Pink Slugs downed in the Country Plate decider at Hurstville Oval

Narrabri District Cricket Association lost by 66 runs in Sunday’s Country Cricket NSW Plan B Country Plate grand final against Highlands District Cricket Association at Hurstville Oval.

Highlands batted first after their skipper Jack Whitfield won the toss and they had reached 9-248 by the end of their 40-over innings before bowling out the Pink Slugs for 182 in 34.5 overs.

The NDCA men got off to a flying start when captain Nathan Trindall took a wicket with the first ball of the contest before his opening bowling partner Cooper Brayshaw made it 2-18 in the fourth over when he took his first wicket of the day.

That left Whitfield and Highlands’ wicket-keeper batsman James Morton at the crease together, and the duo produced a match-winning partnership as they blasted 181 runs during their 26 overs together at the crease.

It was Brayshaw who made the breakthrough just three balls into his second spell when he knocked over Whitfield, who was caught by Matt Bradshaw and departed for 88 runs from 71 deliveries.

Morton continued to torment the NDCA bowlers and he raised his bat in the 33rd over as he brought up a remarkable century, but his innings came to an end in the 36th over when he became Trindall’s second victim of the day. He departed on 110 runs from 116 deliveries having laid the platform for a massive total for his side. That made the score 5-224 as Dylan Segundo had taken a wicket three balls earlier.

The Pink Slugs bowled and fielded well at the back-end of the innings as they took four more wickets and were able to limit the Highlands outfit to 248 runs in 40 overs.

Trindall led by example as he ended with game-best figures of 4-44 from eight overs, while Segundo claimed 2-42 from his eight overs and chipped in with a runout as well and Brayshaw took 2-36 from eight overs.

The Pink Slugs needed two of their batsmen to stand up and produce a dominant partnership similar to the one Whitfield and Morton delivered, but the best they could come up with was 56 runs for the fourth wicket.

The score was 3-41 in the 12th over after Jakeb Nipperess (18), Will Ford (0) and Hamish Duncan (14) had departed, and then Lachlan Woolford and Bradshaw steered the innings on track as they guided Narrabri towards 100. But Bradshaw (22) was stumped in the 24th over and Woolford was bowled in the 25th for a team-best score of 41 as the Pink Slugs slumped to 5-101.

That became 6-115 in unbelievable fashion in the 27th over when Cody Kember drove a Whitfield delivery back towards the bowler, who then dropped it onto the stumps to run out Josh Schwager (4) at the non-strikers’ end.

Kember (27), Brayshaw (17), Trindall (14) and Luke Meppem (13*) provided some late resistance and did their best to push the chasing side towards what would have been a remarkable victory, but they fell 67 runs short of the required total as Highlands were crowned champions of the Country Plate competition.

Highlands’ best with the ball was their opening bowler Matthew Pike with 3-18 from seven overs, including two maidens.

Morton was named the player of the final and Whitfield was in close contention after he backed up his 88 runs with 3-45 off 5.5 overs and a run out.