CHAMPIONS! Gilgandra Cricket Association has come away with the Country Plate Championship after a dominant bowling display against Griffith, winning by 7 wickets at Homebush on Sunday 19 February.

And for the first Country Plate Final since 2017 this year's final certainly didn’t disappoint.

This year's Gilgandra representative squad consisted of players from five of the eight sides of the Gilgandra cricket competition, including Town Services, Breelong, USC/Marthaguy, Baradine, and Coonabarabran.

As the sun rose on the Cricket Central Oval in Homebush, anyone within eyeshot knew it was a perfect day for cricket - clear skies, a 32-degree peak and perfectly mown grass.

Gilgandra won the toss and elected to bowl, backing their strong bowling attack on a green wicket that looked to suit them if some reverse swing presented itself later on in the innings.

Gilgandra got off to a blistering start with three straight maidens from the opening pair of Harry Willoughby and Jack Irving, building early pressure early on the opening batsmen.

They wouldn’t have to wait long for the pressure to get to Griffith either, with Tim Rand stumped in the fourth over by wicketkeeper Matt Everett.

ABOVE: Griffith found themselves down 7-37 after a blistering start from Gilgandra's opening bowlers, Harry Willoughby and Jack Irving.

Gilgandra didn’t let up after their first wicket, keeping the ball at a good line and length and never letting the batsmen get settled at the crease.

By the end of the fifteenth over Griffith was sitting at 7 wickets down for just 32 runs - well and truly in dire straits.

Not one of the top-order batsmen had made any more than 12 runs, with the top six combining for just 22 all up.

Gilgandra did much of the same with the tail end, ripping through with ease.

Griffith's innings ended after just 25.3 overs, all out for 68.

Championship innings

With just 68 runs to chase you could argue Gilgandra could've been quietly confident when they stepped out to the middle to bat.

But like all season, they played every ball on its merits and understood how quickly the tides can turn in a game of cricket.

The opening pair, Matt Everett and Ash Hazelton provided some early stability and stuck out the new ball.

Griffith showed some fight early, dismissing the dangerman Matt Everett who was caught behind playing an errant block on a ball that was short of a length and drifting outside the off stump.

The very next ball Liam Zell was dismissed for a golden duck after he mistimed a shot off the pads to the leg side and was caught plumb LBW.

Any fire that Giffith had was quickly extinguished when James Glasson walked out to the middle to steady Gilgandra.

Glasson and Hazelton kept the scoreboard ticking away for a few more overs with some quality running and a few boundaries mixed in when the bad ball presented itself.

Ash was dismissed later on in the thirteenth over, but by that point the game was all but sealed, leaving Glasson and new batsmen Nick Willoughby to chase down the remaining thirteen runs.

By the seventeenth over the score was tied at 68 runs a piece, leaving Glasson to finish off the Griffith four balls later with a classy backfoot cut between cover and point to secure the winning runs.

 ABOVE: The match was held at the new 'Cricket Central' oval in Homebush, Sydney. Photo Credit: Cricket NSW

First time Champions

Man of the match went to Matt Everett for his strong performance with the gloves, picking up three leg-side stumpings on the day.

Other notable performances included Harry Willoughby's bowling figures of 3-8 after eight overs, an astounding effort on an unfamiliar wicket, and Jack Irving who backed up Harry at the other end with figures of 3-22 as well.

Gilgandra cricket club secretary Matt Zell couldn't speak any higher of the performance on Sunday.

"It was a really fitting end to the season for us, we bowled really well early on putting enormous pressure on them," said Mr Zell.

"We've had the same side for the past four games, they're a great mix of both young and experienced guys, and all of them showed that they were really committed to the side."

Gilgandra have been dominant all season going undefeated, but for Matt, the stand-out performance had to be the semi-final against a strong Cessnock side.

"Our biggest challenge was that game against Cessnock, but even then they played so well," said Mr Zell.

"Matt Everett got a century in that game and we totalled a score of 231 and lasted the whole fifty overs."

"And then we backed that up, bowling them out for 188 with a string of ducks to end their innings."

This was the first time Gilgandra has won the Country Shield, and only the second time a team from north-west NSW has won as well - previous winners include Gerringong, The Rail, Upper Hunter, Holbrook, Cobar, Highlands, Temora, Murray Valley, Goulburn, Robertson-Burrawang, Cootamundra, and Bowral.

The Chair of Country Cricket, Paul Marjoribanks is excited about the return of the Country Shield after such a long hiatus.

"It's great to have the Country Plate back again," Mr Marjoribanks said.

“It is a great opportunity for local cricketers to proudly represent their hometowns, particularly with the final being the first Country Cricket competition match to be played at the superb new facilities of Cricket NSW – Cricket Central Oval.”

Gilgandra now has two pieces of silverware this season, with the Country Plate along with the Western Zone Plate after they defeated Mudgee earlier this year.

They now go on to play Cobar in the Brewery Shield Grand Final, where they hope to expand the silverware collection to three this season.

The line-up for this year's Country Plate final:

• Ash Hazelton (captain): Town Services
• Matt Everett (vice-captain): Breelong
• James Glasson: USC/Marthaguy
• Brandon Hammond: Town Services
• Ben Hjort: Baradine
• Jack Irving: USC/Marthaguy
• Kenny Johnson: Breelong
• Jaylem Peters: Town Services
• Peter Peters: Town Services
• Cameron Whitall: Coonabarabran
• Harry Willoughby: Coonabarabran
• Nick Willoughby: Coonabarabran
• Liam Zell: Breelong