By Matt ZellCurban have defeated Baradine by 7 wickets to take out the 2021/22 Ossie Carrett Cup Grand Final on Saturday @ McGrane Oval. Winning the toss & electing to bat, Baradine got off to a fair start with T McGlashin, Reagan Evans & Paul Leonard all making starts before being dismissed in their teens. Alex Hunter (26) & M Johnston (18) combined for a valuable partnership but boundaries were hard to come by with Doug Kelly (3/17) & Scott Chandler (1/14 off 8) both miserly. Baradine managed to bat out their 45 overs & finished with 7/117. Curban’s run chase could have started in the worst possible way had it not been for the generosity of a Baradine fieldsman who dropped Doug Kelly first ball of the innings. This proved to be extremely costly as he went on to compile 77 knock out to continue his stellar run of form of late. Doug was well supported by John Bunter who made 24 in an opening partnership of 92. Tim Gasby chipped in with a brisk 8 before he became the 2nd of Ben Hjort’s 3 victims. Unfortunately Ben was the only Baradine bowler to feature in the wickets colomn as Kelly polished off the required runs with minimal effort. Curban passed the total 3 wickets down with 16 overs to spare to be declared the winners of the Ossie Carrett Cup. A huge congratulations to Curban & special thanks to Baradine who took the field with just 9 players due to a team mates' wedding. One other special mention to Georgia Allen who fielded from fine leg to fine leg for Baradine with a big smile on her face the whole time. She was rewarded with a bowl after the match was concluded & managed to take the prize wicket of Andrew Peart who was hit plumb in front with one that jagged back off the pitch.

By Matt ZellBreelong wicketkeeper batsman Matt Everett stole the show on Friday night @ McGrane Oval with a chanceless 113* to get Breelong home against Town Services in the final of the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield. In a huge week for the cricketing prodigy, he has gained selection for NSW Country to contest the Australian Country Championships in Albury next month which is a great boost for local cricket. Winning the toss & electing to bat, Town Services came out of the blocks firing with Ash & Kieren Hazelton racing to 29 off the first 5 overs before Kieren was dismissed for a swashbuckling 19. The in form Jason Carter was dismissed 2 overs later for 0 & when skipper Ash Hazelton departed for a well compiled 30 the wheels on the Town Services bus were wobbling @ 3/55. Adam Hazelton & Brank Hammond then steadied the ship & took the score along to 94 before Adam was dismissed for 15. A couple of quick wickets then fell before Hammond found an ally in young Preston Ahsee. The pair put on 23 before Hammond fell for a team high of 51. Preston finished 23* in a valuable innings that helped Town Services compile 8/165. Matt Zell (3/33) was the leading wicket taker with brothers Kenny & Henry Johnson both taking 2 & veteran John Alchin 1.Breelong started their run chase on a positive note with skipper Liam Zell & Everett putting on 44 for the 1st wicket before Zell was adjudged LBW for 11. Everett was then joined by Nathan Tuena & they combined for a 28 run stand before Tuena also fell the same way. Kenny Johnson came & went for 6 which left Breelong @ 3/86 off 24 overs. Experienced stalwart Guy McAnally-Elwin then strode to the crease & turned back the clock with a valuable innings that showed all of his class & guile. The pair put on an invaluable 61 run partnership to wrestle the ascendency back in Breelong’s favour before he inexplicably run himself out for 14 with the finish line in sight. Two more quick wickets fell but the damage had been done. It was fitting Everett should hit the winning runs in the final over with 4 wickets in hand. Adam Hazelton was the pick of the bowlers with 2/30 off 9 overs, Jacob Wilson finished with 1/28 off his 9 & Brank Hammond & Mark Temple picked up a wicket each. It was a match befitting a Grand Final & full congratulations should go to both teams for the tremendous spirit in which the game was played. The focus now turns to this week’s Grand Final with Minor Premiers Gidgee taking on Breelong for the right to hoist the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield aloft. The match will get underway this Saturday from 12 midday @ McGrane Oval. This should be a great game of cricket & a large crowd is anticipated, good luck to both teams.    

By Matt ZellGidgee have marched into the grand final of the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield courtesy of a nail biting 1 wicket victory over Breelong at Gulargambone on Saturday.Winning the toss & electing to bat, Breelong laboured hard in very difficult scoring conditions to post 94. Matt Everett lead the way with 51 but didn’t find much support outside of Ike Morris (10).ABOVE: Breelong's Matt Everett opening the batting for the Gilgandra side over the weekend. Photo: Brendan O'Connor.Peter Peters spearheaded the Gidgee attack claiming 4/16. He was well supported by Aaron Page (3/13) & Jarrod Page (2/24).Gidgee then got off to a flyer & found themselves 0/19 off 2 overs before wickets started to fall in steady succession & at 9/70 at the final drinks break it appeared as though Breelong would be booking their ticket to the Grand Final.Skipper Tyne Chapman clearly did not read the script & it a magnificent display of batsmanship he was able to get his team home with a patient knock of 32*.Braiden O’Brien batting at 11 also did a magnificent job to remain 7 not out. Mark Stewart (20) & Mitch Nalder (17) were the other batsmen to make positive contributions.For Breelong, Lachie Briggs, John Alchin, Henry Johnson & Matt Zell all took 2 wickets & Liam Zell a direct hit runout.ABOVE: Gidgee skipper Tyne Chapman put a solid bowling effort down as the reason for the team's close victory. Pictured is Elvy McEwen ready to put a fast one down the pitch. Photo: Brendan O'Connor.Town Services too good in minor semi-finalTown Services have recorded a 34 run victory in a low scoring contest & McGrane Oval on Saturday to advance into the final.Batting 1st Town Services were in trouble early with run scoring machine Ash Hazelton out 2nd ball of the day for a very rare failure. Brank Hammond & Jason Carter steadied the ship with a 26 run partnership before Carter was dismissed for 14.The mercurial Kieren Hazelton then strode to the crease & made 19 before succumbing to a straight one. Town then lost Danial Riley (0) & Brank Hammond (22) in quick succession to slump to 5/69.A few lofty blows from Adam Hazelton put some respectability into the score but another 4 quick wickets followed by a crucial 14 run last wicket partnership saw Town post 103 off 37.3 overs.Osca Brooker was the pick of the bowlers taking 4/12, next best being Nick Willoughby with 2.Coonabarabran appeared to be cruising at 0/38, the introduction of Danial Riley & Brank Hammond into the attack changed the game as the pair wreaked havoc on the Coonabarabran batting line up taking 5 & 4 wickets respectively to play the visitors out of the match.Riley finished with 5/22 & Hammond 4/10 including 6 maidens to have Coonabarabran all out for 69. Nick Willoughby top scored with 35 & was well supported by Caine Thompson who made 14.Gidgee now have the week off & await the winner of this week’s Final between Breelong & Town Services.ABOVE: Breelong's Matt Zell bowling on Saturday watched by umpire David Lowe. Photo: Brendan O'Connor.In the Ossie Carrett cup Curban & Eumungerie had a washout of Sunday with Curban progressing to the Grand Final this weekend being the higher ranked team & Baradine are through are a disappointing forfeit from Biddon-Tooraweenah.Good luck to all teams involved this weekend & I look forward to providing you all with a further update next week.

