Schwagers destroy Civeo as Tatts scores a huge win

Tatts Cricket Club’s first grade side dominated its Narrabri District Cricket Association one day competition season opener from start to finish at Collins Park on Saturday.

The defending champions took on Civeo and fielded first after opposition captain Luke Meppem won the toss and elected to bat.

Civeo was knocked over for just 92 runs in 36.2 overs, then Tatts chased that down in 28.3 overs for the loss of just three wickets.

Tatts produced an impressive display with the ball in the first game of the new campaign.

It started in the third over when Jonty Schwager bowled Civeo opener Nick Smart (3) to make the score 1-5. Four overs later the youngest of the Schwager brothers claimed his second scalp when he dismissed Smart’s opening partner Nick Tomlinson (3) who was caught by Jakeb Nipperess.

Tatts skipper Ryan O’Neill opened the bowling at the other end and he and Schwager both bowled nine straight.

Schwager’s 2-21 and O’Neill’s 0-19, which included three maidens, restricted Civeo to 2-42 after 18 overs.

Brock Schwager replaced his brother Jonty in the 19th over and immediately did what O’Neill told The Courier several weeks ago he would do this season – take wickets.

Schwager knocked over Matt Conroy (25) who was dismissed by a superb Eben Botha diving catch, then bowled Jake Thurston (0) for a second ball duck during a double wicket maiden.

That made the score 4-42 after 19 overs, which became 5-53 in the 25th over when Schwager dismissed Lachlan Woolford (2) who was caught by Jake Packer.

In the 27th over, which was Schwager’s fifth, the Tatts bowler was smashed for a six by Meppem but he shrugged that off and trapped the Civeo skipper in front for 20 to make the score 6-61.

Two overs later Schwager celebrated his fifth wicket of the game when he bowled Jade Lees (1) as the score became 7-75.

Schwager bowled two more overs at the expense of just two more runs and finished with 5-12 from eight overs.

Riley Jenkins (20) and Chris Sargent (6) attempted to drive Civeo to a triple figure score, however both fell when their side was on 92 runs. Sargent was caught by Nipperess in the Jack Farrer-bowled 36th over, before Nipperess claimed his third catch of the day to dismiss Jenkins in the Botha-bowled 37th over.

Botha then bowled Kaleb Mowle (0) that same over to finish with 2-5 from 1.2 overs.

O’Neill opted to begin Tatts’ chase with debutant Jesse Nancarrow and returning former skipper Packer.

Nancarrow (5) then Brendon Ward (4) were both dismissed by Mowle early in the chase as the score became 2-24 after eight overs.

Farrer entered at number four and added 16 runs to the total before he was caught by Mowle from the second ball of Lees’ first over. That wicket-maiden made the score 3-54 after 18 overs.

Sid Harvey then joined Packer in the middle and the pair guided the side home to victory. Packer (31*) finished with a match-high score and Harvey added an unbeaten 22 as their side cruised to a seven-wicket win.