Suffocating spells from Darrin Cameron and Vinnie Winsor helped the Gunnedah Second XI restrain Pilliga and ultimately notch a six wicket win in their Connolly Cup clash in Gunnedah on Sunday.
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“It was a good win. Pilliga got off to a good start,” skipper Blake Small said.
“They were 1-51 at first drinks. We just came back from that and bowled well.
“We could have bowled them out a lot earlier but we dropped catches.”
They rolled them for 135 in the end, Winsor and Cameron the main destroyers with three wickets apiece.
Both gave the Pilliga batsmen nothing with Cameron conceding only 13 runs from his 9.3 overs for an economy rate of 1.37 and Winsor 16 from his 10.
Small brought Winsor on not long after the drinks break, the spinner striking almost immediately removing Pilliga’s top-scorer Brendan Cowley (32). He also picked up the prized scalp of Ben Edwards (25).
“He (Winsor) and Will Maggs had a great bowling partnership,” Small said.
Making his debut for the Second XI Maggs finished with 2-26.
It was a good win. Pilliga got off to a good start
- Blake Small
Ryan Cooper then hit 45 and Kaleb McIlveen 38 as the home side chased the runs down in the 36th over.
Also playing his first game for the Second XI McIlveen carried his bat and “batted really well” Small said, he and Cooper setting the run chase up with a 62 run opening stand.
Zac Wheatland also chipped in with 20 before McIlveen and James McGowan (8no) finished off the job.
The win puts them in the frame for a semi-final spot with just one round remaining and was a great confidence boost for the side’s younger players.