Darren Nunn arrived in Grafton for last week's NSW Combined High School Cricket Championships hopeful his South Coast side would compete well and have fun.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Then the boys won their first game. And they won their second. And then a third. Suddenly they were playing a talented Hunter team in the final of the competition.
The match was a tense one. South Coast delivered with the ball, bowling Hunter out for 130. Batting conditions were tricky, however, and wickets fell regularly during the run chase.
Ultimately South Coast reached their target, claiming a gripping two-wicket victory.
"Credential wise, Hunter had a level of player that was of a higher standard to all our players," Nunn said.
"I was really confident though. All the expectation was with Hunter they're perennial champions, the expectation was all on them, we were the underdogs. We played with a certain amount of freedom the whole week, which is important in cricket.
"Everybody played their role throughout the week. Every person in the squad of 13 contributed over the four games throughout the week. Any time we lost momentum, somebody stepped up and delivered a match-winning performance."
Remarkably, the South Coast team entered the competition in a rebuilding phase. Five boys were in year nine, playing against opponents two years their senior.
Despite this, the youngsters thrived, with the team's senior players helping create a positive culture.
Given the talent within the squad, Nunn said this year's success could be replicated in future years.
"We'll miss the year 11 boys we did have. Aidan Cook was an outstanding captain, so we'll miss his captaincy.
"But the younger guys in the team, the leadership and play that they demonstrated was clear. With guys moving on, there's an opportunity for other players to come into a team with a great culture."
South Coast's success at the NSW CHS Cricket Championships saw a number of individuals receive personal accolades.
Kiama student Hugo Ikeda followed in the footsteps of Adam Gilchrist, Phil Hughes and Steve Smith in being named player of the tournament.
The bowler was also selected in the NSW CHS 1st XI, with Rhys Cattle and Archie Wearne picked in the NSW 2nd XI.
The boys will contest the NSW All Schools Championships in Maitland in term one of next year.
Nunn credited the trio for their dedication to helping the team succeed on the pitch and said they were deserving of the representative honours.
"Hugo Ikeda was our fast-bowling spearhead," Nunn said. "He was generating such great speed he broke a stump when he bowled a player in the final. He was really consistent and made the batsmen play.
"Rhys was impressive at the top of the order, he didn't score a lot of runs, but he blunted the attack and protected the middle order. Archie's a leg spinner, he was the leading wicket taker for spinners, he was outstanding throughout the week."
While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20% off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3.00 a week. Terms and conditions apply.
