Newcastle's local cricket scene witnessed two extraordinary individual performances over the weekend, headlined by a match-winning six-wicket haul and a scarcely believable Twenty20 double century.
Burton Fires Hamwicks to Crucial Victory
Hamilton-Wickham captain Ben Balcomb is hopeful his side's 93-run triumph over Charlestown at No.1 Sportsground will mark a turning point in their Newcastle District Cricket Association (NDCA) first-grade season. The win, completed on Saturday, December 6, 2025, was built on a solid first-day total and sealed by a devastating bowling spell.
The foundation was laid on November 29 when opener Selman Hassan scored 112 runs, a vital effort given four of Hamwicks' established batsmen were absent on representative duty. The team posted a competitive 233 runs.
On a scorching Saturday, fast bowler Tim Burton took centre stage. The right-arm quick, who played second grade for Newcastle City last summer, produced a career-best performance, claiming 6 wickets for 55 runs from 13.3 overs. His relentless accuracy dismantled Charlestown, who were bowled out for 140 in 48.3 overs.
Burton set the tone early, clean bowling Daniel Arms (17), Max Farmer (6), and Jed Dickson (12) to reduce the Magpies to 3-47. After Jack Jordan removed Ray Cooper (1) and Ben Standing (6), a 62-run partnership between Alex Frith (33) and Daniel Bailey (33) offered resistance. However, once Bailey was run out at 7-119, Burton returned to mop up the tail, taking the final three wickets.
Captain Hails Reliable Performer
"Tim's been in our first-grade team all year and been doing a great job," Balcomb said. "He just puts it on the spot and keeps asking questions of the batsmen... Six-for is what he deserves."
The captain praised his team's effort, particularly given their depleted batting line-up in the first week. "We put the ball in the right areas for long enough and attacked the stumps and we just consistently took wickets," he added.
The victory was a welcome boost for Hamwicks ahead of their final two-day match before Christmas against Cardiff. Balcomb acknowledged his team's potential, stating, "When we've been on, we've played really good cricket and I think we can match it with any club in the competition."
Stunning T20 Double Century in Local Park Cricket
While first-grade action dominated one ground, an even more remarkable feat was occurring in the Newcastle City and Suburban (C&S) Cricket Association. At New Lambton's Novocastrian Oval, Ben Curtis of the Windale Warriors played an innings for the ages.
The 32-year-old left-hander from Cliftleigh bludgeoned an unbeaten 211 runs in a C-grade Twenty20 match against the Kent Hotel Dugongs. In a display of pure power hitting, Curtis smashed 22 sixes and 16 fours, meaning 196 of his runs came from boundaries.
"I'm still a bit shocked that I got there," Curtis admitted. "I thought if I put everything together I was capable of a good score, but I didn't think I'd ever get to 200 in 20 overs."
Curtis, who humorously believes "running is over-rated," reached his monumental score off just 64 balls. He described the feeling as seeing the ball "like beachballs by the end." His incredible knock propelled Windale Warriors to a formidable 4-303, leading them to a comprehensive victory over the Dugongs' 9-184.
Around the NDCA First-Grade Grounds
In other NDCA first-grade results from Saturday:
- Defending champions Wallsend (6/318 declared) defeated Toronto (236 & 8/197) at Wallsend Oval.
- Newcastle City (5/259) overcame University (258) at Bernie Curran Oval.
- Belmont (5/400) proved too strong for Wests (195) at Cahill Oval.
- Stockton (8/169) secured a narrow win against Merewether (168) at Townson Oval.
The weekend's action provided a perfect snapshot of Newcastle cricket, from the high-stakes pressure of NDCA first grade to the explosive, record-breaking entertainment of the local park competition.
