Mitch Duddy provided highlights either end of what was a tough NSWCHS Boys Cricket Championship campaign for his North West side.
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After scoring an unbeaten century to open the carnival at Maitland, the Glen Innes High student was at the conclusion named in the CHS Second XI to play at next year's All Schools carnival.
It was a great effort, especially with North West beaten in all four of their games, a couple of them quite comprehensively.
Duddy also found himself in the unfamiliar role of opening the batting after being thrown "in the deep end" by manager Andrew Curry.
"I didn't know who I was going to open with (for their opening game)," he explained.
"I asked Mitch and he said he'd give it a go."
He went on to make 104no in a total of 7-182.
"He handled it well against some good quality bowling from Sydney North," Curry continued.
It was Duddy's patience that most impressed him. He waited for the bad ball and stayed patient when they lost a few wickets.
Picturing him more as "a five or six" before the carnival, Curry went on to keep him at the top of the order for the rest of the carnival.
On the bowling front, he thought Coonabarabran High's Cameron Whittall bowled well.
"He was our leading wicket-taker and got a four-for against some quality bats," Curry said.
Keeper Charlie Henderson (Farrer) was meanwhile their leading pointscorer with five dismissals and 68 runs for the carnival.
It was for most of the side their first time away with North West with no championships since 2019.
"It was also hard for our boys, because a lot of them haven't played any cricket (due to the wet weather)," Curry said.
"We were coming up against guys that had played two or three games."
There was a little bit of rain but nothing like the region experienced here. It was more the cold and wind that made life tough, especially for the bowlers.
