Whitney Cup Team of the Week: Newtown's Mat Skinner stars in round one

The new season started on Saturday and the ball got the better of bat, with only two half centuries scored and two sides failing to reach 150 when batting first.

Defending premiers Colts didn't start the season as they would have hoped, with a Mat Skinner-inspired Newtown scoring a strong three-wicket win at No. 3 Oval.

Skinner starred with both bat and ball, taking 3/25 first up before making a match-winning 87 not out from 95 balls as the Tigers passed Colts' total of 8/183 with three overs remaining.

At No. 2 Oval, boom all-rounder Ben Patterson impressed in his return for CYMS and helped the Cougars down Rugby by a comfortable seven wickets.

Patterson took 2/34 as the men in green rolled Rugby for 128 and then he whacked 37 not out to ensure victory in 30 overs.

In the other match, it was an all-round effort from Tyson Deebank which led Macquarie past South Dubbo.

The teenage spinner took 4/30 to help restrict Souths to 9/143 before top-scoring in the run chase as his side won with three overs and six wickets remaining.

1 Fletcher Hyde (CYMS)

Thirty-four runs from 54 balls doesn't massively leap off the page but Hyde was the only opening bat in first grade to pass 30 in round one.

The youngster helped the Cougars get off to a solid start when chasing Rugby's total of 128.

With three fours and a six in his innings, Hyde showed he has what it takes to stay at the top of the order as competition for spots in a talented CYMS side heats up.

2 Charlie Kempston (Rugby)

The new Rugby captain batted at number three for his side but is also accustomed to opening. He played the anchor role for his side against CYMS' strong attack on Saturday but the problem was no one around him was scoring too many.

Kempston finished with 30 from 76 balls. Rugby's top four batters will be crucial to their hopes this season but only Kempston and Ben Wheeler (24) made double-figures in round one.

3 Brad Cox (RSL Colts)

Mr. Reliable. Batting at number six on Saturday after a couple of younger players were given top-order roles, Cox helped dig his side out of trouble at 4/61.

Cox went on to make 61 from 64 balls, with two fours and a six hit.

The season didn't start with a win for Colts but Cox proved he'll still be vital despite playing what captain Marty Jeffrey has already said will be a slightly different role this summer.

4 Mat Skinner (Newtown)

The round one standout. Skinner was the difference between Newtown winning and losing.

After opening the bowling, Skinner entered the attack late again and removed Brad Cox (61) and Ben Taylor (0) on his way to finishing with 3/25.

With the bat, Skinner came to the crease with his side in real trouble at 2/7 but went on to belt three fours and six sixes in a top knock of 87 not out from 95 balls.

In a sign of just how important Skinner was in the victory, the next best score for Newtown was Dan French's 26.

5 Ben Patterson (CYMS)

It wasn't quite as destructive a performance as we've seen from Patterson in the past, but his first game back at CYMS after a season in Newcastle was a good one.

The opening bowler took the important early wickets of Ben Wheeler (24) and Jacob Hill (0) as CYMS' strong attack started the season in style.

In the run chase, Patterson came to the crease with CYMS 3/80 chasing 128 and finished things quickly, hitting three fours and two sixes - one of which landed in the Paramount tennis courts - in his 37 not out from 27 balls.

6 Lachlan Strachan (Macquarie)

A solid start without being spectacular. That's how you could sum up the performance of the new Macquarie captain and his side in round one.

The Strachan brothers opened the bowling and Lachlan finished with 2/20 from his eight overs as the Blues kept things tight and kept Souths to 9/143 from 40 overs. No other seam bowler who bowled all their overs on Saturday had a better economy rate than the younger Strachan.

His 24 from 30 balls in the run chase wasn't a dominant effort but it played a part in what was a relatively straightforward win.

7 Tyson Deebank (Macquarie)

One of the most eye-catching performances from round one. After a solid first season in the Whitney Cup with the Blues last summer, Deebank started in style on Saturday.

The teenage spinner knocked over three of Souths' top five on the way to finishing with 4/30 from his eight overs and he then guided his side to victory with the bat.

Batting up the order at number four, Deebank held things together in the chase and made 47 not out from 83 balls - a knock including two fours and a six - as Macquarie secured a six-wicket win in 37 overs.

8 Ben Strachan (Macquarie)

No wickets, but just more of the same from the new president of the Dubbo District Cricket Association.

Conceding just 15 runs - three of those being wides - from seven overs is what you expect from Strachan and he followed that up by hitting two sixes and finishing 33 not out from 48 balls as Macquarie got one over a young and developing Souths side who would no doubt love to have someone with the Blues all-rounder's experience in their lineup.

9 Pieter Theunissen (Macquarie)

A very nice start to life in Dubbo cricket for Macquarie's South African recruit.

Theunissen proved he'll be up to the standard and an important part of Macquarie's bid for the finals this season by taking 3/33 from his overs before making 21 from 35 in the round one victory over Souths.

With the Strachans and youngsters Kyan Green and Tyson Deebank leading the Blues' attack, Theunissen is another handy weapon to have.

10 Nate Ambler (Rugby)

With few dominant performers in round one, those who just made a handy start make our team of the week and Ambler is one of them.

At 9/88 Rugby were in all sorts of trouble on Saturday but Ambler's 25 not out from 37 helped them well past triple figures and gave his side something of a boost.

Ambler will also be the main spinner at Rugby this season and while he went at more than four an over on Saturday, he picked up one wicket to prove he'll be key to any success his side has this summer.

11 Archie Morgan (South Dubbo)

The latest young gun to be a given a chance in the South Dubbo first grade side, Morgan gets a spot here after more than holding his own on debut.

The teenage red head took 2/16 from six overs against Macquarie, with one of those wickets being the big scalp of Dubbo great Jason Green for just 8.

It wasn't one of the most destructive spells in round one, but we wanted to give Morgan a shout out for showing he was up to the standard required in the top grade.

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