistance, the introduction of Jaylen Johnston and skipper Bailey Lidgard into the attack helped trigger another collapse that the team bowled out for just 97 inside 38 overs.
The Central Coast wasted no time in reply, with openers Thomas Alderson and Johnston getting off to a flyer.
And while the latter was dismissed for 17, this only brought to the crease Lachlan Sneddon, who paired up with Alderson (41) with a quickfire 34 not out from 20 balls to fly past Southern Districts’ total after just 11.1 overs.
Central Coast 2/99 (Alderson 41, Sneddon 34*; Singh 1/13, Muladair 1/25) def Southern Districts 97 (Hunter 22, Knight 20; Lidgard 3/8, Thompson 3/15)
Bowling masterclass helps Central Northern outgun Riverina
A trio of three-wicket hauls has capped off an excellent team bowling performance as Central North made a crushing six-wicket victory over Riverina in their carnival opener at the Berry Sports Complex.
Central North’s decision to bowl first proved to be a good one, with opening bowlers Jett Lee and Izaac Coyle making it difficult for the Riverina openers to score, restricting them to just four runs from the first four overs.
While the batters started to score a little more freely, the pressure eventually told in the ninth over, when Lee snared batsman Patrick Lavis caught behind for 14 from 32 balls.
Change bowler Tom Callan was brought on shortly after and had an immediate impact, dismissing other opener Oscar Lyons for 12, before claiming the wickets of the dangerous Jake Scott and Hugh Jenkins in a brilliant spell.
Shaun Smith managed to build a handy partnership with Jay Lavis to bring things to 5/114, however the former’s dismissal for 23 triggered an almighty collapse, losing 6/10 to be bundled out for 124.
Will Parkinson was the chief destroyer in this spell, taking 3/18 from six, while Lee bagged another couple to finish with figures of 3/16 from seven.
Come Central Northern’s time to bat, openers Tom Thorpe (29) and Harry Dunn (15) both got starts, while Harry Scowen (31) backed up his safe hands at keeper with a joint best effort for his side, finishing with 31. Young gun Keanu Botha ended on 31 not out as the team put in a composed performance to chase down the total by the 21st over with just four wickets falling.
Luke Naumann was the pick of the bowlers for Riverina, taking 2/33.
Central Northern 4/125 (Botha 31*, Scowen 31; Naumann 2/33, Lukies 1/13) def Riverina 10/124 (Smith 23, Lavis 21; Lee 3/16, Parkinson 3/18) by six wickets
North Coastal edge Western in tight clash
North Coastal have held off a valiant lower order batting display from Western to pick up an opening day victory.
Electing to bat first, both North Coastal openers Rory McLean (41) and Kai Croft (46) built a solid platform for the team, putting on 75 for the first wicket when McLean was dismissed in the 14th over.
While the top order all got starts, some good bowling from Lachlan Rummans ensured North Coastal took a regular flow of wickets and didn’t let their opponents take the game away from them.
Brodie McDowell played well for his 25, while captain Charlie Howard (37*) batted well with the lower order to push the target above. However a flow of late wickets saw the side bowled out for 2016 after 45 overs.
Former player of the tournament Angus Parsons marked his return to the competition in style by taking 3/28, while Rummans (2/36) and Thomas Blowes (2/32) also bowled well.
In reply, Western got off to a nightmare start with both openers Edward Murray (2) and Murray Staines (0) falling within the first two overs, and the team falling to 3/15 early on in the chase.
From here, Thomas Blowes (54) backed up a good bowling performance by kickstarting the recovery with a well-made 54. He was then supported by solid middle-order contributions from Hugh Taylor (20), Luke Hunter (22) and Riley Keen (39), who pushed the side within reach of the total.
However, some crucial breakthroughs from spearheads Bryce Cook (3/29) and Charlie Howard (3/25), and spinner Harry Kershler (2/22) ultimately bowled Western out 26 runs shy of the target to rack up an impressive round one victory over last year’s champions.
North Coastal 10/216 (Croft 46, McLean 41; Parsons 3/28, Blowes 2/32) def Western 10/190 (Blowes 54, Keen 39; Howard 3/25, Cook 3/29) by 26 runs
Originally published as Country Colts: results, wrap, standouts from day three of the under-19 cricket country championships
