Fourteen teams will play the Under 12s division from Nambucca and Macksville in the South, through Coffs Harbour, to the Northern Districts of Woolgoolga and West to Dorrigo. 

All teams will play this summer season under new junior regulations which manage balls faced by the batter and retirement. 

Juniors will face 30 balls or reach 30 runs, whichever comes first, and unlike last year, retired batsmen will be unable to return after the fall of wickets. 

Field size and player numbers continue the format introduced last season and together, aiming to keep junior games active and interesting for both the batting and fielding teams.

The Dorrigo 12s travelled to Macksville for their first round game playing the Renegades at the Welsh Donnelly Fields – one of three Macksville teams in the division for the season.

Dorrigo won the toss and elected to bat first. Fraser McQueen was the stand out with the bat retiring when he passed 30 runs to be greeted at the boundary by proud team mates. 

Jed Capps started as an opening batter and though he finished with just 6 runs he faced all but 5 of his allotted balls with changing partners at the other end of the pitch. 

The Macksville team took the Dorrigo wickets with their bowling and catches in the field with one caught and bowled recorded on the books. Dorrigo completed the batting card with 79 runs.

The Dorrigo team took to the field after the break looking resplendent in their new Components Cafe shirts.  Taylor Gilbert and Callan Menzies opened the bowling for Dorrigo with devastating effect - Taylor bowling  the opening batter first ball and taking the new batsman just one ball later.  

Callan then took the second opener from a Jamison Dawes catch to have Mackvsille at 3-0.  Macksvilles middle order batsmen L Johnson and W Devereaux settled in to put runs on the board for their team. Both faced their allotted 30 balls to retire at 22 and 21 respectively.

The Macksville score card was now at 54. Young Dorrigo player Charlie Lower took the ball for his second over and on the fourth ball took wicket 6 with a fantastic caught and bowled. In just his second season Charlie took wicket 7 clean bowled and put himself on a hat trick. The hat trick didn't come but with just 3 overs to go there were now 11 runs needed for the win with just one wicket in hand.

Jed Capps was now up with the ball and on ball number four clean bowled remaining Macksville batsmen T Lockhart to wind up the match with a close finishing first game win for the Dorrigo juniors.

Dorrigo play Diggers at home next Saturday with an 8.30am first ball at Rowe Oval.  For the full junior fixture search CHDJCA fixtures.