The Narrabri District Cricket Association’s first and second grade regular seasons are now completed following the weekend’s final-round matches and the preliminary final teams are now set in stone.

The first grade competition will see second-placed Civeo Cricket Club take on the third-placed Western Imperial Razorbacks and the second grade preliminary final will feature the Tatts Cricket Club (third) facing off against the Razorbacks (second).

Those two matches will be hosted this Saturday with all four sides eyeing a grand final spot.

The winner of the first grade preliminary final will face off against the table-topping Tatts in the grand final on March 14, while the second grade preliminary final victor will take on first-placed RSL Cricket Club on the same day.

The final round of the first grade regular competition was held on Saturday which saw four matches contested that all had an impact on the final standings.

The round 12 games saw Civeo defeat the Razorbacks at Leitch Oval, and RSL take down Tatts in a low scoring affair at Collins Park.

In a 16-run win Civeo batted first and made 8-154 before knocking over the Razorbacks for 138 runs, while RSL chased down a 93-run total set by Tatts for the loss of nine wickets to score a one-wicket win.

Those results meant that Tatts and Civeo finished on 54 points each, separated only by a net run rate percentage of 0.10.

RSL’s victory and Razorbacks loss also meant those two sides finished even on 42 points with the Razorbacks securing third place due to a superior net run rate percentage of 0.02.

In second grade Tatts (6-163) defeated Crossroads Cricket Club (102) by 61 runs and RSL (7-134) thumped Civeo (56) by 78 runs.

Those results meant that Tatts leapfrogged Civeo into third place to earn the right to playoff for a March 14 grand final spot.

Read below for match reports on the final-round matches.

First grade reports:

Tight win gives Civeo momentum for finals

With another brilliant batting display, Nick Smart helped carry Civeo Cricket Club’s first XI into this Saturday’s preliminary final with added confidence.

Civeo took on the Western Imperial Razorbacks at Leitch Oval in the final round of the Narrabri District Association competition on Saturday.

Civeo won the toss and elected to bat allowing Smart to open the batting and score an impressive 95 runs.

Civeo’s other batsmen failed to hold a partnership with Smart and as a result when the opener was eventually dismissed by Razorbacks’ young gun Dylan Smith, the score read 7-125.

Another 29 runs were added to that tally thanks to a decent partnership between Chris Sargent (11) and Sam Bullen (12), who were the only other Civeo batsman to score double figures.

Smith was the Razorbacks’ best with the ball earning four wickets for 27 runs from nine overs.

Justin Knight (2-24) and Jay Hall (2-31) were the other two Razorbacks’ wicket takers.

The Razorbacks’ batting innings did not start as they would have wanted with openers Ty Baker (2) and Toby Reynolds (0) dismissed cheaply by Tim Shields.

Shields then had a third shortly after when he bowled Harry Sevil (6) in the seventh over.

With the score reading 3-16, the Razorbacks needed some resistance and that came in the form of a Josh Trindall and Knight partnership.

That partnership earned the Wee Waa-based side 47 runs before Trindall was run out on 24 by Civeo’s Jordyn Mowle.

Knight was then trapped in front by Sargent for a team-high 31 runs.

The Razorbacks were 5-74 at that stage but saw three consecutive wickets fall quickly.

Smith (20*) and Jay Hall (11) put up a fight but the chasing side failed to reach the runs required, falling 16 runs short.

Shields (3-18) finished the match with Civeo’s best bowling figures and Sargent (3-34) and Smart (2-24) rounding off an impressive bowling display.

That result means that Civeo will take on the Razorbacks for the second time in two weeks on Saturday, this time with a grand final spot on the line. The winner of that match will take on Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI in the grand final on Saturday, March 14 at Collins Park.

RSL takes down Tatts to end season on a high

The RSL Cricket Club’s first XI took on the Tatts Cricket Club’s first grade side at Collins Park on Saturday with the former picking up a nail-biting victory.

Tatts won the toss and elected to bat but lost its openers early to make the score 2-9.