By Sam TurnbullRound 4 saw the Castlereagh Cougar’s teams take the road trip to Manildra to take on Woodbridge. The weather did not deter the excitement of the games, with all teams playing some great footy.We travelled to Manildra and it was an early start but that wasn’t enough to worry the very eager under 13’s team who had 17 of their 19 players there ready to take on Woodbridge.The game got off to a good start with Cougars hooker Mokoia Birtles scoring a sneaky try. Soon after fullback Zahlee Fernando went on a stepping run and scored under the posts, try was converted and the Cougars were up 10-0. After the first drink break Woodbridge scored a try, and the Cougars hit back with Mokoia crossing for another try from their dummy half. Woodbridge had several attacking sets on the Cougars' 10 metre line but some very solid defence saw the girls hold them out. Jade Craig scored a courageous try from dummy half which was great to see from the smallest player on the field to bring the score to 18-10 at half time.Woodbridge came out firing in the second half, which saw them hit the front for the first time in the match leading into the final quarter 30-28. The Cougars kept their composure and muscled up with their defence, led by Paeyton Masling who tackled anyone that moved. Then, with 5 minutes to go, Keisha Thompson crossed for a try off a Molly Burgess pass to put the Cougars in front 32-30. The final icing on the cake come from a 40 metre run from Talloulah Moore off the kick off from the try, she was taken down and the girls passed it quickly out to the right to see Ava Stanton score a try right on the hooter. Xanthe Gale converted the try with a massive kick to bring the final score to 38-30. Players Player went to Molly Burgess (Coolah) and Jade Craig (Coonamble) with 3 points to Paeyton Masling (Mudgee), 2 points to Zahlee Fernando (Coonamble) and 1 point to Ava Stanton (Coona).The Under 15s had a much tougher day on the paddock. Although starting out well and scoring the first two tries, they couldn’t hold off the well-drilled Woodbridge team who come back to defeat the Castlereagh girls 44-12.The Under 17s girls came up against a strong Woodbridge team. The girls played hard and dug deep for the whole game, unfortunately not being able to capitalise on the key plays or being able to hold of the strong running Woodbridge girls in defence. The score line definitely did not reflect the effort of the game from our girls, who went down 60-0. 3 points went to Olivia Milsom (Coona), 2 points to Rani Diggs (Gilgandra) and 1 point to Mackenzie Harvey and Amy Verrall.The Under 19s also had a tough day at the office going 62-4. Very similar to the 17s game where the score line did not reflect the effort and hard work the girls put in for the whole game, while having no reserves on the bench. Players Player went to Shakaye Walker (Coonamble) and Amarlee Vallette (Coona), with 3 points to Courtney Penfold (Gunnedah), 2 points to Amarlee Vallette and 1 point to Hayley Andrews (Coona).The Opens were last up and, after coming off a forfeit and a bye, were keen for some footy. Although short on numbers, this did not deter them from playing some good quality footy in some very ordinary conditions. Woodbridge girls were quick to score, showing how well drilled they were, but the Castlereagh girls were not giving up too easy with Sam Turnbull finding the line with a quick scoot from dummy half just before half time going into the break 22-4 down. The girls come back in the second half keen to continue building on the positives from the first half and play some footy, however, Woodbridge was wanting the same and scored some quick back-to-back tries through some good ball movement and well-drilled plays. This did not stop the Castlereagh girls who were able to find set up some good field positions inside the Woodbridge 10m many times but were unlucky to score through with Hannah Carroll and Shay Hooper narrowly coming short each time. The Castlereagh girls persisted and finally found the line again through a hard-hitting run from Shay Hooper who barrelled over to score Castlereagh’s second try just before the full-time, finishing the game 40-8. Key players Channy Burgess, Shay Hooper, Amy Ryan and Sammy Turnbull helped lead the way through the game with big runs and big defence.A big shoutout also goes to some of the under 19s - Shakaye Walker, Ashanti Pennell, Courtney Penfold, Maddy Masman, Hannah Carroll, Hayley Andrews and Nikeata McMasters - with these girls playing almost two full games each, and put in and dug deep to give the Opens the extra effort they needed. Players Player went to Shay Hooper (Coonamble), with 3 points to Sammy Turnbull (Coonamble), 2 points to Channy Burgess (Coolah) and 1 point to Amy Ryan (Mudgee). This weekend will see the club host Panorama Platypi in Gulargambone for their last home and round game before semi-finals.

By COLIN HODGESFollowing her five win haul the previous week at Condobolin the Dubbo based Connie Greig continued her flying start to the Picnic season when she led in a double and received the trophy for leading trainer on Saturday at Tottenham.Her Cup winning spree however came to an end when Parkes trainer Sharon Jeffries took out the feature event with Jin Chi Phantom.Part owned by Alex Prout a rugby league star with the Gilgandra Panthers, Parkes Spacemen and now the Orange Hawks, Jin Ji Phantom was well ridden by Narromine jockey Ricky Blewitt in the 1400 metres Robinson Grain Tottenham Picnic Cup.Taken straight to the lead by Blewitt, Jin Chi Phantom ($11) was always travelling well and held off the strong finishing Connie Greig pair Gossip (Leandro Ribeiro, $4 equal favourite) and Valadyium (Will Stanley $4 equal favourite).Valadyium winner of the recent Cups at Bedgerabong and Condobolin was one of an unprecedented five runners in the Cup at Tottenham for Connie Greig.Consistent mare Call Me Trinity had won the feature sprints at Bedgerabong and Condobolin for Connie Greig and competed the treble in the 1000 metres Tottenham Bowling Club-Campsie RSL Club-Associated Agents Open Handicap.Challenged in the straight by Twice The Value (Dylan Stanley, $5), Call Me Trinity (Leandro Ribeiro, $2.40 fav.) fought on strongly to win by a half neck with Rebecca’s Quest (Breanna Bourke, $7) an honest third.Linden Tree humped 71kg when winning at Condobolin and allocated a massive 73kg Handicap at Tottenham the Connie Greig trained four year old gelding was again an impressive winner.Superbly ridden by Leandro Ribeiro, Linden Tree ($5) travelled fifth in the ten horse field before powering home to win the 1200 metres Inland Petroleum Class 2 Handicap by a length and a half from the leader In The Road (Ricky Blewitt, $3.80) and Kallie (Will Stanley ,$6).Leandro Ribeiro who rode five winners at the recent Condobolin meeting, had a treble at Tottenham, the first leg being Looking Forward in the 1000 metres Tottenham Hotel Maiden Plate.Formerly trained in South Australia and now with Rodney Robb at Nyngan, Looking Forward ($2 favourite) shared the lead then pulled away to score by a length from Keep No Secrets (Ricky Blewitt, $3.20) with Princess Zafirah (Breanna Bourke, $8) a distant third.All the way from the Menindee stables of Wayne Marsden, the $16 outsider Orezira ridden by Leeton-based Breanna Bourke, was in the centre of a line of three turning for home and then edged clear to beat Penny’s Bonita’s (Wayne Wheatley, $2.60) and Travstar (John Wilson, $2.20 fav.).Closing off the meeting held before a big crowd, the Merv Rumble, Wellington trained Red River Lad ($6) with the talented Will Stanley aboard, from midfield finished best to win the 1400 metres Local Businesses Class B Handicap from Boys Home (John Wilson, $3.80) and Knee Slapper, Leandro Ribeiro, $2.50 fav.).                         ——————————-The first two placegetters in the $150,000 Western Racing Association Qualifier at Coonamble next Sunday will be eligible to contest the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick in April.Coonamble is predicted to attract a big crowd to see outstanding racing.

