New Civeo era starts in style

Civeo Cricket Club started the 2019-20 Narrabri District Cricket season in style with a 47-run victory against RSL at Leitch Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Civeo entered the round one match without key man Lachie Cameron, but it was the side’s other co-captain Luke Meppem who stood up with the bat, lasting 28 overs in the middle and scoring an unbeaten 56 to guide his team to 7-160.

In reply RSL could only manage 113 runs as it fell 48 runs short of the total required for victory after losing its final wicket in the 31st over.

Meppem won the toss and elected to bat first on what was a soft Leitch Oval wicket.

Openers Nick Smart and Nick Tomlinson combined for a 23-run opening wicket partnership which was broken in the eighth over when Tomlinson (6) was bowled by Danny Laws.

That left Smart at the crease with Chris Sargent who also put on a 23-run partnership before Sargent (8) was caught by RSL skipper Mick Dowdell from the bowling of Matt Tubner.

That wicket fell in the 17th over which was Tubner’s first of the match.

Four overs later, in Tubner’s third over, the RSL spinner took two more wickets.

With the second ball of the 21st over he dismissed Smart (24) who was caught by Hamish Duncan at cover, then three balls later he secured the wicket of Tim Shields who was stumped by Tyson Gilmore for a duck.

That made the score 4-61 after 21 overs and left Meppem at the crease with Jade Lees.

That pair added 13 runs together before Lees became Tubner’s fourth victim, bowled for just four runs which made the score 5-74 after 25 overs.

Jordyn Mowle entered at number seven to join his skipper Meppem and the pair combined for what was arguably the match-winning partnership.

The pair took Civeo into the 30-over drinks break at 5-91 then added 32 more runs in the first seven overs after drinks.

In the Jarrett Tough-bowled 38th over Meppem and Mowle’s 51-run partnership was finally broken when Mowle (27) was caught behind by RSL wicketkeeper Gilmore, making the score 6-125.

That became 7-126 the following over when Joel Hogan (0) was caught by Cody Kember from the bowling of Luke Barton.

That wicket was the last one the RSL would take.

In the final six overs of the innings Meppem and new partner David McInnes added 34 more runs to the total to make Civeo’s final score 7-160 after 45 overs.

McInnes hit a four from the final ball of the innings to finish unbeaten on 15 runs.

RSL’s only multiple wicket taker was Tubner who spun his way to game-best figures of 4-30 from his nine-over spell which included a maiden.

Laws (1-8 from six overs), Tough (1-34 from nine overs) and Barton (1-38 from nine overs) were RSL’s other three wicket takers.

RSL’s run chase got off to the worst possible start, losing a wicket from the second ball of the innings.

Civeo’s Joel Hogan took the new ball for his side and dismissed RSL opener Hamish Duncan who was caught by Brady Jenkins for a duck.

The score became 2-16 in the John Lawlor-bowled fourth over when Kember (4) was caught at point by Smart.

Hogan followed that over up with a maiden in the fifth, before Lawlor went one better with a wicket-maiden in the sixth, removing Barton (0) who was caught by Lees.

Shane Murphy, who opened the batting with Duncan, was joined in the middle by teammate Tough and their pair steered RSL past 40 in the 10th over.

But the chasing side lost its fourth wicket in the 11th over when Hogan bowled Murphy for 32 to make the score 4-43.

RSL skipper Dowdell joined Tough at the crease and the pair but on a 26-run partnership.

Tough (6) fell in the 20th over, caught by Mowle from the bowling of Lees.

Dowdell then lost three more partners as Gilmore (3), Blake Jarrett (0) and Nathan Trindall (5) all fell cheaply.

Those three wickets made the score 8-105, with Dowdell excelling at the other end as he neared a half century

He entered the 30-over drinks break on 49 runs with his side on 8-113 and still a chance of winning the match.

However, in the 31st over all hope was lost for RSL when Dowdell (49) was trapped in front by Sargent.

That was with the fifth ball of the over, then with the last Sargent secured the win for Civeo when he bowled Tubner for a golden duck.

That wicket saw RSL fall for 113, 48 runs short of the required total for victory.

The sides’ skippers polled the top best and fairest points after excelling with the bat, with Meppem being awarded three and Dowdell picking up two. The one point went to RSL’s Tubner for his efforts with the ball.