Tom Craig and Jacob Nichols attempted to swing the match in their side’s favour but it was to no avail.

Craig was dismissed for a top score of 28, and without another solid partnership Nichols (23) was eventually caught out. Craig Gleeson (10) was the only other Tatts’ player to score a double figure total as Tatts were bowled over for 92 runs.

The RSL bowling attack was led by Jarrett Tough who took six wickets for 20 runs from six overs. Danny Laws (2-8) and Jake Brayshaw (2-27) were the other two RSL wicket takers.

RSL’s run chase took a knock early when Cody Kember was caught on one run by Michael Cain from the bowling of Brock Schwager.

Cooper Brayshaw made a handy contribution of 16 runs which was the highest runs scored by any RSL batsman.

In the 32nd over the score read 9-85 with RSL needing eight runs to win and Tatts seeking one wicket.

RSL’s final partnership was Jake Brayshaw and Tough who batted through five overs and won the match in the 38th over.

Brayshaw finished on an unbeaten 10 runs and Tough finished not out on four runs.

Cain was the pick of Tatts’ bowlers earning five wickets for 17 runs from nine overs.

Tatts will move on from that loss and into the grand final on March 14 where it will play against either the Western Imperial Razorbacks or Civeo Cricket Club.

Second grade report:

Tatts secures finals place as Civeo slips up against RSL

The Narrabri District Cricket Association second grade regular season competition ended on Saturday with two crucial matches.

The first saw Tatts Cricket Club’s second XI take on Crossroads at Hogan Oval.

Tatts won the toss and elected to open the batting.

After losing two quick wickets, a solid partnership between Brad Graham (17) and Ash Watt (18) took the side to drinks at 2-46.

Shortly after drinks Watt fell, Graham retired hurt and Ryan Steel was dismissed for three runs.

That left Tatts at 4-54 with Dylan Segundo and Michael Hewett at the crease.

The pair combined for a crucial 53 run partnership before Hewett was dismissed for 17, making the score 5-107.

Bill Wood was the next to bat and he partnered with Segundo for 22 runs before Segundo was bowled for 38.

Wood accelerated the score after Segundo’s dismissal scoring an unbeaten 46 runs to leave Crossroads with an imposing 163 runs to chase down.

Crossroads started strong with its two opening batsman scoring a solid partnership in warm conditions.

Matt Wall, who top scored with 31 runs, and Andrew McClenahan (14) put Crossroads in a great position early.

That partnership was followed by Sudintha Perera who scored a handy 19 runs.

But a tail-end collapse followed Perera with captain Luke Baker (13) the only other batsman to make double figures.

Jonty Fowler was the best with the ball for Tatts, taking 4-7 from six overs.

In the other second grade contest table-toppers RSL Cricket Club took on Civeo’s second XI with Civeo needing a victory to secure its spot in the semi final.

RSL won the toss and elected to bat first.

The side batted out all 40 overs with Matt Gilmore scoring a game-high 36 runs.

Gilmore’s teammates Beau Tomlinson (24), Craig O’Connor (18), and Chris Watkins (13) all made good contributions to RSL’s final tally of 134.

Matt Potter (2-24), Kaleb Mowle (2-37), Les Bonney (2-17) and Jye Manton (1-13) were Civeo’s wicket takers.

Civeo’s batting innings did not go to plan with four players being dismissed for ducks.

The side’s top scorer was Mowle who picked up 17.

Only Mowle, Manton (14) and Jake Thurston (11) scored double figures for Civeo as their side bowled for 56.

The pick of the RSL bowling attack was Justin Saunders who picked up five wickets for 46 runs across seven overs.

Will Ford finished with 3-4 from 2.2 overs and Jason Trindall finished with 1-5 from four overs.

That loss meant Civeo was knocked down to fourth on the NDCA second grade ladder meaning it missed out on a finals spot after it was overtaken by the victorious Tatts.

Tatts will now take on the Western Imperial Razorbacks in the preliminary final.