Singleton’s first John Bull Shield final cricket victory for a decade a few weeks ago, qualified them for the New South Wales Country Plate competition, which is open to the smaller cricket associations in Country NSW.
The larger Associations, the likes of Newcastle, Maitland and Tamworth have a competition of their own.
Two games on, Singleton will now head to Sydney to take on Albury-Wodonga in the Plate Final. The game will be played at Pratten Park, Ashfield on Sunday, March 8, starting at 10am.
Singleton District Cricket Association is hoping to organise a bus to take anyone interested to the game to ensure plenty of sideline support.
After winning the John Bull Shield, Singleton faced Narrabri who won their way to the game after winning the North West equivalent to the Hunter Shield.
Batting first, Singleton made 233 runs thanks to an innings of 102 by Isaac Barry with skipper Jackson Cox contributing 54.
In reply Narrabri were bowled out for 139, Nathan Hudson spun his way to 4/28 as leading wicket taker.
This set up a match against Forbes at Dubbo. Forbes had a crushing win against Mudgee the previous week.
Jackson Cox won the toss and elected to bat. Despite losing an early wicket runs began to add up and at the end of their 40 overs, Singleton had made an impressive 6/269 with the skipper making 60 and Alex Stafa unbeaten on 80.
This was obviously going to be a difficult task for Forbes. With Stafa bowling one of the openers in the first over and a brilliant run out soon afterwards by Isaac Barry, the Forbes team looked to be in real trouble.
Stafa (2/7) Brandon Carmon (1/20), Cooper Bailey (1/3) and Hudson (4/23) each bowled six overs both tying down the batsmen as well as taking wickets.
The Singleton fielding was also crucial with Jackson Cox pulling off a run out equal to that by Barry earlier in the innings.
It has been many years since Singleton has been able to choose a team that could be said to be truly representative of the talent available.
The game has changed in the past 50 years but the current team is being compared to that which dominated Hunter Valley cricket in the late seventies and early eighties.
In those days winning the John Bull Shiled was the highest honour; this team has a chance of going one better.
TEAM MEMBERS
Jackson Cox (capt, PCH/Glendon), Steve Abel (Creeks), Anthony Bailey (PCH/Glendon), Cooper Bailey (PCH/Glendon), Kyle Bailey (PCH/Glendon), Isaac Barry (Valley/JPC), Brandon Carman (Valley/JPC), Bradley Cox (PCH/Glendon), Luke Dempster (Valley/JPC), Nathan Hudson (Creeks), Jack Morris (Creeks), Ross Parker (Valley/JPC), Alex Stafa (Valley/JPC), Nathan Stapleford (Creeks), Daniel Storey (Valley/JPC), Jack Turner (PCH/Glendon), Matthew Wilkinson (Valley/JPC).
By Michael Akrill
