Cowra's u14's representative side scored a 41-run win over Parkes in a low-scoring affair at Macpherson Oval on Sunday.
It was a pleasant morning to play cricket last Sunday and it was also a pleasant beginning when the Zoot Music sponsored Cowra u14's captain Peter Guthrie won the toss and elected to bat.
Fellow Canowindra batsman Zac Rue strolled out to the middle with Peter to open the innings.
It was not long before we realised the world famous Macpherson pitch was playing a few tricks and batting would be difficult.
Some deliveries appeared to "pop" or stand up and others stayed a little low.
Whatever was going on out there it wasn't long before the skipper was back with the rest of the team, popping one up to short mid-on to be caught for nine.
Rue followed soon after when he was bowled with the Cowra score on nine.
Fifteen runs later Sam Wright was dismissed for two with Beau McClintock down the other end trying to keep the ship afloat.
A good sensible stand then followed between McClintock and Cody Brooks when the boys combined for a 52-run partnership taking the score to 76. Brooks scored eight valuable runs allowing McClintock to be the dominant partner.
Brooks gave way to Lachlan Morrison but it was only two runs later McClintock was run out for a match-saving 44 runs.
Team spinner Ben Colby came to the crease and added 12 runs with Morrison before the latter was bowled for five.
At 6/90 in the 32nd over, Cowra were struggling on the uneven pitch.
Parkes were ready to finish things off but the tail hung about.
Ben Colby held things together with 17 and combined with Phil Tarrant, Geoff Lynch, Conor Lamond and Elijah Beath, Cowra scrambled to 112.
The score, however, would be competitive on this pitch where the ball wasn't coming on.
In the Parkes reply, big Geoff Lynch and Peter Guthrie took the new ball.
It was not until Guthrie's fourth over that he bowled one of the openers but Parkes had got off to a good start with 25 on the board after eight overs.
Tarrant picked up the second wicket when Zac Rue took a catch and Parkes were 2/28. Five runs later Cowra were celebrating again when they got a run out following a smart return from Brooks with grand pop Bobby proudly looking on.
Only six runs were scored after that when Tarrant, who was bowling well, hit the pads of a batter who appeared to walk in front of his stumps and was judged leg before wicket.
Then danger man Westcott was deceived brilliantly by young Colby and McClintock took the catch.
The score had not progressed when Colby was successful again bowling the next batsman.
The Cowra boys were moving quicker and sensed victory.
Suddenly at 6/56, the Cowra total of 112 looked a long way away to the Parkes batters.
Colby had not finished. He had taken a wicket in his first over and his second over. Could he pick one up in his third? That question was answered with the last ball of his next over when McClintock took another catch. Colby had taken three wickets and had destroyed the Parkes middle-order batting.
The re-introduction of Lynch brought immediate success. In the first over of his second spell McClintock took a wonderful, diving leg-side catch.
Coach Morrison was heard to mutter something about "I wouldn't have blamed him if he had dropped that!" The end was in sight with two wickets to get and 42 to win.
With the score at 70, Lynch beautifully bowled a nuisance batsman who had scored 15 and one run later the skipper took a catch off new bowler Elijah Beath.
Beath finished with 1/0 prompting his dad to say something about his son not bowling again this season so he can get the bowling average.
Parkes finished with 71 and the Cowra Zoot Music team had chalked up another win - this time by 41 runs.
Colby finished with 3/9, Lynch 2/13, Tarrant 2/13, Beath 1/0 and Guthrie 1/12 with one run out.
Once again McClintock performed very well behind the stumps in a man-of-the-match performance. His 44 runs was the difference between the teams.
The bowling performance was good with all bowlers keeping the ball up - a secret to bowling successfully on Macpherson.
There is a one week break before Cowra play West Wyalong on February 11 in Cowra. Keep an eye out in the Cowra Guardian for more news.
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