DANIEL Bailey wants to "tick it off the list".
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The right-arm seamer, 31, has twice before played Newcastle District Cricket Association grand finals in first grade.
Now, this weekend, Bailey's sights are set on claiming a maiden premiership.
"I definitely need to tick it off the list," Bailey told the Newcastle Herald.
Bailey, who has represented both Newcastle and NSW Country, returned to junior club Charlestown last summer after roughly 13 senior campaigns at Belmont.
As a teenager he recalls Belmont's 2008-2009 triumph, saying "the boys won my first year at the club and I got asked to field in the final but didn't have my whites".
Later down the track, when part of Belmont's starting team, Bailey lost showdowns in both 2016-2017 and 2020-2021.
He says the switch back to Charlestown in 2022-2023 allowed him to "just play cricket and not have to worry about much".
Missing the semis 12 months ago, the Magpies have made up for lost time in 2023-2024 and over the last fortnight - clinched the minor premiership, T20 Summer Bash and beat reigning champions Wallsend in Sunday's semi at Kahibah Oval to qualify for a title clash.
"There's a little bit of excitement, but we've still got one more to go so we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves," he said.
Bailey will be one of three players from Charlestown to have experienced a Newcastle decider previously, alongside new-ball partner Parth Shah and top-order batsman Jed Dickson.
That pair lined up for the Magpies in a defeat by Cardiff-Boolaroo in 2009-2010 while there are no survivors from the club's most recent success in 2005-2006.
"We all trust each other and believe each other can do the job when required, that's what's got us through the whole year," Bailey, adding 4-45 on March 17 to make his first-grade tally 28 wickets, said.
The right-arm paceman claimed 41 poles across all competitions since joining the club midway through this campaign, featuring 27 in five outings for the first XI.
"They [City] obviously lose their two imports [Ibrahim, Oli Carter] but they've proven they are still a quality outfit and we can't take them lightly, especially knocking off Stockton [in other semi] on the weekend," Bailey said.
City, who have yet to officially announce a replacement, will be playing their first decider in the top grade since 1979-1980.
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
