Cricket: Tamworth Blue 17s fall to Maitland Maroon in Col Dent Shield final

Taking on a gun Maitland Maroon side, coach Donny Lewington had before Sunday's final spoken about needing a lot to go their way and also needing to knock over Maroon openers Harry Scowen and Tom Thorpe early.

And while they got Thorpe before he could do too much damage, Scowen made them pay for a couple of missed chances early, finishing unbeaten on 74 as they chased down Tamworth's 156 all out with six overs to spare.

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The game was reduced to 40-overs a side after being delayed a couple of hours as Central North officials scrounged around for an alternative venue with the ground they were supposed to be playing on at Singleton deemed too wet following the storms that lashed the area on Saturday.

Sent in to bat Tamworth negotiated the tricky period early reasonably well and when Harry Lewington (59) and Sam Holmes (33) were together at the crease were looking at possibly around 200.

"[But] We sort of lost a couple of wickets in clumps," Lewington said.

They lost 3-10 after Holmes was dismissed and then 4-11 following [Harry] Lewington's departure, to in the end fall probably about "30 runs short".

Backing up from taking a five-wicket haul for North Tamworth on Saturday, Lewington then took the new ball and was, along with fellow opener Blake Scicluna, one of their best, picking up the dangerous Thorpe before he and Scowen could build the kind of partnership they have been all season.

"Young Tom Holmes I thought was impressive too, stepping up a couple of age groups. I thought he bowled really well," [Donny] Lewington said.

"We probably just couldn't keep enough pressure on them with Scowen at the crease, he just managed to find a boundary when he needed it and showed what a class player he is."

It was still a great effort from them, he said.

"As I knew they would they all had a real good crack," he said.