COFFS Harbour’s best junior cricketers have played the first games of their latest representative season.

Sixers Cricket League – Coffs Harbour took on Lower Clarence Cricket Association in Harwood and Maclean, during the opening round of North Coast Cricket Council’s Inter-District season.

The Coffs Harbour Under 16s and Under 12s teams both had victories against Lower Clarence.

Under 16s coach Lindsay Mamone gave a recap of his team’s win at Harwood Oval.

“After being sent into bat, Coffs Harbour had a shaky start, with Cooper Pearce’s sixteen runs being the early highlight,” he said.

“The team struggled at 6-43, but a steadying partnership between Stephanie Rose and Lachlan Richardson turned the momentum.

“Balkaran Singh Johal then added a vital 22, helping the team reach 115 on a slow, low-bouncing wicket.

“With the ball, openers Lachie Richardson and Flynn McInerney struck early, followed by wickets from Balkaran Singh and captain Elijah Carle.

“Exceptional fielding and catches from Cooper Pearce and Heath Ball supported a strong bowling performance. With Manat Singh taking four wickets and spinner Leo Tarlinton adding two, Lower Clarence was bowled out for 67.

“It was a solid team victory, with valuable lessons in batting endurance and bowling as a group.

“Special thanks to the parents for their support and scoring on the day.”

Under 12s coach Mick Britton gave a recap of his team’s win against Lower Clarence.

“It was a convincing win at Wherrett Park, Maclean,” he said.

“Taking to the field first, we quickly had Clarence under immense pressure thanks to some outstanding bowling from Dan (one for eight off five overs at dangerous speed), Zoe (three for six off six), Jen (three for four off six – including three wickets in three balls), and Sehag (zero for one off three – building great pressure).

“At the first drinks break, Clarence had managed only fifteen runs off thirteen overs.

“We eased off a little to give everyone a chance to bowl, well supported by Hunter’s solid work as wicketkeeper, and some excellent captaincy from Zoe and Jen, Clarence grafted their way to a total of 48 runs.

“This modest target gave us the opportunity to mix up the batting order.

“After an early loss of 3 wickets, Arbie (20 off 45) and Dan (fifteen off 28) put on a masterclass in running between the wickets to surpass Clarence’s score, both finishing not out as we reached the target with only three wickets down.

“It was a fantastic team effort, with sublime skill on display, despite a few dropped catches.

“Next up, we’ll aim to raise our game even further against Valleys, our local rivals, at Toormina next Sunday.

“A huge thanks to Jodie for scoring, Bryan for helping with umpiring, and the rest of the crew for their support, keeping Freddy the lucky puppy well looked after, and providing shelter.

“The game was played in great spirit and sportsmanship against a less experienced opponent.

“A shout-out to Divan Biro, who filled in as 12th man for the U12s, Divan is the first Iraqi-born player to represent CHDCA cricket – an awesome milestone.”

Under 14s coach Glen Johnson shared his thoughts on his side’s match against Lower Clarence.

“We batted first but had no luck with our top four batters, which put some pressure on the middle and lower order,” he said.

“However, the boys dug in and managed to reach a total of 129.

“Our opponents passed us with six wickets down, and an extra 30-40 runs would likely have made the difference. “Sahib contributed an impressive 31, while Will Jamison added a much-needed 22 off 26 balls.

“After lunch, the wind picked up, making bowling a real challenge.

Josh Degroot performed well with his leg-spin, claiming a couple of wickets.

“Overall, this game was a good reminder that many of these kids haven’t played on turf recently, and for some, it was a new experience. There’s plenty of room for improvement [but] spirits were high among all the players.”

Coffs Harbour teams are at home this Sunday against Valleys Cricket.

The Under 16s and Under 14s play at Richardson Park, and the Under 12s play at Toormina Oval.

By Aiden BURGESS