TEENAGE Kentucky cricket all-rounder Daniel Boyd was a member of the Armidale District U14s team that won the Northern Inland Cricket Council Tim Grosser Cup last Sunday when they defeated Tamworth by 16 runs at Elizabeth Park in Armidale. The home side batted first racking up 8/141 off their 50 overs before dismissing the visitors midway through the 47th over and in doing so remained undefeated throughout the season.

DANIEL contributed 14 runs and took 1/12 off his four overs in the final and finished only second to his team mate Henry Sindel in the bowling aggregate for the NICC competition. To top that off Daniel currently leads the bowling aggregate for Armidale Representative Teams in all grades both junior and senior with 22 victims nine clear of his nearest rival. Good on ya Daniel.

KENTUCKY Cricket Club joined the Walcha competition at the start of 1999/2000 season and last Saturday won the Yalgoo Shield, which goes to the minor premiers for the first time in the club’s 16 year history. It isn’t the first piece of silverware they have won though as they claimed the Turton Cup in 2002 but have also finished with the wooden spoon on 10 occasions an their credit have never tossed in the towel.

IF Kentucky were fortunate enough to go and win the Walcha News Cup this year they would become only the fifth club in over 50 years to improve from wooden spooners one year to major premiers the next. Colts achieved the feat in 1975, Walcha Road did it in 1977, Bowling Club in 1996 and Rugby League in 2013. Bowling Club went from wooden spooners in 1995 to claim all three major trophies in 1996 making them the only club to do it in at least 55 years if not ever.

ON the subject of wooden spoons Rugby League snared the third this season to go with the ones from 1977 and 2012 which isn’t too bad considering they entered the competition 42 years ago in 1973/74. Since the early ’60s Kentucky and Walcha Road have both picked up the spoon 10 times followed by Colts 7, Rugby Union and Memorial Club five each, Bowling Club 4, League and Uralla 3 each, Round Swamp only twice while Bendemeer, Commercial and Nowendoc have had it once each.

Early last week Jorja Power competed in an International Equestrian event at NEGS where she finished first overall riding against girls 17 years and over. Not a bad effort considering Jorja is only 11 years of age herself. The Haling sisters from Woolbrook Anastasia and Charlize also rode in the competition with success where they received ribbons after placing on individual events. Well done girls.

BEST of luck to the Walcha Central School students who have qualified for the NW PSSA Regional Swimming Carnival in Armidale early next week after performing well in the zone carnival at Armidale last Thursday. Jemma Warden (8 years) and Bella Crawford (9 years) both won their 50 metre freestyle events while Thomas Micallef left his opponents in his wake in the 12 years 4x50 metre medley to gain entry to the next level.

THE junior boys relay team Zac Warden, William Swain, Jack Burge and Jock Fenwicke went through whereas Sarah Morris, Abbey Mackaway, Meg Kealey and Zac Warden have all qualified for individual events. Well done also to the rest of the Walcha Central squad of over 20 swimmers who competed last Thursday and did their best.

THE Secondary School relay team Chloe Mackaway, Katelyn Smith, Briar Eckford and Chyna Smith are also off to Armidale for the regional’s early next week with a number of the girls also competing in individual events.

SIXTEEN St Pat’s kids have qualified for the Diocesan carnival in Moree today and it’s a bit of a family affair with over half the squad coming from four families. Cecilia, Ollie and Lachie Greig, Millie and Simon Nivison, Ben and Matilda Hall, Sam and Mia Timbs all made it through as did Lilly Stace, Joe Kermode, Matty Tisdell, Charlie McLaren, Jack Power, Eugene Campbell and James McGuffog. Good luck boys and girls.