Max Hunter century helps guide the NDJCA’s under-15s rep team to a huge win on home soil

Narrabri District Junior Cricket Association’s under-15s representative team kept their finals hopes alive with a crushing victory on home soil on Sunday during round five of Central North Zone’s 2023/24 campaign John Kilborn Shield tier two competition.

The NDJCA side, which includes players from both Coonabarabran and Moree, welcomed Inverell to Gately Field and scored a dominant 181-run victory. The hosts batted first and made 217 runs in 37.1 overs before knocking over the chasing Inverell outfit for 36 runs in 14.4 overs.

Max Hunter was the standout in a brilliant team performance after he opened the batting for the NDJCA side and carried his bat. A day after scoring an unbeaten 40 runs and being named the player of the match in Narrabri RSL Cricket Club’s seven-wicket win against Tatts in round eight of the Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2023/24 season second grade one day competition, Max scored his maiden century as he piled on 111 runs against Inverell. The talented youngster smashed eight fours in that innings as a patient knock helped the hosts cruise past 200 runs for the second time in four matches.

The rest of the home side’s top-eight batters all fell cheaply, but George Barton (20) and Caleb Scholl (14) made handy contributions late in the innings.

The NDJCA under-15s captain Gabe O’Connor came out firing with the ball in the second innings and ripped through the Inverell top order to make the score 4-21 after six overs. O’Connor produced an early wicket-maiden in the second over and then a double-wicket-maiden in the fourth, and he finally conceded a run as he bowled a wide from the fifth delivery of his third over after 16 consecutive dot balls. He followed that up with a wicket though and then bowled a maiden in his fourth over and five dot balls in his fifth before his final delivery went for two runs and he finished with game-best figures of 4-3 from six overs.

Teammates Ray Honour (2-19 from five overs) and Josh Rigby (2-1 from 2.4 overs) claimed two scalps each and George Barton (1-8 from two overs) took the other, as the NDJCA side knocked over a 10-player visiting Inverell outfit for just 36 runs in 14.4 overs.

The victory was the NDJCA side’s second in four games, with two still left to play. One of those is their round one home clash against Armidale, which was postponed and has not yet been replayed, and the other is against the competition leaders Gunnedah in the sixth and final round next year on Sunday, February 18, next year.

The two top-ranked sides on the four-team ladder will then meet in the decider on Sunday, February 25.