By Sam TurnbullSaturday the 19th February saw the Castlereagh Cougars host their first home game in Coonamble to the Orange Vipers.Unfortunately, due to prior commitments the Vipers could only field 3 of their 5 teams with their 15s and Open forfeiting.The 13s were reduced to playing 9 a side in order to match the number of the Vipers. The girls played some awesome footy with key efforts from players; Molly Burges, Zahlee Fernando, Xanthe Gale, Mokoia Britles, Ava Stanton and Sienna Milsom.Throughout the game, the girls demonstrated some great footy, coming away with a great win 62-12.Players Player: Mokoia Brittles (Coona), 3 points: Xanthe Gale (Coona), 2 points: Molly Burgess (Coolah) & 1 point: Payton Masling.The 17s had a much tougher challenge in their game, not only facing the heat of the day, but also a strong Vipers side. The girls were keen to get off to good start and play some tough footy. The 17s fought hard throughout the whole game, displaying some good skills in both attack and defence. Key players Rani Diggs, Missy, Jardi Naden, Sarah Morley and Hallie Hodgen lead the way throughout the whole game. ABOVE: Rani Diggs throws herself into a well executed one-on-one tackle with a Viper player. Image: Angie O'ConnorThe girls played an extremely close game in the first half before tiring and unfortunately going down 42-22.Players Player: Hallie Hogden (Dunedoo), 3 points: Rani Diggs (Gilgandra), 2 points: Hallie Hogden, 1 points: Jardi Naden (Gilgandra).The last game of the day saw the 19s hit the field hoping to continue their great form from the previous week. Hoping to make up for missing key players Hannah Carroll and Hayley Andrews the girls went out hard, hitting ground running. By playing some great footy and demonstrating strong teamwork, the girls headed into half time leading 24-4. The second half saw the Vipers find their feet and hit back, with back to back tries allowing them to make their way back to within 4 points of the Cougars. With the Cougars tiring and lacking reserves the girls continued to play hard and showed a lot of heart. However, in the last few minutes of the game, the Vipers managed to push a little harder and scored a final try to get the level at 24-all. The Cougars were unlucky to cross for a final try with Amarlee Vallette being held up over the line when the hooter went finishing the game in a 24 all draw. Key players Shakaye Walker, Ashanti Pennell, Maddy Masman, Amarlee Vallette and Courtney Penfold put in some hard minutes and lead their team around with great spirits.Players player: Savannah Moore (Brewarrina), 3 points: Ashanti Pennell (Baradine), 2 points: Maddy Masman (Baradine), 1 Point - Amarlee Vallette (Coona).The Cougars will host Mid-West Brumbies this weekend in Coonamble with the 15s and 17s playing.

By COLIN HODGESDubbo trainer Connie Greig produced a remarkable feat to win five of the six races on Saturday at Condobolin.The only one of her six horse team not to win at the meeting was Get Up Alby which finished second to stablemate Valadyium in the $11,000 Inland Petroleum Condobolin Picnic Cup.Sharing the limelight was Brazilian born jockey Leandro Ribeiro with five winners including four for Connie Greig and the other on the Rodney Robb, Nyngan-trained Acres Midnight in the opening event.Brent Evans prevented a clean sweep by Ribeiro when winning the Cup (1400 metres) on Valadyium which the previous Saturday had won the Bedgerabong Picnic Cup with Will Stanley in the saddle.From back in the field, Valadyium (Brent Evans, $3.80) began making ground from the 600 metres and finished too well for Get Up Alby (Leandro Ribeiro, $3 favourite) and the leader Sipharderson (John Wilson, $7).Backing up from winning the Clearview Bracelet at Bedgerabong for Connie Greig, Call Me Trinity (Leandro Ribeiro, $1.90 fav.) led throughout to win the KMWL feature sprint (1000 metres) at Condobolin from Jawsome (Breanna Bourke, $13) and Danetree Belle (Will Stanley, $3.80).Next up for the Greig stable, humping the 71kg top weight, Linden Tree (Leandro Ribeiro, $4.60) overhauled the leader My Shiromi (Brent Evans, $3.60) to win by over two lengths with Bold Louise (John Wilson, $2.40 fav.) third in the 1100 metres CWA Of NSW Centenary Class 1 Handicap.Yet another win for Connie Greig when Gossip (Leandro Ribeiro, $3.10) came from fourth in the 1400 metres Chamens IGA Class 2 Handicap to account for the leader Boys Home (John Wilson, $3.40) and Star Express (Breanna Bourke, $17).Completing a memorable day for Connie Greig and Leandro Ribeiro, Merdeka ($2.40) in a line of three turning for home, finished best on the outside to win the 1700 metres Condobolin Milling Class 3 Handicap by a head from Nepenthes (Will Stanley, $2.30 fav.) with Bavarian Watts (Anaelle Gangotena, $5) a long neck away third.Getting in early for a share of the prizemoney was Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb with Acres Midnight (Leandro Ribeiro, $1.80 fav.) all the way winner of the 1000 metres Vella Stock Feeds Maiden Plate from Little Outa Reach (Breanna Bourke, $15) and Keep No Secrets (Brent Evans, $15).Meanwhile at the Orange TAB meeting, Rylan’s Pick (Jackson Searle, $9) owned by Ken and Kerry Wright from Nyngan and trained by Brett Robb, swept to the lead in the straight to win the 1000 metres Epiroc Benchmark 50 Handicap from Angie Emm (Elissa Meredith, $3.80) and In The Road (Tony Cavallo, $31).Condobolin attracted a big crowd and was considered the best meeting held in the town for many years.

