Young Glen Innes cricketer Mitch Duddy and his Armidale under 12 representative cricket team are set for Northern Inland Cricket’s decider after thrashing Moree on Sunday.
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The under 12s play a 40-over match split into 20 over intervals with each team alternating between bat and ball.
Armidale bowled first and tore through Moree to have them at 6-47 at the end of the first 20 overs.
With the bat, Duddy opened with Micah Lay to put on an impressive opening partnership.
You would be forgiven if you thought you were watching a team of seasoned cricketers with the patience displayed by the youngsters.
The pair took their time to wait for the right opportunity to score runs and when they did, they made it count.
Lay was dismissed on 35 and Duddy went on to finish the 20 overs at 34 not out.
“They batted really well together, they set it up really well for us,” coach Jerome Simpson said.
“I couldn't ask for any more of what Mitch and Micah did. Will Friend only got seven runs but he went out there and backed Mitch up, let Mitch have his head and go for it.”
Armidale rounded out their 20 overs with the bat at 2-99.
It took just 6.4 overs for Armidale to then tear through Moree’s remaining batsmen to take the win to land the spot in the final of the Ross Panton Cup with an innings to spare. Seb Brotherson was the best of the bowlers, taking 4-5 off 3.4 overs.
It’s been a long time since an Armidale under 12 team has made a Northern Inland grand final and Simpson said he is thrilled to be at the helm of this one.
“I am super proud, the whole lot – a team of 13 boys and one girl,” he said.
“Since the start of the season they have improved then after the Lismore carnival they have really come of age and now they are showing they can mix it with the big ones. They really played as a team, they knew the outcome if they played well and they just went out there and did it.
“They took every chance that came to them, the bowlers and fielders did well which made it easy for the batters to go out and do it.”
Of this Sunday’s final against the unbeaten Tamworth Blue, Simpson believes his side can bring home the trophy.
“I honestly believe the kids can do it,” he said.
“They are playing so much better than when Tamworth beat them by about 30 runs at the start of the season. They are a totally different side and I think they will really stick it to Tamworth and hopefully come home with the trophy.”
Sunday’s game capped off a huge weekend of sport for Duddy. He played club cricket for Hillgrove on Saturday morning to score 50 not out before heading to Uralla to turn out for the Glen Innes minor league under 14s in the nines tournament.