Grey Slugs impress at Veterans Cricket NSW State Over-50s carnival

Narrabri’s over-50s cricket team impressed at the 2021 Veterans Cricket NSW State Over-50s carnival at the Central Coast last week.

The Grey Slugs competed in division two for the first time and scored one win from the three games they played from Monday, February 22, to Wednesday, February 24.

Narrabri took on one of the competition favourites, Port Jackson Blue, in round one and went down by nine runs in a 45-over match.

Port Jackson made 6-145 after winning the toss and electing to bat, then Narrabri finished its innings on 9-136.

The Grey Slugs’ best with the ball in that match was Shane Riordan who took an economical 2-14 from nine overs which included two maidens.

With that bat, Adrian Schwager top-scored for the Narrabri men with an unbeaten 43.

The Grey Slugs bounced back from that loss with a big win in round two against Greater Illawarra One.

Narrabri won the toss in that match and recorded an impressive 7-219 in 45 overs, which was the largest total scored across the three days.

It then bowled out Greater Illawarra One for 179 in 43 overs to score a 40-run win.

Neil Brayshaw (43 retired not out) and Chris Sargent (40 retired not out) did the most damage with the bat for the Grey Slugs.

Brayshaw (3-29 from seven overs including a maiden) and Sudintha Perera (3-29 from six overs) were then impressive with the ball.

In round three, the Narrabri men went down but not without a fight.

They took on Hunter Taveners One in a 35-over match in which the opposition won the toss and batted.

It scored 8-140, then restricted the Grey Slugs, which were forced to bat in the rain, to 7-111 to win by 29.

Neil Brayshaw (2-37 from seven overs) was Narrabri’s only multiple wicket-taker in that game and Sargent top-scored with 30 retired not out.

Sargent was his team’s top run-scorer at the carnival with 90 which ranked him sixth out of all players, while Brayshaw and Perera were the side’s leading wicket-takers with five scalps each.