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Daily Wrap - Under 16 National Championships, Day 3

Published Sat 23 Apr 2022

Bring yourself up to date with everything from the National Championships in our Daily Wrap.

Summary: Under 16 Women

NSW and Victoria agreed to let the 14-0 score of their suspended game stand, as the result didn’t impact the final placings after the end of Round 1. The revised schedule also meant New South Wales and Queensland had the day off, as they finished first and second and will not meet until their final on Day 4.

However, the other suspended game from overnight turned into a thrilling contest. ACT led South Australia 8-5 when play resumed this morning, but SA staged an incredible comeback, scoring six runs in the bottom of the 5th to take the lead. ACT then had bases loaded in the top of the 7th but couldn’t bring any of them home, with SA striking out the last two batters for an 11-10 win.

Fifth-placed South Australia then caused something of an upset in the first final of the tournament, downing fourth-placed Victoria 10-3 in six innings. Victoria scored the opening three runs, but it was all SA from there, with 10 unanswered runs ending the tournament for the Big V.

Western Australia were cruising to victory against the ACT, ahead 9-2 in the early going, before the ACT closed the gap to four runs in the top of the 5th. However, WAS steadied, and held on for a x-x win.

Day 3 Results:

NSW 14 def VIC 0

SA 11 def ACT 10

Final 1: WA 12 def ACT 5

Final 2: SA 10 def VIC 3

For completed game reports, please click here.

For complete standings, please click here.

For the complete schedule, please click here.

Games start at 9:00am AEDT with a 15-minute break between each game

Day 4 What to Watch For: Under 16 Women

Queensland and New South Wales did not play a single pitch on Day 3 because of the schedule change, and only time will tell if the time off served them well or halted their momentum. The two teams meet tomorrow morning at 11:30am, with a win punching a ticket to the Grand Final. However, the winner will have another long wait until the Grand Final at 7pm.

After being winless on the first two days, South Australia will be hoping their fairy-tale run can continue when the take on Western Australia in another sudden death playoff. WA however were too good when the teams met on Day 2, and must like their chances of extending their campaign late into tomorrow.

NSW have rarely been challenged going into the finals, and are the clear favourite to etch their name into the Esther Deason Shield again tomorrow. Defence is their key, having conceded only four runs against in five round games.

 

Summary: Under 16 Men

Only three games played on Day 3 because of the change in schedule following yesterday’s rain, but spectators were treated to three well contested games, nonetheless. Victoria led New South Wales early on, before the Blue Bloods clicked into gear and eased their way to a 12-5 win.

However, the Big V immediately bounced back and reversed their result against South Australia from earlier in the week, edging out the Croweaters in a see-sawing 9-8 win.

Queensland and New South Wales then played out possibly the game of the tournament to date. Queensland led 12-9 with an innings to play, only to give up four runs in the top of the 7th. New South Wales were one out from a win, but Tipene Harkness scored on a Blake Turner single to tie the scores, followed by a fielding error that allowed James Allen to score the winning run for Queensland, 14-13.

Day 3 Results:

NSW 12 def VIC 5

VIC 9 def SA 8

QLD 13 def NSW

For completed game reports, please click here.

For complete standings, please click here.

For the complete schedule, please click here.

Games start at 9:00am AEDT with a 15-minute break between each game

Day 4 What to Watch For: Under 16 Men

Only a handful of runs have separated Victoria and South Australia throughout the tournament, and it will be all on the line when they meet again in the sudden death playoff tomorrow morning at 11:30am. The teams are 1-1, with both Round games decided by a single run either way.

Queensland have looked marginally better under pressure than New South Wales so far in the tournament, and they hold a 2-0 advantage over the home state in the 1st vs 2nd final. However, the Blue Bloods pushed Queensland all the way today, and the result could’ve gone the other way with a few breaks.

While Queensland and New South Wales have looked the dominant teams in the tournament, there is little between the first- and fourth-placed teams, and it’s still anyone’s guess who will hold the Arthur Allsopp trophy aloft tomorrow afternoon.

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