Saturday’s washouts end one minor premiership race and see another heat up

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s first grade round nine matches and second grade round seven contests were all washed out at the weekend as wet weather wreaked more havoc on a shortened 2021-22 season.

The matches were called off at about 4pm on Friday afternoon following an abundance of rain earlier in the week, which was ultimately topped off by a heavy downfall on Thursday night.

The washed-out weekend meant that all games were declared draws, which gifted the four teams in each grade four points each.

That brought the first grade minor premiership race to a close and saw the second grade one heat right up.

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club is the first grade minor premiers for a second consecutive season. RSL went into round nine just two wins clear of Tourist Hotel (second) and Tatts (third) with two rounds left to play.

While the chances of the defending champions being knocked off their perch were minimal, it was still a possibility if they lost both of their remaining games.

But RSL is now two wins clear at the top going into the final round, which means it is guaranteed the top spot on the ladder and is the first team to book a place in the NDCA grand final day on Saturday, March 19.

RSL will play its final match of the 2021-22 regular season against the last-placed Western Razorbacks at Leitch Oval on Saturday.

Tourist Hotel and Tatts, which have both accumulated 36 points each so far this season, will battle for outright second on the first grade ladder in the other round 10 match when they meet at Collins Park.

Those two sides will return to the same venue a week later where they will meet in the preliminary final.

Meanwhile, the three-team battle for the NDCA’s second grade minor premiership was shortened to two teams when the round seven games were washed out and declared draws on Saturday.

To finish at the top of the table, Tourist Sports Bar required two wins from its final two games and needed other results to go its way.

However, the round seven draws meant it would be forced to settle for second or third place and battle for a grand final spot via the preliminary final.

Tatts remained three points clear of RSL at the top following the washed-out round. Those two teams will play against one another at Hogan Oval on Saturday in the eighth and final round of the regular season in a match that will determine which team wins the minor premiership.

The side that wins that match will finish first and book a spot in the grand final. The loser, or RSL if the game is washed out or tied, will place second and then play against Tourist Sports Bar in the preliminary final on March 12.