Priag Marketing tops the NDCA’s Namoi Super Slog ladder

The grand final of the Narrabri District Cricket Association’s Namoi Super Slog T20 competition will be contested by Priag Marketing and WTC Earthmoving at Collins Park on Friday night after the two sides secured top two finishes on the regular season ladder.

Priag Marketing, WTC Earthmoving and Specialised Civil Services all won one of their final two matches to finish with three wins, two losses and a washout draw to total 27 points.

Net run rate percentage ranked Priag Marketing first, WTC Earthmoving second and Specialised Civil Services third.

Rose Pest Control finished last with 15 points following a win, a washout draw and four losses.

In round five on Friday night, Priag Marketing moved into the outright first position on the ladder after it downed Specialised Civil Services at Hogan Oval, and WTC Earthmoving lost to last-placed Rose Pest Control at Collins Park.

Priag Marketing skipper Lachlan Cameron won the toss and elected to bat, then scored 54 runs from 34 deliveries to guide his side to a defendable 7-113.

Cameron smashed four sixes and a four in that innings and combined with fellow opener Bernard O’Connor to form a 73-run opening-wicket partnership.

Cameron was finally dismissed in the 13th over, caught behind by Hadley Sevil from the bowling of Sam Bullen.

15-year-old O’Connor went on to score a patient 25 (57) and was the only other Priag Marketing batsman to post a double-digit score as the team finished with 7-113 after its 20 overs.

Priag Marketing then restricted Specialised Civil Services to 92 runs before taking the winning wicket with just five deliveries remaining.

In the game played at Collins Park, Rose Pest Control batted first after skipper Ty Baker won the toss, and the side lasted 20 overs in the middle to finish on 9-92.

In reply, WTC Earthmoving limped to 72 before losing its final wicket with five deliveries remaining.

Those results meant that Priag Marketing (26 points) finished round five a win clear at the top of the table ahead of second-placed WTC Earthmoving and third-placed Specialised Civil Services (both 20 points, WTC was ahead on net run rate).

Rose Pest Control (14 points) was fourth, but could still finish second to qualify for the grand final.

In round six on Saturday night, WTC Earthmoving bounced back from back-to-back losses to score a victory and secure a grand final berth.

WTC took on Priag Marketing at Hogan Oval and scored a five-wicket win.

Priag Marketing batted first again and a quick-fire 41 (29) from Josh Trindall at the back end of the innings helped the side reach 6-99 at the completion of 20 overs, after the score was 5-50 in the 14th over.

However, WTC Earthmoving opening batsman Matt Conroy fired with the bat to guide his side to victory.

Following an innings that included two sixes and two fours, Conroy departed having scored 45 from 43 deliveries. That was his side’s largest individual score of the campaign.

He was dismissed late in the innings, but the damage was already done and his team reached the required total in the 18th over with five wickets in hand.

In the other match, Specialised Civil Services defeated Rose Pest Control by 19 runs.

Specialised Civil Services batted first after skipper Nick Smart won the toss, and the side finished with 9-114. It then restricted Rose Pest Control to 7-95.

That victory meant that a Priag Marketing win would have been enough for Specialised Civil Services to qualify for the grand final, but it was not to be as the defending champions missed out on a second consecutive grand final appearance.