WITH the best young players converging on Dubbo this week the State Challenge promised plenty of excitement and it delivered on day one with a thrilling tie played out between the Western Riverina Kangaroos and the North City Silverbacks.
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The Kangaroos batted first and posted 170, with Dubbo's Max Rumble scoring 38, and the match came down to the final over with the Silverbacks needing seven off six balls.
Luke Mutton, who had taken four wickets, had the pressure of the final over and the game seemed over with six scored from the first three balls.
But Mutton then produced two dot balls and a run out on the final ball meant the Kangaroos had escaped with a tie.
"The game swung both ways in the last six overs," Kangaroos coach Garth Dean said.
"We'll take it because with one needed off three and only eight wickets down we were in all sorts of trouble.
"You'd prefer a win but that's the next best and we'll take it before we play West City next."
Batting first, the Kangaroos were in all sorts of trouble early on as they lost their first three wickets before the total was 30 but Dean Bennett and Ben Mitchell then set about building a partnership.
Mitchell made 36 before Rumble came to the crease and Dean stated the Dubbo youngster had done "really well" before he was run out for 38.
Bennett top scored with 46 as the Kangaroos fell just short of batting out the 50 overs.
"We were in trouble at about 3-25 early but we dug ourselves out and had a few good partnerships," Dean said.
Mutton was then the star with the ball, claiming four scalps, but Dubbo's other representative in the side, Mitch Ashford, was also hugely impressive as he bowled 10 straight overs of off-spin.
While pleased to avoid a loss, Dean knew his side needed to improve but said they had the talent to still have an impact in the State Challenge.
"All games will be hard and all the teams are even with two or three really good batsmen, a couple of good pace bowlers and one or two good spinners," the coach said, before speaking about his side's chances going forward.
"I know some of the guys who didn't score runs will score runs this week and we can do better with the ball but we just don't know our opposition.
"Tomorrow's (Tuesday) game is really important and if we win we are a chance of making the final."
