Priag Patriots openers produce an unprecedented first-wicket partnership in huge win

There had been several eye-catching first-wicket partnerships put on across the opening five rounds of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2022/23 season Coates Hire Namoi T20 Super Slog competition going into the final two matches of the regular season on Friday night.

A 74-run stand between Lachlan Woolford and Jordan Doolan in a 10-wicket round one win for Specialised Civil Services was then outdone by a 75-run stand between J and D Weed Management duo Nick Tomlinson and Sid Harvey just one week later in round two.

WTC Group openers Steve Phelps and Matt Conroy put on 72 runs together, also in round two, and then Harvey and Tomlinson combined for 65 runs for J and D Weed Management’s first wicket in round three.

While all of those were impressive in their own right, none of them come close to the partnership that Hamish Duncan and Jakeb Nipperess put on for Priag Patriots at Hogan Oval in the sixth and final round of the season on Friday when the duo combined for a scintillating 179-run first-wicket stand that lasted 18.2 overs against J and D Weed Management.

It was a history-making partnership, the largest between any two batsmen since the Super Slog competition began, surpassing the 108-run first-wicket stand Nick Smart and Chris Sargent put on for Specialised Civil Services in round three of the 2020/21 campaign.

Nipperess scored 83 runs before he was dismissed in the 18th over when he was caught by Michael Hewett from the bowling of Greg Melton. The 20-year-old piled on seven fours and four sixes in that innings, the pick of the bunch being a sensational straight drive back over Page’s head for six.

Duncan lasted 20 overs at the crease and finished unbeaten on 86 runs. The 22-year-old’s first five scoring shots were all boundaries, and when his entertaining innings had come to a close, he had struck seven fours and five sixes.

Remarkably, it was the first time the duo had opened together as Jake Brayshaw, who had opened in four of the side’s five games this season, had recently departed Australia for an overseas holiday.

The partnership was certainly not perfect, with their opponents putting down several catches throughout the night, but they made J and D Weed Management pay for their mistakes.

Their outstanding showing carried their side into the final after it won the match by 96 runs and finished first on the regular season ladder.

Priag Patriots totalled 1-192 after 20 overs, with Bernard O’Connor scoring an unbeaten eight runs. The Priag men then knocked over J and D Weed Management for 96 runs in 16 overs.

Michael Hewett (18) was the only of the chasing side’s top order batsmen to make a start, and then skipper Luke Meppem (17) and Kaleb Mowle (20) looked promising in the middle order.

However, their knocks were simply too little, too late for the J and D Weed Management team.

Patriots skipper Cooper Brayshaw was his team’s standout with the ball with 3-5 from four overs, and at one stage, he was on a hat-trick.

Brayshaw was full of praise for both Duncan and Nipperess following the side’s win.

“It was a good performance by our whole team, I thought, but obviously Hamish and Jakeb put us in a really good spot to win,” Brayshaw said.

“They batted really well and it was pretty good to watch.

“I was meant to be in at number four, and I was keen to bat, but obviously you’d rather your openers go out and do that and you don’t have to bat.

“Hamish is a good opening batsman and has batted well this season, but he’s been unlucky a few times.

“He really stood up for us.

“With Jake Brayshaw away, we had to have someone else step up, and Nippo was that person. He took it on board and just smashed it.”

The Priag Patriots went into Friday’s sixth and final round of the regular season on equal standing with J and D Weed Management and Specialised Civil Services.

All three sides were on 23 points as they had all won three matches and lost twice.

The Priag Patriots and J and D Weed Management teams knew their match would most likely decide who would play against Specialised Civil Services in the decider, as Specialised Civil’s opponent in round six, WTC Group, was plagued by unavailability and could only field eight players at Collins Park.

As expected, Specialised Civil Services got the job done when it defeated WTC Group by four wickets.