By Sam TurnbullLast Sunday (13 February) saw the Castlereagh Cougars travel to Dubbo to take on the Wiradjuri Goanna’s in their first-round match of the Western Women’s competition.The day started off with the newest additions to the club, the under 13s, many of whom hadn’t played before.They started off the game very well, getting out to a good lead, showing some great skills in tackling and passing. Individual efforts from Molly Burgess, Zahlee Fernando and Mokia Birtles helped get the team they’re win over the Goanna’s 26-20. The next game saw the experienced under 15s hit the field, many of whom have been playing together for a few years now. They got off to a shaky start with the Goanna’s scoring the first few tries. However, the Cougars weren’t giving up that easy and the spectators got to see some great effort in taking the ball forward from Adda Craig, Tatum Pawley and Sharna Forgione. ABOVE: Sharna Forgoine took on three opposition players in Saturday’s game. Image: Castlereagh Cougars FacebookThe girls got fairly tired, coming off back to back defensive sets, but still pulled deep to score their first try with a storming run from Adda Craig to find the line. Despite the girls best efforts the tables wouldn’t turn and the under 15s were beaten 18-6. Our under 17s side then took to the field during the middle of the day, with the girls keen to get a good hit in and play some tough footy. This game was held up at halftime due to a neck injury, with one of the players being unfortunately tackled in an awkward position, requiring an ambulance to take the field.  The girls valiantly finished off their game after going down 50-0.The score however, definitely did not reflect the pace and difficulty of the game. With the afternoon upon us, our more experienced under 19s team made their way onto the field. The girls were extremely keen to play some footy and went out hard, putting in some good effort throughout the game. With some great runs from Hannah Carroll and Hayley Andrews helping the team come back from the opposition’s lead of 14-10. Some individual game play efforts from Ashanti Pennell, Maddy Masman and Shakaye Walker saw the girls come back, after letting the Goanna’s back into the game due to some tiredness up the middle, to get the win over the Goanna’s 20-14.ABOVE: Shakaye Walker doing her best to keep the ball out of opposition hands. Image: Castlereagh Cougars Facebook.Huge credit goes to the girls as they played their game with only 14 players and overcoming a few injuries. The last game of the day saw plenty of physicality from our opens who were keen to hit the field. The Goanna’s were quick to score their first try but not without resistance from the Cougars who quickly hit back with their first try from Sammy Turnbull out of dummy-half. The team went into the first break down 10-6. When play resumed the girls showed some impressive plays through the middle from halves Tori Canham and Harriet Messner.ABOVE: Tori Canham searching for a gap in the Goanna's defence. Image: Castlereagh Cougars FacebookA quick shift left put Emily Ryan over in the corner, bringing the score to 10-all. Despite a few errors from both teams at the start of the second half, some great defensive and attack from the Cougars allowed Tori to score after a barn-storming from Shay Hooper, putting the Cougars up 16-14. Not long after the Cougars were lucky enough to score again through prop Channy Burgess, putting the team out a fantastic lead of 22-14. The third quarter saw Goanna’s score through some great individual efforts, bringing them back within two points of the Cougars. Despite the heat and each team’s rustiness, the game was played with strong effort and toughness. The Goanna’s were able to break through the Cougar’s tired defence and score a few last effort tries defeating our opens 30-22. This week will see the Castlereagh hosting the Vipers at home in Coonamble for round 2.

By COLIN HODGESBathurst based apprentice Ashleigh Stanley made the most of a late booking to win the feature event, the 1550 metre Mountain View Hotel Tooraweenah Cup aboard Bring The Joy on Saturday 5 February at Gilgandra.Following the third race, Clayton Gallagher became indisposed and was replaced by Stanley on the Gavin Groth, Gunnedah trained seven year old mare.In a strung out field, Bring The Joy ($9) was amongst the last four before unleashing a big finish down the outside to beat Stone (Kath Bell-Pitomac, $7.50) and Chuck’N’Paul (Andrew Banks, $17).Clayton Gallagher also missed the winning ride on the Kieren Hazleton, Gilgandra trained Queen Dee in the 1000 metre Gilgandra Sporties Club Maiden Handicap.Tony Cavallo was the replacement rider and Queen Dee ($3.20) winless but placed 7 times from 18 previous starts led throughout to win by almost two lengths from Moonlight Princess (Jackson Searle, $19) and Torrid Affair (Chelsea Ings, $12).First leg of a double for Tony Cavallo was the David Smith, Mudgee trained Charlie Flyer ($21) which raced in a handy position then finished best to win the 1280 metre Jed Morris Contracting Benchmark 50 Handicap from Ringside (Kath Bell-Pitomac, $12) and Purple Cup (James Baker, $2.05 favourite).Narromine trainer Troy McCarney added another long shot winner to his resume when Hussniacki won the 1280 metre Geronimo Farm Equipment Maiden Plate.Last July at Dubbo, the McCarney trained Texas Lil ridden by Angela Cooper won at $151 and landed some lucrative bets for close stable followers.Well ridden by Parkes jockey Tiffany Jeffries at Gilgandra, Hussniacki ($51) had a nice run behind third the leaders and charged home to win by a length from Jianzhang (Elissa Meredith, $12) and Bold Louise (Ken Dunbar, $2.70 favourite).Despite the long odds, Hussniacki was fancied by connections and one bookmaker accepted and payed out two seperate bets of $1,250 to $25 each way.Kath Bell-Pitomac who was recently voted the Wellington “Sportsperson Of The Year “ produced outstanding rides for a winning double on Bid To Fame (1280 metre Ahrens Benchmark 50 Handicap) and Jewel Of The Clan in the 1000 metre Tooraweenah Businesses Benchmark 50 Handicap.From near last, the Jim McMillan, Wellington trained Bid To Fame ($18) came with a rush to overwhelm Get Up Alby (Madeline Owen, $9) and Chesty (Tony Cavallo, $4.80 favourite).Trained at Coonabarabran by Graham Watts, Jewel Of The Clan ($21) took the early lead and held on gamely to account for Call Me Trinity (Madeline Owen, $5) and Knickerbockerglory (Ken Dunbar, $3.40 .Owned by Val Wray from Nyngan and trained at Dubbo by Brett Robb, the lightly raced five year old mare Travstar won the 800 metres Damows And More Mowing Class 1 Handicap with Tamworth apprentice Jackson Searle in the saddle.Holding a slender lead turning for home, Travstar ($17) broke clear and won by over a length from Watch Me Sizzle (Ashleigh Stanley, $3 favourite) with two lengths to the third placed Jesta Diva (Tony Cavallo, $3.80).

