RSL gets second grade premiership defence underway

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club’s second grade premiership defence is off to a flying start following an emphatic victory at Hogan Oval on Saturday in round one of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2022/23 campaign.

RSL took on Tourist Hotel Narrabri Cricket Club in the season opener and prevailed by seven wickets after chasing down 94 runs with 17 overs to spare in its innings.

Tourist Hotel batted first in the 40-over contest after its skipper Kaleb Mowle won the toss, and the side scored 93 runs before losing its final wicket in the 28th over.

RSL then reached the required total in the 23rd over having lost just three wickets.

Mick Dowdell guided RSL to the big victory with an unbeaten 50 runs that included eight fours and a six, and he was then awarded the three NDCA best and fairest points.

The defending champions were on the front foot early in the contest as opening bowler Will Hong ripped through Tourist Hotel’s top order.

He bowled Jason Smith (0) with the final ball of the second over to make the score 1-3 and then bowled Mitch Foster (7) and Tim Hayne (0) in the fourth over to leave Tourist struggling at 3-8.

Hong then assisted the next wicket when he caught Mowle (7) from the bowling of Max Hunter in the seventh over as the score become 4-16.

Tourist Hotel’s Lucas Hogan and Scott Smith then steadied the ship for their side with a 56-run partnership to guide Tourist towards a defendable total.

However, the side’s innings then fell apart as it lost its last six wickets while adding just 19 runs as RSL’s O’Connor father and son duo tore apart Tourist Hotel’s middle and lower order.

Craig O’Connor made a massive breakthrough in the 18th over when he caught Hogan (31) from his own bowling, and then two overs later he removed Smith (30), who was caught by Dowdell.

Craig’s son Gabe then took three of the final four wickets and chipped in with a run out for the other.

He finished with a game-best 3-9 from 6.3 overs, while Hong (3-18 from five overs), Craig O’Connor (2-28 from five overs) and Hunter (1-21 from six overs) also had tidy figures to accompany their wickets.

Tourist Hotel enjoyed an ideal start to its defence when it removed RSL’s opening batsmen Neil Brayshaw and Tyson Gilmore early. Gilmore (1) was bowled by Hayne in the fourth over, and then Brayshaw (4) was bowled by Mowle in the fifth over, which made the score 2-11.

That left Craig O’Connor at the crease alongside Dowdell and the pair combined for a classy 57-run partnership before O’Connor (15) was caught by Ben Shields in the George Barton-bowled 17th over.

That was the final wicket of the match as Dowdell (50*) and Gabe O’Connor (9*) guided RSL home to a seven-wicket win.

Gabe earned one NDCA best and fairest point, while the two points went to Hogan.

RSL will play its second game of the season this Saturday when it takes on Tatts at Gately Field in a grand final rematch.

Tatts had the bye in round one and has now turned its attention to its first hit-out of the campaign.

Tourist Hotel will have the round two bye.