BLAYDE Burke, Gilby Glawson and Cooper Stephen - that trio of talented Bathurst juniors helped Central West avoid a winless day at the NSW Country Youth Championships on Sunday.
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Central West managed just one win across the six Twenty 20 games its teams played at the tournament in Dubbo on Sunday and that success came via the under 13s thanks to some magic from Stephen, Glawson and Burke as well as Toby Middleton.
Central West had gone undefeated across all three age groups - under 13s, under 14s and under 15s - in the opening three rounds of their Thunder Country pool.
But on Sunday as the format changed to see teams contest a pair of Twenty20 games in Dubbo, that streak ended.
All three Central West teams fell in their morning fixtures against ACT/SD Kings, while later that afternoon only the under 13s managed to better the Illawarra Highlanders.
Even then that win came with just one ball to spare and two wickets in hand.
The Highlanders were sent in to bat after Central West won the toss, but they got their innings off to a good start as they put on 77 for the first wicket.
The runs continued to come after that initial breakthrough as Highlanders opener Noah Fien looked in control. Central West needed to remove him and it was Stephen that did it. He trapped him lbw to see him depart after blasting 55 off 48 deliveries.
Stephen ended up with figures of 2-14 off four overs as the Highlanders posted 4-142 off their 20 overs.
Central West's chase was in trouble early as they slipped to 2-10, but Burke then joined Middleton in the middle and switched momentum.
Middleton cracked 42 off 27 deliveries while Burke posted the highest score of any Central West batsman across the three divisions for the day as he made 58 off 48.
By the time Burke fell Central West needed 23 runs to win and the required rate was still more than a run a ball.
But Glawson kept his cool. He hit four boundaries off the 10 deliveries he faced under pressure to finish unbeaten on 22 and see Central West scrape over the line.
Earlier the under 13s went down by by six wickets to the Kings at Victoria Park 3.
Batting first Central West made 4-103 and while Stephen (2-27 off four) tried hard to help defend that total as he twice sent the ball clattering into the stumps and Jayden Brasier pulled off a run out, the Kings were too good.
They scored the winning run on the first ball of the 16th over.
Bathurst District representatives Eli Morris and Seth Norris worked hard with the ball for the Central West under 15s, but it was not enough as they fell by eight wickets to the Kings and were an agonising nine runs short against the Highlanders.
Against the Kings, Central West did not have much of a total to try and defend - they'd scored just 71 - but both Morris and Norris worked hard to restrict their rivals.
Morris took 1-14 off his four overs, while Norris picked up 1-11 off two with his spin at Lady Cutler 2.
That pair were again economical against the Highlanders at Lady Cutler 1 later in the afternoon. This time Central West was sent in to field after losing the toss but kept their rivals to 9-82.
Morris was brilliant as he conceded just four runs off his four overs, two of which were maidens, and took three wickets. Norris took 1-11 off his three.
The chase was a tense one, but ultimately Central West fell just short.
It was a tough day for Bathurst's under 14s representatives Connor Brown, Hugh Taylor, Rupert Begg, Ruben Newton, Charlie Rendell, Mark Sheather and Murray Staines.
Taylor (14) and Rendell (12) were two of just four Central West players who managed double figures with the bat in a six wicket loss to the Kings.
Central West made 9-76 off its 20 overs, with the Kings completing their chase in the 16th over.
Against the Highlanders, Central West struggled even more with the bat, this time making just 63 at Pioneer Park 1. Brown's 11 off 15 was the second highest score for the side.
While wicket-keeper Brown played a role in a run out and pulled off a stumping as he tried to help defend that small total, the Highlanders hit the winning runs in the 12th over with seven wickets still in hand.
The Bathurst talents and their Central West team-mates are hoping for better performances in the short format with the tournament concludes on Monday with two more Twenty 20 fixtures.
Weather-permitting they will face Greater Southern Marlins in the morning then back up to face ACT/SD Barons.