By Matt ZellThe Gilgandra Bendigo Bank 1st XI have been eliminated from the Brewery Shield after a 5 wicket loss to Narromine on Sunday.Winning the toss & electing to bat, Captain Ash Hazelton & Mark Stewart got the team off to an encouraging start by putting on 31 for the 1st wicket before Stewart was adjudged LBW for 13. Nick Willoughby joined the skipper & they also enjoyed a handsome partnership of 35 before Hazelton was caught behind for 30. Unfortunately Willoughby followed next over to start the wobbles for Gilgandra, leaving us 3/66 @ drinks. We then lost a steady stream of wickets before USC Marthaguy teenagers James Glasson & Jack Irving combined for a 17 run stand for the 9th wicket followed by a 12 run final wicket stand between Glasson & Jon Kilby to see us reach 134 all out.James Glasson showed maturity beyond his years to remain unbeaten on 29, his patience & ball striking were a pleasure to witness. Gilgandra set about defending our modest total & wicket Jon Kilby on song early signs were positive. He dismissed Cameron Collins in the 3rd over for 2 & the pressure was all on the home team. A 38 run 2nd wicket stand had Gilgandra on the back foot but with 3 quick wickets we were right back in the contest with Narromine going to drinks @ 4/58. Unfortunately a couple of dropped catches after the drinks break cost the visitors dearly with Mitch Russo making Gilgandra pay, blasting 47 before holing out looking to ice the game. That was to be our last wicket as the home side passed our total 5 wickets down off 30 overs. The representative team has come a long way this season after many years in the wilderness, I would like to thank everyone who contributed throughout the year & I hope this is a stepping stone to getting back to the glory days of Brewery Shield that were once enjoyed by Gilgandra. I would like to particularly thank our Captain, Ash Hazelton who has lead from the front all season & to Noel Willoughby for offering to score. I would also like to thank our partners Bendigo Bank & the Gilgandra Services Club. Good luck for the rest of the season with your clubs & I look forward to rep cricket again next season.

Junior Cricket returned from the holiday break on Saturday with mixed results. The u/12 Thunder team were far from rusty after the break dominating Wellington in a game where all players showed that their holiday games of cricket in the backyard had fine tuned their skills.Winning the toss and batting first, Wellington were restricted to 108 runs by some good bowling by the Thunder team. The best of the bowlers was Alex Cosier with 3 wickets for 8 runs from his 3 overs, with Evie Peart, Cooper and Isaac Baker each bagging 2 wickets. In reply, the Thunder batters excelled. Thunder scored an impressive 6 wickets down for 166 runs. Top scorer was Alex Cosier with 17 closely followed by little brother Mitch with 16 runs. All players scored runs and it was great all round batting effort by the Thunder team. The u/12 Lightning team played Dubbo Rugby. Winning the toss, Lightning elected to bat and opener Oscar Medd paved the way with some impressive hitting to eventually top score with 17 runs. The team compiled a competitive total of 103 from their 20 overs. In reply, Dubbo Rugby toiled hard against some good Lightning bowling to come out eventual winners in a super close game by 3 runs. The Lightning players really applied the pressure in defending their total of 103, but unfortunately it wasn't to be this time. The best of the lightning bowlers was Sam Tobin with 3 wickets for 8 runs from his 3 overs. The McIssac brothers chimed in with one wicket each.The competition leaders the u/12 Storm played secord placed South Dubbo Finners in a match fitting of a top of the table clash. South Dubbo won the toss and sent the Storm in bat. The Storm batted well and compiled a defendable total of 124 run from their 20 over. Another good all round team batting effort with every player contributing. Jock Mills was again the top scorer with 13 runs followed by Darcy Walker with 11 runs. Against the second placed South Dubbo Team, 124 runs was going need the Storm players to bowl and field well, which they did taking the game to the wire. Unfortunately for the Storm, South Dubbo were able to just win scoring 132 runs from their 20 Overs. In what is shaping up a likely semi final clash later in the year, the Storm players can hold their heads high knowing a win against the fancied South Dubbo team is within reach. The win sees South Dubbo leap Storm in 1st place on the ladder but the Storm remain in second place. The best of the Storm bowlers were Jake Fordham 2 wickets for 8 runs and Jacqualine Hutchinson with 2 wickets for 16 runs.In another exciting game for the 14's, the Gilgandra team played Dubbo Cyms. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Cyms set about compiling a very solid total of 4 wickets for 161 runs. The best of the Gilgandra bowlers was Harry Tobin with 3 wickets for 15 runs. The target was set at 162, it was going to take some exceptional batting to win. After loosing early wickets, Lachlan Henry steadied the ship scoring 18 runs but when Lochie fell there was a steady stream of wickets. Enter Harry Tobin and Jack page, both boys battered brilliantly to take the game deep into the final overs. With only 6 runs needed and with 1 wicket in hand the game was evenly poised. Harry and Jack looked like they had the game in control until a terrific catch on the boundary by young Archie Aird, son of former Gilgandra resident Jono Aird dismissed Harry for 28 runs just short of the total required. It was again a great team effort and the team can be very proud of their efforts. Jack Page was a stand out with the bat, batting beautifully for 42 runs not out. Both Jack and Harry's innings has seen them become equal second place in the Dubbo competitions most runs scored. It was another great weekend of cricket for the all the junior cricketers.Round 10 Games - 5 February 202214B vs Narromine at McGrane Oval, Gilgandra12B Thunder vs Storm at Ernie Knight, Gilgandra (subject to change)12B Lightning vs South Dubbo Pink Hornets at Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo (South B)

