Maitland under-16 Luke Farthing and under-14 player Joseph Hancock made outstanding starts to the representative season scoring centuries in the Hunter Macquarie Generation series against Upper Hunter.
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Maitland needed every one of Farthing’s 110 runs to get home by six runs, while Hancock’s 102 set up a big total of 6/265 and a 175-run victory for the under-14s.
Under-16 opener Farthing batted through the 50 overs to score 110 from 143 deliveries as Maitland posted 4/188.
But Upper Hunters’s Hunter Ball with an almost run-a-ball 77 made sure Maitland had to work until the final over to secure the win.
Farthing’s innings included eight fours and he received support with the bat from Ben Crebert with 33 and a handy 19 from Max Farmer.
Maitland seemed to be in control when Lachlan Page dismissed Jed Collins for seven with the score at 6/110 but it was the signal for Ball to take on the Maitland attack and it came down to the last over with Upper Hunter needing 11 runs to win off the last ball.
In a thrilling finale Cameron Wynn got the crucial wicket of Ball to finish with 3-22.
The other wicket takers were Baylee Borrow, Ryan Wind, Jordan Wells, Denzel O'Brien and Lachlan Page who took one each as Maitland held Upper Hunter to 8/192.
Andrew Akerman made 22, Beau Parnell 29, Sam Harrison 18 and Thomas Druery 14 for Upper Hunter.
In the under-14s, Hancock (102 off 111 balls) and Patrick Stewart (54 off 77) combined to give Maitland an opening stand of 126.
The pace of the innings didn’t ease with skipper Thomas Porter making 21 off 35 balls and No.4 Thomas Lovegrove smashing 43 off 39 to set up the huge total of 6/265 from 50 overs.
The bowlers struck early and regularly and shared the wickets in dismissing Upper Hunter for 90.
James Green had the best figures finishing with 2-2, with Stewart, Brodie Little, Liam Richardson, Ethan Cook and Lachlan MacIntyre all picking up a wicket each.
Maitland under-12s led by an unbeaten 47 by Samuel Holz, Hayden Lucas (28 not out) Jett Saxby (23) and Toby Smith (24) posted 3/179 on the way to a 109-run win.
Smith backed up with 2-11 with the ball and Lucas, Saxby, Oska Greentree, Rohan Power, Thomas Long and Ronan Hill got a wicket each.
Cessnock had the bye. Maitland face Cessnock on Sunday, November 4.