RSL second XI scores first win of the one day campaign

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club’s second XI entered Saturday’s round four Narrabri District Cricket Association second grade one day competition match fresh off its third consecutive T20 premiership which it claimed just eight days earlier.

However, the defending champs were winless in the 2021-22 one day competition following a washed-out draw and back-to-back losses in rounds two and three before the Christmas/New Year break and the January T20 season.

That changed on Saturday when RSL took on Tourist Hotel for the first time this season and scored a 108-run victory to get its one day premiership defence back on track.

RSL batted first in the round four match at Cooma Oval after captain Justin Saunders won the toss.

Saunders’ men piled on 143 runs before losing their final wicket of the innings from the fourth delivery of the 39th over.

The chasing side could only field nine players in Saturday’s match, which combined to score just 35 runs before losing their final wicket in the 10th over of the second innings.

RSL’s top order and tail end did the damage for the defending champions in the first innings.

The side’s top three batsmen, Luke Barton (33), Craig O’Connor (12) and Rod Tomlinson (16), all registered double-digit scores before the next four batsmen were all dismissed for single-digit totals as the game score went from 3-57 to 6-82.

Will Hong (10), Gabe O’Connor (12*) and Karan Veer Dhiman (22) entered the middle at number eight, nine and 10 respectively and all made handy contributions to help guide their side well past 100.

RSL eventually reached 143 before Saunders (1) was bowled by Max Smith in the 39th over, which brought the innings to a close.

Sawan Bodla (2-23), Jye Manton (2-30 and a run out) and Tim Boehm (2-37) all took two wickets each in their respective eight-over spells, while Aaron Baker (1-1 from one over), Max Smith (1-19 from five overs) and Scott Smith (1-31 from nine overs) claimed a wicket each.

RSL required eight wickets to win against the nine-man Tourist Hotel side, the first of which fell in the third over when Karan bowled Scott Smith (1) to make the score 1-11.

His opening bowling partner and captain, Saunders, then claimed his first wicket of the innings in the sixth over when he removed Baker (5), who was caught by Craig O’Connor, which made the score 2-18.

Tourist Hotel finished the seventh over on 2-29 before RSL took 6-6 during the following 2.5 overs.

Saunders took two in the eighth over to dismiss Manton (13) and Bodla (9) before two more fell in the ninth when Karan bowled Max Smith (1) and Gabe O’Connor ran out Marcus Tyack (2).

Saunders took the final two wickets in the 10th over to dismiss Boehm (2) and Pat Mowle (0) and finish with a game-best 5-23 from 4.5 overs as RSL secured a 108-run victory.

Karan finished the match with 2-12 from five overs.

RSL will take on fellow round four winners and competition ladder leaders Tatts at either Gately Field or Cooma Oval this Saturday in the fifth round of the season. Tourist Hotel will meet Tourist Sports Bar at Hogan Oval in the other round five match.