RSL Cricket Club’s first XI scored a massive win in round five of the 2019-20 Narrabri District Cricket Association first grade season at Hogan Oval on Saturday.

RSL went into the match against the Western Imperial Razorbacks coming off its first win of the campaign in round four, a five-wicket win against Civeo.

The side backed that up with a second straight win as it downed an understrength Razorbacks outfit by 111 runs.

RSL batted first and stayed in the middle for the entire 45 overs to reach 7-278, before bowling the Western Imperial men out for 167 runs in the 39th over.

The victory saw RSL move to within one win of the top-ranked side despite losing its first three matches.

RSL is now on 17 points alongside the Razorbacks, just six points behind both Tatts and Civeo which are first and second.

RSL’s innings started on the front foot as opening batsman Jarrett Tough scored 10 runs from the first three deliveries of Dylan Smith’s over.

A wide later in the over made the score 0-11 after one.

But RSL quickly found itself a man down when fellow opener Chris Watkins (0) departed the next over.

Razorbacks captain Jay Hall bowled the second over and made a quick impact, bowling Watkins for a second-ball duck to make the score 1-11.

That brought Cooper Brayshaw to the crease who put on a 48-run partnership with Tough before the latter was caught by Hall for 38 in the Toby Nancarrow-bowled 10th over which made the score 2-59.

Cody Kember entered at four for RSL and he and Brayshaw took the side into the 15-over drinks break cruising at 2-80.

In less than eight overs after drinks the pair put on 48 more runs before Brayshaw (62) was bowled by Nancarrow in the 24th over which made the score 3-128.

That became 4-139 in the 26th over when Nancarrow claimed his third scalp by trapping Luke Barton (4) in front.

Kember was then joined in the middle by Hamish Duncan and the pair combined for a 48-run partnership.

RSL entered the 30-over drinks break at 4-168, but in the 33rd over Duncan (14) was bowled by Dylan Smith.

RSL skipper Mick Dowdell was next in and the side reached 223 before Kember departed for a game-best 65 runs, bowled by Tim Cameron.

The side lost one more wicket when Shane Murphy (2) was caught in the Cameron-bowled 41st over.

Dowdell (54*) and Jake Brayshaw (8*) both remained unbeaten after the final delivery was bowled as RSL totalled 7-278.

The Razorbacks’ best with the ball was Nancarrow who took 3-49 from nine overs.

Just as the Razorbacks did, RSL took a wicket in the second over of the innings when Danny Laws bowled Daniel Hamilton (4).

Trindall took the next wicket when he bowled Zack Doring (15).

In the 10th over Laws took two key wickets when he bowled Angus Galagher (10) and removed opener Reynolds (19) who was caught by Watkins which made the score 4-51.

That became 5-59 in the 13th over when Kember backed up his efforts with the bat with a wicket, trapping Cameron (5) in front.

That left Hamblin and Smith at the crease together who put on a 63-run partnership which lasted almost 12 overs.

It was Jake Brayshaw who made the breakthrough for RSL, dismissing Hamblin (29) who was caught by Laws which made the score 6-122.

RSL needed just four more wickets to win and Cooper Brayshaw took the game into his hands, taking all four to finish with a match-best 4-28 from 8.4 overs which included two maidens as the Razorbacks fell 112 runs short of the required total, bowled out for 167 in the 39th over.

Smith top-scored for the Razorbacks with 36 runs while Nancarrow (17*) and Brendon Smith (10) also reached double figures late in the innings.

RSL teammates Cooper Brayshaw and Kember earned the three and two best and fairest points respectively while one went to the Razorbacks’ Nancarrow.

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