Tamworth Blue under-13s coach Adam Jones says he can't remember anyone having a season like the one that Archie McMaster is enjoying.
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It has been a milestone season for the batting gun.
On Sunday he chalked up his fifth century of the Central North under-13s competition, smacking 105 off 66 balls as they beat the Tamworth Gold in their final round clash.
He could yet add to that too with the Blue to play Maitland Maroon for the George Denton Shield this coming Sunday.
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It hasn't just been for the Blue McMaster has been scoring runs either.
Two Saturday's ago he notched an unbeaten 126 for the TAS 1st XI in the Armidale second grade competition, following up with 75 last Saturday.
He also has three half-centuries from the Northern Inland under-13s Youth Pathways Championship games played before Christmas.
All up between rep, club and school cricket the teen has amassed more than 1400 runs.
Simply put it is a "once in a lifetime season".
"It's just a phenomenal season he's had," Jones said.
"I've never seen anything like it or heard anything like it."
Regarded himself as one of Tamworth's best batsmen until his retirement a couple of years ago, Jones has thoroughly enjoyed watching McMaster go about his craft.
"It's incredible to stand back and watch him and the way he accumulates runs," he said.
Asked what the key to McMaster's success this season has been, he said his mindset.
"Cricket is very much a mindset game and a mental game and he's picked that up in the last 12 months like no other 13-year old has before (that he has seen)," he said.
His belief in himself, and his game, has flourished and he "backs himself".
And while he often finishes up his innings better than a run-a-ball, he is prepared to do the hard graft first.
"Early on he is very cautious," Jones said.
He is content to build his innings and get his eye in. He might be only 20 off 30 or something like that.
But once has got his eye in he unleashes the beast so to speak.
"He's not just going out there and slogging, he plays proper cricket shots," Jones added.
McMaster was one of two centurions for the final round with Gunnedah's Keaton Walters notching his second ton of the season.
In a brilliant batting display against Narrabri, Walters clubbed eight fours and eight sixes and smacked 103 off just 50 balls to anchor his side to 196. Harry Paul then led the charge with 4-9 as they dismissed Narrabri for 84 to pick up their second win of the season.
There were milestones aplenty in the all-Tamworth affair in the under-13s.
Guntas Bhullar supported McMaster well recording his maiden half-century of the competition.
He scored 58 off 49 balls including four fours and four sixes and shared a 75 run stand for the fourth wicket with McMaster.
Charley Pickens fell one short of joining the milestone club finishing unbeaten on 49 as the Blue posted 7-282.
Angus Davidson then registered his first half century for the competition, anchoring the Gold run chase with 73 off 106 balls including 13 fours as they replied with 158.
The Tamworth under-11s meanwhile finished their Josh Hazlewood Shield campaign with a good win over Narrabri, Levi Morgan (4-3) starring with the ball before Zac Parkinson made 30 retired off 38.
Results
Josh Hazlewood Shield - under-11s
Tamworth 1/88 (Z Parkinson 30, C Parkinson 12, K Loveday 13 - C Baird 1/31) d Narrabri 84 (H Mason 27 - B Moxon 1/0, T O'Neile 1/3, J Wilkinson 1/26, J Murphy 1/18, M Daly 1/2, K Loveday 1/5)
Armidale 7/147 (J Finlay 23, J Simpson 18) d Moree 67 (I Stubbs 2/4, B Moran 3/8, H Ussher 1/3, T Cameron 1/3 J Finlay 1/5)
George Denton Shield - under-13s
Maitland Maroon d Coalfields
Maitland Gold d Moree
Gunnedah 196 (K Walters 103 - G O'Connor 4-16, J Dowdell 3-31) d Narrabri 84 (G O'Connor 40 - H Paul 4-9)
Tamworth Blue 7-282 (A McMaster 105, G Bhullar 58, C Pickens 49no) d Tamworth Gold 158 (A Davidson 73, D Skinner 22 - A Walker 2-31, A Ingall 3-12, C Pickens 2-13)
John Kilborn Shield - under-15s
Inverell d Maitand Maroon
Tamworth Gold 9/156 (H O'Hehir 46, C Single 36, F Panton 15 - J Callan 4/30, J Moore 2/32, L Stair 1/11, M Knodler 1/23, A Crowe 1/12) d Coalfields 109 (M Knodler 24, LE Eather 19 - TW Holmes 2/6, C Hill 2/14, G Davidson 2/14, C Single 2/17, F Panton 1/22, S Jagadeesan 1/2
Maitland Gold 9/211 (S Whittaker 44, H Dunn 34, K Botha 30 - O Stubbs 2/36, B Levy 1/27, E Relf 1/29, Levy 1/16, W Hall 1/24) d Armidale 150 (Z Levy 43, W Hall 34 - S Strachan 2/18, J Sullivan 2/6, T Long 2/38
