ACT/NSW Country v South Australia
Cricket Australia U19 Male National Championships
7 to 14 April 2022, Mackay
Round 2, 8 April 2022 at Harrup Park 2 - George Gorrie Oval
An early shower and overcast conditions were a stark contrast to the sunny skies of day one, but fortunately, no play was lost.
ACT/NSW Country won the toss, elected to bat and were in trouble early when Eric Bell edged to Harry Matthias in Campbell Thompson’s first over. Zac Keogh and Jack Hartigan seemed to have settled into a nice groove adding 34 from just 39 balls prompting Isaac Higgins to introduce himself in the power-play. Hartigan must’ve felt confident when he danced down the wicket second ball, only to run past it and be stumped by Matthias. Two balls later, incoming batsman Thomas Coady was deceived and had his stumps rattled by Higgins. All of a sudden the game had a whole new complexion at 3/36. Keogh and Angus McTaggart then dug in adding 37 from 64 balls before McTaggart was out to a brilliant reflex C&B by Sebastian Young. Drinks were taken with ACT/NSW Country 4/73 in the 19th over - cracking over rate!
Supported by Tim Martin in a 48 run partnership, Zac Keogh accelerated after drinks. In a remarkable display of sweeping, Keogh scored 40 of his 60 runs in an arc between square leg and fine leg, bringing up 50 from 63 balls in the 29th over before falling in the next to a catch by Sam Rahaley off Jack Matchett. With Martin rotating the strike and Cahill striking at 100, the pair added 56 from just 60 balls for the 6th wicket. A mix-up between wickets and a good throw by skipper Higgins to Matchett brought about Martin’s dismissal in the 40th over. The last 10 overs belonged to Cahill, reaching 50 from 43 balls in the 44th over and clubbing 62 of the 79 runs scored to guide ACT/NSW Country to a formidable 9/259.
In the chase, coming on at first change, it was that man Cahill who nabbed a sharp C&B for the initial breakthrough in the 8th over. Wickets in successive overs to Harrison Townsend reduced SA to 3/56 from 14 overs before Harry Matthias joined opener Zac McCabe to guide SA to drinks at 75 from 19 overs… also a cracking over rate!
21 came in 14 balls after drinks before disaster struck for SA. Matthias fell to fine running catch by Hartigan at mid-off and McRostie was trapped in front first ball in Ethan Fitzpatrick’s third over. Then, from the first ball of his next over, Fitzpatrick made it 3 wickets in 5 balls when Cook got under one to dismiss the stubborn McCabe. 3/96 was now 6/97. Some big hitting by Hamish Case and Jack Matchett breathed a bit of life back into the SA innings as the pair added 48 from just 38 balls, but when a Case sweep off Townsend went straight to Hartigan at short fine leg it was 7/145. Connor Cook picked up his first wicket with a C&B in the 35th over and Townsend picked up his 4th in similar fashion three overs later. James Reuther and Campbell Thompson held out for five overs before a stumping by Eric Bell gave Townsend his 5th wicket and a win for ACT/NSW.
Other Round 2 Results:
QLD Country 157 (Wilkins 40; Parsons 3/33) def. by NSW U17 3/159 (Singh 104; Ryan 2/45)
Victoria Metro 218 (Wood 59; Hurley 3/33) def. Victoria Country 177 (Doherty 58; Townsend 3/48)
Tasmania 8/273 (Davis 52; Kemp 3/38) def. Northern Territory 188 (Bimbral 35; Hayes 2/20)
NSW Metro 9/221 (Shaw 47; Balkin 3/35) def. QLD Metro 207 (Crump 34; Salzmann 3/35)
