RSL scores first win of the season

The RSL Cricket Club’s first XI ended its 2019-20 Narrabri District Cricket Association first grade competition drought on Saturday with its first victory of the season.

After losing all three of its matches from rounds one through to three, RSL took advantage of an understrength Civeo side by securing a five-wicket win in round four at Collins Park.

Civeo went into the match without key batsmen Nick Smart, Lachlan Cameron and Chris Sargent and set RSL just 96 runs to chase after winning the toss and batting first.

RSL chased down the required total in 30.2 overs.

RSL opening bowler Nathan Trindall played a key role in the side’s victory, finishing with a game-best 4-16 from 5.5 overs with the ball.

Two of his victims were Civeo openers Mitch Foster and Nick Tomlinson.

The Civeo duo combined for a 13-run opening partnership in the first four overs of the innings before Trindall bowled Foster (4) in the fifth over.

Two overs later he made the score 2-21 when he dismissed Tomlinson (11) who was caught by Luke Barton.

Those wickets left Civeo skipper Luke Meppem at the crease with teammate Jade Lees.

The pair put on a 14-run partnership before Lees (14) was trapped in front just before drinks by Cody Kember during a wicket maiden which made the score 4-39 after 15 overs.

RSL did not have to wait long before its next wicket was taken as Cooper Brayshaw bowled Jake Thurston (2) in the 18th over to make the score 4-43.

That became 6-48 soon after when Jake Brayshaw delivered a double wicket maiden in the 22nd over, leaving Civeo in trouble.

Meppem was joined in the middle by Tim Shields who entered at number eight and became the skipper’s sixth partner. The pair got their side back on track with a 43-run partnership which took Civeo past 90.

In the 37th over Barton broke the partnership when he dismissed Meppem (25) who was caught by Neil Brayshaw.

That same over Kaleb Mowle was runout for a diamond duck which made the score 8-92 after 37 overs.

That became 8-95 after the 38th over before Trindall was re-introduced into the attack to bowl the 39th.

In that over he bowled both Joel Hogan (2) and John Lawlor (0) as Civeo fell five runs short of reaching 100.

Shields finished with a team-best unbeaten 25 runs.

RSL’s Tough and Chris Watkins opened the batting together and got their side off to a fine start before falling in consecutive overs.

They put on a 31-run partnership which was not broken until the Hogan-bowled ninth over when Tough (7) was caught by Lees.

In the 10th over Watkins (22) was caught by Shields from the bowling of Kaleb Mowle which made the score 2-33.

Those wickets left Shane Murphy at the crease with Cooper Brayshaw who put on a 25-run partnership.

The pair took RSL into drinks at 2-48 then added 10 more runs inside the next three overs before Murphy (16) was run out by Tomlinson in the 18th, making the score 3-58.

Kember was next in for RSL and he added 10 runs to the total before being caught for 10 by Brady Jenkins in the Lees-bowled 23rd over which made the score 4-77.

Barton joined Cooper Brayshaw at the crease and the pair took RSL to within two runs of victory before Barton (7) was caught by Thurston off the bowling of Jenkins in the 29th over.

Barton’s replacement Jake Brayshaw (0*) faced just two balls in the 30th over before his brother Cooper hit the winning run in the 31st over to finish on an unbeaten 25 to secure RSL a five-wicket win.

RSL will go in search of its second victory of the season at Hogan Oval this Saturday in round five when it takes on the Western Imperial Razorbacks which were defeated by Tatts in round four.

In the other game Civeo will look to bounce back when it meets Tatts at Collins Park.