By Matt ZellThe Bendigo Bank Brewery Shield 1st XI team have forced their way into the semi-finals with a resounding 10 wicket bonus point victory over Bourke @ McGrane Oval on Sunday.Winning the toss & sending the visitors in, the Gil lads were always in control with a dominant performance with the ball. Last week’s star, Jack Irving, struck in the 8th over followed by ageing veteran Jon Kilby in the 9th. Irving struck again 3 overs later to have Bourke on the back foot @ 3/23. Michael Brown (20) & opener Will Mitchell (28) added 46 to breathe life back into their innings but when Harry Willoughby removed Brown the Bourke castle collapsed. In a magnificent spell of line & length bowling Willoughby took 3/14 off 10 straight overs to destroy any hopes of a late innings revival. He was ably supported by Henry Johnson who took 2/29 & Ben Hjort 1/0 off his only over. Irving (2/18) & Kilby (1/10) ensured each bowler took a wicket.Requiring 91 for victory, the challenge was put to our opening batsmen to achieve this inside of 30 overs to obtain a bonus point. These words did not go unnoticed as skipper Ash Hazelton & recently selected Western keeper Matt Everett absolutely punished the Bourke bowling attack to reach their required target in just 8.4 overs. Everett was particularly savage on anything short, belting 3 large 6’s to finish unbeaten on 44 off just 29 balls. Hazelton was far from a passenger as he continued his stellar run of form to remain not out on 28 from just 24 balls. At the time of going to press it was still unofficial but it appears as though Gilgandra have done enough to qualify for the semi-finals & will either travel to Narromine or host them this Sunday. Considering we started the season with 2 losses this is a magnificent achievement & with the youth in our squad it certainly bodes for a bright future. We would like to thank Dane Parnaby & the Bourke team for travelling, they had major issues getting a team together with kids going back to boarding school & some Covid trouble so it is a credit to them to make the effort & greatly appreciated by us.

By Matt ZellThe Bendigo Bank Gilgandra 1st XI recorded a resounding 6 wicket win against Dubbo in Dubbo on Sunday to register their first win of the season in a highly spirited performance. Losing the toss & fielding first, opening bowlers Jon Kilby & debutant Harry Willoughby set about dismantling the top order. Kilby gained the initial breakthrough before Willoughby struck with 2 quick wickets. 1st change bowler & fellow debutant Jack Irving then stole the show. In a quality spell of 10 straight overs Irving took 5/24 bookended by wickets in both his first & last overs in a fine display of line & length bowling. Kilby & Ben Hjort then quickly mopped up the tail to ensure a manageable run chase was in sight. Jon finished with 2/15 off 8, Harry 2/43 off his 10 & Hjort 1/15 off his 4. Wicket keeper & skipper Matt Everett was outstanding with the gloves taking 3 catches standing up to the quicks along with a smart stumping. Chasing 106 for victory Gilgandra were rolling along comfortably at 1/44 off 8, we then encountered some mild turbulence with Grant Malouf taking a hat trick to have our middle order scrambling to get their pads on. 17 year old James Glasson then casually strode to the crease & set about resurrecting the innings & contributed 15 in an unbeaten stand of 60 with Everett, Matt remaining 57 not out in a stirring captain’s knock. Gilgandra managed to gain the required runs in 24.3 overs in a totally dominant performance. A special mention to both Jack Irving & James Glasson from USC Marthaguy who both came into the team at the 11th hour due to some late withdrawals. This week sees Gilgandra take on Bourke @ McGrane Oval from 10am on Sunday, be sure to come down & support our local team in their last rep game of the season. 

By Matt ZellCult hero Henry Johnson continued his rich vein of form with a hat trick for Breelong to ensure victory on Friday night.Winning the toss & batting first, Breelong managed a respectable 8/147 off their 40 overs with Adam Jones top scoring on 65*.He was ably supported by Captain Liam Zell (35) & Matt Everett 35. Jack Irving, H Gaynor & Ben Storer all took 2 wickets.Marthaguy were in trouble early with Alex Sutherland taking a wicket in the 2nd over followed by Matt Zell taking 2 in the 5th to have the visitors reeling @ 3/11.James Glasson & John McKay then restored order with a 28 run partnership before Johnson entered the fray in the 17th over.He took a wicket with his 3 ball, followed by 2 more in succession amid jubilant scenes from his team mates.Some late order resistance from Ben McCalman (37) & Jack Irving 16 added some respectability to the USC Marthaguy score but in the end the home team ran out winners by 40 runs.Johnson with 3/36 was the pick of the bowlers with Sutherland, Zell & Lachlan Briggs also chiming in.In other results Curban defeated Eumungerie by 8 wickets, comfortably chasing down 135 for victory with John Bunter & Stu Younghusband both recording half centuries.Gavin Seaman (43) & Jay Thurston 40 top scored for Eumungerie with Scott Chandler taking 4/22.Gidgee continued on their winning ways with an 85 run win over Baradine, Gidgee skipper Tyne Chapman was the star of the day with a polished 75 not out.Gidgee skipper Tyne Chapman was very impressive at bat against Baradine on Saturday. Photo supplied.Tallis McKewen was the pick of the Gidgee bowlers taking 4/3.In Tooraweenah, Coonabarabran managed a 6 wicket win, chasing down the required 94 for the loss of just 4 wickets. This ensured Coonabarabran go through to compete for the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield.The unofficial points table after 9 rounds is as follows:Breelong 54Gidgee 47Coonabarabran 40Town Services 40USC Marthaguy 36Biddon Tooraweenah 36Baradine 34Curban 32Eumungerie 32The competition now splits into two tiers with the top five teams to play each other once more to decide semi-final positions.The bottom four teams do the same & will be competing for the Ossie Carrett Cup. The draw is being worked on & will be available on MyCricket in the coming days.Thank you all for reading, good luck to all teams competing this weekend & I will provide a full report again next week.

