Maitland has claimed the 2017-18 John Bull Shield on the back of outstanding bowling by spinner Dan Willis and skipper Lincoln Mills.
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Mills claimed 5-50 and Willis was named man of the match for his 4-14 from 10 overs as Singleton was dismissed for 142 in 35 overs at Robins Oval on Sunday.
Maitland took just 17 overs to reach their target with an emphatic 54 from 16-year-old Will Fort which included four sixes and six fours.
Fittingly Maitland representative stalwarts Matt Trappel and Mills were at the crease for the winning runs finishing unbeaten on 36 and 14 respectively.
Maitland broke a four-year drought in the competition with Sunday’s comprehensive victory. They had last won the title in 2013-14 and last the past two finals to Cessnock and Singleton.
Mills said a great team effort had culminated in an outstanding performance led by the bowling and some excellent fielding in the final, rammed home by the batting.
“Dan (Williis) bowled really well. He came on at a time when their guys tried to start getting away from us,” he said.
“He got a wicket in his first over. It was a big breakthrough for us and then just didn’t give their batsmen anything.
“Fourteen runs off his 10 overs and his four wickets was a really good bowling effort and set up the win.
“We didn’t start well with the ball at all, we gave them a lot of free runs in the first five overs .
“Once we got that first wicket we had a good talk in the team and really consolidated and started to bowling in our areas.
“Our fielding was second to none, Logan Smith took a blinder of a catch on the fence on debut in the John Bull Shield.”
Mills said it was a delight to watch Fort in full flight with the bat.
“He played second fiddle a little to Dan Foster at the start. Dan came out and hit a few sixes,” he said.
“When Dan went out Will just took charge. It was some of the cleanest hitting I’ve seen here.
“There’s no ground big enough for that kid when he gets going.
“To be 16 and hitting grown men all around the park is pretty good to watch.”
Mills paid tribute to the squad across the series and said apart from their second-round loss to Singleton it had been one of the most comprehensive series by a Maitland side in recent years.
“We had a good hard look at ourselves after the Singleton loss and never took a step back after that.
“To chase down 250 against Newcastle convincingly with three wickets down and then again to chase 142 down in the final was fantastic. I said to the boys after the first win at Cessnock that anything less that a win for Maitland in this comp was not good enough.”