Northern Territory were defeated by NSW Country by 7 wickets in Round 2 of the Under 19 Male National Championships in Albury.
Under 19s Look Forward to Sunday Clash Amid Rd 2 Loss
The Northern Territory's cupboard at the 2023 under-19 Male Cricket Championships remains bare after a disappointing seven-wicket loss to NSW Country.
The Strike struggled for runs after being invited to bat when Country skipper Jake Scott won the toss and were left to ponder their 8-175 after the compulsory 50 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhani Vermulapalli topped score with an unbeaten 57 from 104 balls, sharing in a 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Joel Wright (41).
But the batters found the Country attack hard to score from after openers Aiman Nadeem (0) and Clancy McCormick (2) were dismissed with just eight runs on the board.
The Country batters showed the consistency needed at a high level, with their top five batsmen reaching double figures as they chased down their 176-run target with more than 12 overs to spare.
Angus Campbell's unbeaten 47 and Sam Weir's equally valuable 29 not out ensured the target was reached with some comfort when the pair were involved in a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Wright's fast medium bowling retrieved some joy for the Strike when he removed Country opener Joe Gillard with a beautiful off-cutter that hit the top of his off stump.
But there was little joy for the Territory with the ball, Wright, off-spinner Everett Oxenham and medium pacer Josh Gawthrope finishing with a wicket each.
Clancy McCormick's catch at deep long-on to dismiss Jake Scott's lofted drive from Oxenham was another highlight for the Strike side.
Disappointed Strike captain Tom Menzies pointed to his side's lack of exposure to the pace and consistent line of opposition bowling attacks as a big hurdle his side had to overcome.
"It's a big eye opener for our bats, particularly the Darwin guys, but everyone is still learning heaps and taking away a lot of experience, so hopefully their best is yet to come.''
The Strike meet traditional rivals South Australia on Sunday in a game Menzies said his side can win with the right attitude and concentration.
NSW COUNTRY 3-179 (A Campbell 47no, B Abela 36, J Wright 1-15, E Oxenham 1-31, J Gawthrope 1-34) d Northern Territory 8-175 (D Vermuapalli 57no, J Wright 41, B Lidgard 2-21, R Cattle 2-30) by 7 wickets.