By Matt ZellAsh & Kieren Hazelton travelled to Tooraweenah on Saturday & punished the Mountain Men in a dominant display of batsmenship. Winning the toss & batting, Town Services put on a batting masterclass lead by skipper Ash Hazelton, ably assisted by younger brother Kieren & the ever reliable Brandon Hammond. Ash slaughtered the Biddon-Tooraweenah bowling attack to all parts of the ground to end up with 115, he put on 110 with Hammond for the opening partnership before Hammond was dismissed for a well compiled 45. Jason Carter then came & went for 8. This bought Kieren to the crease & the brothers then combined for an 80 run partnership to put the home side to the sword. Kieren ended up with 39 not out as Town amassed 214 off their allotted 40 overs. This was always going to be difficult to chase down & Biddon-Toora were never in the hunt, losing wickets at regular intervals to be dismissed for just 62. Not to be outdone, eldest brother Adam Hazelton jagged 4/21 & was ably assisted by Jacob Wilson with 3/18 & Jaylen Ahsee who took 2/7. Will Lambell (24) & Warrick Finlay (16) were the only batsmen to reach double figures for Biddon-Tooraweenah. This resulted in a mammoth 152 run win for the men in yellow.In other results Baradine managed to secure a 52 run victory over Curban in a low scoring affair, 98 all out v’s 46. Paul Lenard top scored for Baradine with 46, Anthony Barry took 4/10 for Curban & Doug Kelly 3/10. James Falvey was the destroyer for Baradine taking 4/3, Alex Barnett picked up a couple & young Orlando Bunner took 1/0 off his only over.Gidgee continued on their winning way with a dominant victory over USC Marthaguy @ Warren. The home side managed to compile 110 all out on the last ball of their innings with Doug Freeth (27) & James Glasson (21) top scoring. Jarrod Page continued his good form with the ball taking 4/20, well supported by Aaron Page 2/11 & Peter Peters 1/13 off his 8 overs. Gidgee made light work of the chase, passing the total 4 down after 24.3 overs with Mark Stewart belting 73 which included 6 maximums.In the final game of the round Breelong maintained their undefeated record with a 6 wicket victory over Coonabarabran at McGrane Oval. Winning the toss & electing to bat, Coona couldn’t get a partnership of any substance & were all out for 82, Henry Johnson was the pick of the bowlers with 4/25 & was well supported by Alex Sutherland with 3/11 & John Alchin 2/23. M Colantonio top scored with 26 & Nick Willoughby made a well compiled 20. Breelong managed to pass the total 4 wickets down with skipper Liam Zell 30 not out & Kel Anforth 13 not out the main run scorers.This weekend sees the last of the round games before the teams are split into 2 pools & with 3 teams vying for 2 places in the top 5 it is sure to be an interesting week. Curban play host to Eumungerie, Coonamble welcome Baradine, Breelong take on USC Marthaguy under lights at McGrane on Friday night & Biddon-Tooraweenah play Coonabarabran in a must win for both teams. Our Bendigo Bank 1st XI travel to Dubbo on Sunday to contest a Brewery Shield fixture in what also shapes as a must win for the Gilgandra team. With several rep players showing some proper form hopes will be high for a victory over our arch rivals. Thank you for reading, good luck to all teams, have a great week & I look forward to providing you another update next week.Unofficial points table after round 8:Breelong 47Gidgee 43Town Services 40Biddon Toora 33Coonabarabran 33USC Marthaguy 33Baradine 31Eumungerie 29Curban 25

By MATT ZELLHeavy rain throughout the district threw local cricket into chaos for the weekend of 8 & 9 January with grounds keepers kept busy trying to prepare wickets. Breelong headed to Baradine to take on the Magpies in extremely heavy and humid conditions. Baradine won the toss and had no hesitation in sending the visitors in. This seemed like a bad decision with Breelong racing to 20 off the first 4 overs. The prize scalp of Matt Everett in the 5th over wrestled the momentum back to the home side and once he was joined in the sheds by Captain Liam Zell and stalwart Guy McAnally-Elwin for 11 & 1 respectively it was appearing to be a masterstroke. Things went from bad to worse for the Bushrangers with star all-rounder Nathan Tuena succumbing to a calf injury and having to be assisted off the field. Alex Sutherland and Henry Johnson then steadied the ship with a mature partnership of 31 before Sutherland was dismissed for a patient 20, leaving Breelong  @ 4/64. Wickets then fell in quick succession as Baradine skipper Ben Hjort ripped a hole through the middle order and Breelong slumped to 7/68. This bought George Alchin to the crease who combined with Henry for a priceless 14 run partnership before Henry ran himself out for what would turn out to be a match winning 25. George and Lachie Briggs then put on another 16 valuable runs before Lachie was out for 4. Tuena bravely re-entered the fray only to see Alchin dismissed the following over for 10. Breelong were all out for 99 with the pick of the bowlers being Ben Hjort taking 4/16 with four other bowlers taking a wicket each. A special mention to young Orlando Bunner who took three exceptional catches, two of which were to dismiss the opening batsmen.Baradine were in trouble early with some tight, slow opening bowling from veterans John Alchin & Matt Zell and found themselves under pressure with runs being hard to come by and a steady fall of wickets. After 13 overs they were 4/13 & in need of a partnership. Alex Hunter & M Johnston put on 26 to bring them back into the contest. The match then swung back in the visitors' favour with off spinning all-rounder Henry Johnson taking 3/10 to wrestle the ascendency back in Breelong’s favour. Johnson was on a hat trick only for George Alchin to steal the limelight with yet another direct hit run out from 30 metres.The Baradine tail had no answer and capitulated rather quickly to be all out for 44 with Johnson being the pick of the bowlers. Alchin & Zell picked up two each and were supported by Liam Zell & Sutherland taking one apiece. Alex Hunter was the only batsmen to reach double figures making a tidy 14. A very special mention must go to the groundsman @ Baradine, with 2 inches of rain on Friday night he did a magnificent job of preparing a pitch and it is greatly appreciated by all who competed.Eumungerie v USC Marthaguy & Coonabarabran v Town were both unfortunately washed out. Gidgee & Curban played a deferred match on Sunday with Gidgee maintaining their good form, running out 6 wicket winners. The unofficial points table is as follows:Breelong 40Gidgee 36Town Services 33Biddon-Tooraweenah 30USC Marthaguy 30Coonabarabran* 25Baradine 24Eumungerie* 24Curban 22Coona & Eumungerie have a deferred match to play this Sunday.This weekend sees some very interesting contests where Baradine host Curban, Breelong take on Coonabarabran, USC Marthaguy have Coonamble, and Biddon Tooraweenah will welcome Town Services. The Bendigo Bank first XI Brewery Shield team were denied the opportunity to show off their skills on Sunday with Bourke requesting a deferral due to a Covid outbreak. This match has been re-scheduled for Sunday 30th January. Thanks for reading, enjoy your cricket and I look forward to providing you a further update next week.  

