Jye Manton guides Tourist Hotel to a remarkable victory in the first grade season opener against RSL

Tourist Hotel Narrabri Cricket Club struck an early blow with a sensational victory in the opening round of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2022/23 season on Saturday, and it was a fan favourite who helped complete what was at one stage an unthinkable comeback against Narrabri RSL Cricket Club at Leitch Oval.

Jye Manton entered the middle late in the game when his side had just lost its eighth wicket and was struggling at 8-77, chasing 102.

Manton replaced Mark Page (21), who had just been dismissed after helping guide the chasing side out of a hole from 7-37 and into a position to produce a miraculous comeback.

The number 10 batsman joined fellow tail-ender Jason Paull and together the pair grinded away at the total. Their focus was simply not getting out, and they achieved that as they stayed in the middle together for more than eight overs to make the scores even at the end of the 31st over.

Jarrett Tough bowled the 32nd over after producing a maiden in the 30th, and the RSL skipper looked set to repeat that as he produced five dot balls. However, Manton drove the final delivery of the over straight down the ground and it raced away for four as he and Paull (6*) celebrated in the middle what was a match-winning 28-run partnership.

Manton, who scored 22 of those runs, was then awarded the three best and fairest points for a player of the match performance that included a wicket maiden in the first innings of the day as he took 1-21 from six overs with the ball before his heroics with the bat in the second innings.

The 25-year-old has not only stepped up on the field this season but also off it after taking over as the club’s president. He told The Courier after the game that he was proud of his club and his teammates.

Saturday’s grand final rematch at Leitch Oval saw both sides missing several key players. RSL went into the game without Northern Inland Bolters duo Cooper Brayshaw and Nathan Trindall and was also missing Shane Murphy and Tim Shields. In the other camp, Tourist Hotel lined up without skipper Luke Meppem, Brady Jenkins, Hamish Duncan and Chris Sargent, as well as new signings Dylan Segundo and Josh Trindall.

The rivalry between the two sides as they return to full strength during the rest of the season is one that is set to excite.

RSL young guns Bernard O’Connor (25) and Alistair Wheeler (37) stepped up for their team in round one after the defending champions lost openers Jordan Doolan (2) and Jarrett Tough (1) and number three batsman Zaac Brayshaw (0) in the first four overs as the score became 3-4.

However, O’Connor and Wheeler steadied the ship when they entered at number four and five, respectively, and helped guide RSL to a triple-figure total.

The 10-man side eventually reached 101 before losing its ninth and final wicket in the 24th over.

Matt Conroy starred in that innings for Tourist as he had a hand in seven wickets. He claimed 4-21 from six overs with the ball, which included two maidens, and also held on to three catches to help limit the opposition to a total that he and his teammates could chase.

Tourist Hotel used six bowlers in total during the innings, five of whom took at least a wicket, which included David McInnes (2-10 from four overs), Page (1-4 from 1.2 overs), Manton (1-21 from six overs) and Paull (1-22 from three overs).

Tourist lost its opening batsmen inside six overs as RSL opening bowler Cody Kember knocked over Nick Tomlinson (5) in the third over and Aaron Baker (10) in the sixth.

The chasing side then suffered a devastating collapse as it went from 2-17 in the sixth to 7-37 in the 13th. However, McInnes (12), Conroy (5), Page (21), Paull (6*) and Manton (22*) all chipped in to help guide their side to unlikely victory as Tourist Hotel piled on 68 more runs at the expense of just one wicket to start their season off on the front foot.

Had it not been for Manton’s late heroics, the three best and fairest points were heading the way of Kember, who ripped apart the Tourist top and middle order to finish with 5-26 from nine overs, which included a wicket-maiden. He picked up two points, and the single point went to Wheeler.

RSL’s other wicket-takers were Jake Brayshaw (2-25 from six overs) and Karan Dhiman (1-19 from four overs).

Meanwhile, the other match scheduled for round one between Tatts Cricket Club and the Western Razorbacks did not go ahead after flooding in the Narrabri Shire meant that the Razorbacks were unable to field a team.

A result for that match has not been determined, with the NDCA board to meet during the week to decide what result will be handed down. Options being explored are replaying the game later in the season, Tatts winning by forfeit or the game being declared a draw and both teams splitting the points.

This weekend’s games are both in danger of both being washed out as rain is forecasted from Wednesday right through to Monday.

If the round two matches do go ahead, RSL will return to Leitch Oval where it will challenge Tatts, while Tourist Hotel and the Western Razorbacks go head-to-head at Hogan Oval.