NDCA ready to battle Quirindi in MA Connolly Cup final

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s representative team will go into battle for MA Connolly Cup glory on home soil this Sunday when Collins Park hosts Northern Inland Cricket Council’s 2021-22 season premier competition grand final.

When the undefeated Pink Slugs take on Quirindi in the decider, it will be the first time this season that the two sides have played against one another.

The two Namoi Conference teams were scheduled to meet late last year in the second round of the regular season back on November 21, but that match was washed out and declared a draw.

Following two wins and two draws against its conference opponents, the NDCA team finished one point clear of second-placed Quirindi on top of the conference ladder. That meant that Narrabri earned the right to host its semi-final and that Quirindi would have to travel to play in its elimination match.

The NDCA men downed Gwydir by six wickets at Collins Park on Sunday and Quirindi outscored Armidale by 42 runs.

Meppem told The Courier that both he and his teammates expected a tough game from Quirindi this Sunday.

“Obviously we have won the War Vets Cup twice over the past few years, and this comp is basically the War Vets Cup too, but to get our name on the Connolly Cup would be a great achievement for a team that has a good mix of older experienced heads and lots of young fellas coming through,” Meppem said.

“Last year when we played Quirindi they had a couple of handy bowlers and they’ve obviously just destroyed Armidale’s batting in the semi-final, so we know that their bowling will be dangerous.

“They have a few good young bats too so they will be much-improved since we last played them.

“I really think we need to bat well in partnerships. That’ll be the difference between getting 120 and getting sort of 180.

“Even 160 is really competitive at Collins Park.

“We’ve seen that here in our local cricket – when a team has built two or three good partnerships it has really boosted the score without someone having to go out there and score 100.”

Only one player has dropped out of the NDCA team that downed Gwydir at Collins Park last Sunday.

The NDCA first grade competition’s leading wicket-taker and second top run-scorer Cody Kember, who missed the MA Connolly Cup semi-final due to work commitments, and Hamish Duncan come back into the squad to replace Will Ford.

Sunday’s decider will be the third representative final hosted at Collins Park in the past four years after the NDCA first XI won the 2017-18 War Veterans Cup against Inverell in 2018 on February 18, and then won the 2019-20 War Veterans Cup against Tamworth in 2019 on December 15.

“That’s fantastic and shows the depth and commitment that we’ve had over the past few years,” Meppem said.

“Obviously last year we missed out on the (MA Connolly Cup) final but it’s good to be in it this year.

“We have so many young fellas here coming through which should really set things up for the next few years – we should make a few more finals.”

Sunday’s MA Connolly Cup final will get underway at Collins Park at 10am.