Maitland's under-15 IDCA team has made the title decider despite losing their final regular round game to NWS Hurricanes on Sunday..
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Unbeaten going into the last regular round, Maitland would have hosted the final if they won but they will travel to take on North Shore on Sunday
It’s the second grand final in a row for most of the team who were part of the Maitland under-14 team which finished runners-up last year.
Ironically their opponents on that day NWS Hurricanes beat them last Sunday to deny them hosting rights.
Maitland’s under-16s play Blacktown in the play-off for third and fourth at Blacktown on Sunday.
Maitland and Manly were locked on 16 points each going into the final round and met at Louth Park for a spot in the major final against Sutherland.
Despite an outstanding innings of 62 by Ben Crebert, Manly prevailed beating Maitland by nine runs in a high-quality encounter after posting 9/141.
Cameron Wynn continued his fine form taking 3-29 and Sidney Searle shared the bowling honours with 3-19 in his first game for Maitland in the competition. Thomas Druery picked up 2-20.
Crebert was the lynch-pin of Maitland’s innings of 132, with Reilly Bashford (12) and Alex Lidbury (13) the only other Maitland batsmen to reach double figures.
In the under-15s, Maitland’s normally strong batting line-up had a rare collective bad day and were all out for 92.
Only three batsmen Baylee Borrow (19), Toby Warner (13) and Max Farmer (11) made double figures as they crashed from being 2/64.
The bowlers led by Denzel O'Brien who took 5-12 off nine overs did well to restrict the Hurricanes to 123 and have shown they have a number of players who can chime in with wickets when needed.
However, the Maitland batsmen need to put a rare poor day behind them this Sunday.
The under-12, under-13 and under-14 competitions continue beyond this weekend with two regular rounds remaining in the under-12 and 14s.
The under-13s have their final regular round on Sunday followed by finals the week after.
In the under-12 on Sunday, Maitland defeated Newcastle with Hayden Lucas the star with the bat making 60 in Maitland’s 6/180.
Sam Holz picked up 3-24 as Maitland restricted Newcastle to 7/165.
The Maitland under-13s had a 118-run win against NWS Hurrricanes Maroon. In a dominant performance Oscar Walker scored 75, Harry Scowen 64 and Jaxon Brooks 36 as Maitland posted 7/228.
Thomas Thorpe took 2-2 and James Friis 2-32 as Maitland kept the Hurricanes to 6/110 from their 50 overs.
Maitland under-14s had a 46-run win against NWS Hurricanes. Joseph Hancock starred making 70 in Maitland’s 153. Brodie Little took 2-5 and Ethan Cook 2-12 for Maitland.