Cricket: Claire McGuirk and Deni Baker earn NSW CHS call-ups

McGuirk was selected in the NSWCHS 1^st XI team and Baker the 2^nd XI for the March 16, 17 and 18 tournament.

After missing the first day due to her involvement in the under-19s state challenge at Orange on Sunday and Monday where she was one of the Country Sixers' best performers with the bat, McGuirk led the way with the willow for North West scoring a 48 and 78.

READ ALSO:

She also opened the bowling, and bowled well without getting the rewards manager Ryan Whitton said.

Baker captained the North West team and was the team's recipient of the Blackwell trophy, which acknowledges allround performance with points awarded for every run scored and wicket taken.

It was her final time away with the zone side, the allrounder one of three players they'll lose for next year.

What was a bit of a new-look and young team with five of the side playing at their first state carnival and six players in Year 8, finished ninth overall.

"We had a fairly tough draw with three Sydney teams in our first four games and the two grand finalists were two of the teams," Whitton said.

They picked up just the one win, that coming against South Coast, but were unlucky not to finish with at least one more.

"We missed out in our first game in a fairly close game; we probably should have won," Whitton said.

Of the younger brigade, he thought Warialda's Molly Armstrong particularly stood up.

"She really made significant improvements from last year, especially bowling - she was our second leading wicket-taker," he said.

"The game we won she got the first three wickets opening the bowling."

Two of those, he added, were girls that made the NSW team.

In that game, batting first North West made 78, Baker top-scoring with 28. With Armstrong leading the charge they then rolled South Coast for 48.