By COLIN HODGESRacing was off to a bright start in 2022 with an outstanding two day carnival conducted by the progressive Gilgandra Jockey Club.Kicking off on New Years Day, a highlight was a thrilling finish to the feature event, the Gilgandra Services Club-Kate Smith Memorial Cup, a Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1600 metres.In front close to home, Annie’s Missile ($4.60 equal favourite) was overhauled in the final stride and beaten a nose by Pop Power ($19) with Chuck’N’Paul ($8.50) three lengths away in third place.The finish was a real family affair as Pop Power was ridden by Chelsea Ings for her mother, Bathurst trainer Wanda Ings, while Annie’s Missile is trained at Parkes by Sharon Jeffries and was ridden by her daughter Tiffany Jeffries.Some big bets at long odds were collected when the Kieren Hazleton, Gilgandra trained Bacinblac won the 1280 metres Royal Hotel Benchmark 50 Handicap.Gilgandra based apprentice Zara Lewis had to overcome the outside barrier in the big field and she did a great job to bring Bacinblac ( $26 ) from well back with a strong run to beat No Debt (Clayton Gallagher, $2 favourite) and Ritzy Diva (Tiffany Jeffries, $31).Hard working Gilgandra president Jason Tate also sponsored a race through his Electrical business and the 1100 Benchmark 50 Handicap saw an all the way win by the grey gelding Purple Cup ($10) ridden by Queensland jockey James Baker for Scone trainer Lyle Chandler.This completed a big day for Lyle Chandler as he had earlier won the Highway Handicap in Sydney with Banju.To run a racing carnival over successive days is not an easy task and curator Grant Zell again had the turf track in very good order for Sunday, January 2.Earlier in the campaign, Notabadidea had won the Coonabarabran Cup and it was another top performance by the Clint Lundholm, Dubbo trained six year old gelding to win the $45,000 Nutrien Ag Gilgandra Cup over 1600 metres.Travelling in fourth position, Notabadidea ($6.50 equal favourite) was given more rein approaching the home turn by Clayton Gallagher and shot away to win by over four lengths from the Bryan Dixon, Gilgandra trained Ecker Road (Elissa Meredith, $11) and the leader Ballast (Jackson Searle, $8).The 1100 metres track record was broken by the Luke Thomas, Cessnock trained Superior Witness in the feature sprint, the $35,000 Gilgandra Newspapers-Bob Foran Memorial Gilgandra Town Plate.Superior Witness (Jake Pracey=Holmes, $4.40) flew out of the gates and won by nearly four lengths from Herzegovina (Matthew Palmer, $17) and Bombdiggity (Jackson Searle, $7.50).Bookmakers operating at the meeting suffered their biggest losses for several months with some losing more than $10,000 on the day.Clint Lundholm was the leading trainer over the carnival with 4 winners, Rubick Sun, Obey, Volterra and Notabadidea.Gilgandra will next race on Saturday 5th February.

By Colin Hodges.Experienced jockey Tony Cavallo with a winning treble and apprentice Elissa Meredith, a double, gave their supporters an early Christmas present on Friday at the Warren TAB Twilight Meeting.Starting the ball rolling, Elissa Meredith won the 1200 metres Halcroft & Bennett-Warren Golf Club Maiden Plate on Jamella for her “boss” Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm.A lightly raced six year old mare, Jamella was having the second start for Lundholm since coming from stables in Victoria and was very well ridden by Meredith.Parked behind the leading pack, Jamella ($9) gained an inside run to win by a short head from the fast finishing Ready Made Doll (Kath Bell-Pitomac, $4.60 favourite) with another Clint Lundholm runner, Break Over (Tony Cavallo, $10) a length away third.Aboard the Janelle Galea, Dubbo trained Manadria, Elissa Meredith weaved her mount through the field in the straight after being well back in the 1200 metres Coopers Farm Gear Class 1 Handicap.Producing a sharp sprint when clear, Manadria ($3.80 fav.) finished too well for the leader Brooklyn Star (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.90) and Skull Cap (Jackson Searle, $26).Mudgee trainer Bob Howe and four mates from Rylstone have been racing horses for many years and whenever possible Tony Cavallo is the jockey.A long time successful jockey, Cavallo was at his best on the Bob Howe trained pair Petain (1400 metres Nutrien Ag Benchmark 50 Handicap) and Byzantium in the 1000 metres Adors Party Hire Benchmark 50 Handicap.From midfield, Petain ($8.50) worked home strongly to account for Danspur (Casey Waddell,$5 fav.) and For Da Boys (Madeline Owen, $12).Leading for home, Byzantium ($10) held on to beat Jewel Of The Clan (Brooke Stower, $7) and Club Supreme (Tiffany Jeffries, $8.50).Placed in a good position from the outset, the Brett Thompson, Gulgong trained Sniper Excels ($2.70 fav.) was the other leg of the Tony Cavallo treble when finishing best to beat My Shiromi (Mathew Cahill, $21) and Twice The Value (Ashleigh Stanley, $12) in the 1000 metres MCC Hydraulics Benchmark 50 Handicap.After two unplaced starts when trained in the Hunter Valley, four year old chestnut gelding Hamoon Sweetheart was an impressive first up winner for Dubbo trainer Brett Robb in the 1000 metres 117 Bakery/M&M Oriel Maiden Handicap at Warren.Sprinting along the rails, Hamoon Sweetheart (Jackson Searle, $6) swept past Yesterday’s Gone (Brooke Stower, $17) to score by a half length with Dollar Pursuit (Tony Cavallo, $2.30 fav.) a long head away third.The other winner at Warren was the Will Freedman, Scone trained Rutilant (Mathew Cahill,$2.25 fav.) in the 1600 metre Western Farm Machinery Class 1 Handicap.

By John KilbyBiddon-Tooraweenah played host to Breelong Cricket Club in Round 4 of the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield. With Biddon-Tooraweenah forfeiting some players to combine harvesters, the home team was under pressure from the get go as they were dealt a heavy defeat by the undefeated Breelong side.Winning the toss and electing to bat Biddon-Tooraweenah were pressured by veteran openers Matthew Zell and John Alchin as their accuracy and experience kept the run scoring to miserly rate of 1 per over. Alchin, the leading wicket taker in the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield removed both openers in Lachlan Ferguson and Darcey Neeves. These dismissals and the run rate continued right throughout the innings but not before Zell and Alchin both went down with injuries in consecutive overs to be replaced by fellow veterans in Guy McAnnaly-Elwin and Neil Alchin to finish off the overs. The breakdown of the fast-bowling cartel did not bother Breelong with Nathan Tuena and Henry Johnson both picking up 3 and 4 wickets respectively. Biddon-Tooraweenah battled through their innings to be bowled out for 83 in the 36th over with Craig Chad top scoring with 26.In reply Breelong chased the low target in 10.2 overs as Matthew Everett took apart the opening bowlers from Biddon-Tooraweenah scoring 69 not out. His opening partner in Liam Zell was merely a witness of the slaughter scoring 7 not out. Everett who has experience in high level grade cricket has been selected in both the Western Zone and Western Plains Outlaws Squads who will compete in the Country Championships and the Plan B Regional Bash. We congratulate Matthew on his selections, it has been a number of years a Gilgandra District cricketer has gained selection at this level.Other round 4 results saw Town Services 2/262 defeat Baradine 10/62 with Brandon Hammond going large scoring 140 not out at the McGrane Oval. While Coonamble-Gidgee Cricket Club scored an 8 wicket win over Eumungerie.Next weekend sees Coonamble host Biddon-Tooraweenah, Coonabarabran host Baradine in a Warrenbungle Derby, Curban host USC/Marthaguy, Eumungerie host Town Services while Breelong have a well earned bye.