Tourist Hotel first XI marks first game since round one with a convincing win against Tatts

Tourist Hotel Narrabri Cricket Club is still the only undefeated team in the 2022/23 Narrabri District Cricket Association first grade season after it demolished Tatts Cricket Club by 147 runs at Hogan Oval in round six on Saturday.

The Tourist men had not played a game since the season opener back on October 15 when they took down the defending champs RSL by two wickets, and since that day, they had been sidelined by three washed out fixtures and a forfeit victory.

Last season’s grand finalists batted first after skipper Luke Meppem won the toss, and they registered 8-218 in 45 overs. They then knocked over Tatts for 71 runs in 23.5 overs to remain on top of the ladder after six rounds.

Scarily, Tourist’s best cricket is still to come given that its experienced all-rounder Chris Sargent, who lives in Lightning Ridge, has not yet been able to make it through closed roads to play and the fact that the side has only played two games so far.

Whatever their best does look like, the Tourist Hotel men must have gone close to reaching it on Saturday in what was the most dominant win of the year so far by any team.

Josh Trindall made an impressive debut for the side as he produced a man-of-the-match performance in his first game of the season. He scored a match-high 65 runs and smashed six fours and two sixes during his innings, and also earned three NDCA best and fairest points.

The former Western Razorbacks all-rounder entered at number four for his new club in the 14th over at 2-35, after opener Hamish Duncan (4) and first drop Aaronn Baker (9) had been dismissed cheaply.

Tourist Hotel went into the 15-over drinks break at 2-39, having scored at less than three an over, but Trindall helped pick up the pace in the next session as Tourist registered 2-82 in 15 overs.

Opener Nick Tomlinson (33) and Matt Conroy (10) both departed in that session as Trindall and Lachlan Woolford took Tourist into the 30-over drinks break at 4-121.

Trindall was finally dismissed in the 37th over when he was caught by Jonty Schwager from the bowling of Jonathan Giliam. That made the score 5-163, but any signs of slowing down were erased as Lachlan Woolford (48) and Dylan Segundo (11) kept the side’s run rate ticking over.

Tourist Hotel eventually reached 8-218 in 45 overs after scoring 4-97 in the final session.

Tatts’ best with the ball was captain Jakeb Nipperess who took 3-44 from nine overs. The side’s other wicket-takers were Brock Schwager (2-37 from nine overs), Craig Gleeson (2-47 from nine overs) and Giliam (1-20 from four overs).

The chasing side’s innings suffered an early blow when former Tatts man Segundo took his first wicket for Tourist Hotel in the fourth over when he bowled Daniel Kahl (3).

His opening bowling partner Jye Manton then ripped through the rest of the Tatts top order. Manton knocked over Brendon Ward (7) and Caleb Tefry (0) with back-to-back deliveries during a double-wicket-maiden in the ninth over and then produced a wicket-maiden in over number 13 when he bowled Tatts’ danger man Craig Gleeson (9).

That made the score 4-34, and Tatts limped into the 15-over drinks break at 4-36.

Manton struck again 10 deliveries after play resumed when he found the outside edge of the bat of Josh Campbell (2), who departed after being caught behind by Woolford.

Manton had two balls left to claim a five-wicket haul, however, Giliam survived both of those and Manton was forced to settle for a game-best 4-21 from nine overs.

Tatts’ Travis Tilse (13*) provided some resistance in his first grade debut for the club, but wickets fell around him as Hamish Duncan (2-20 from seven overs), Jason Paull (2-18 from three overs) and David McInnes (1-2 from 0.5 overs) made light work of the chasing side’s middle and lower order.

Segundo finished with 1-5 from four overs after not being required to come back on for a second spell as Tatts fell for 71 runs in 23.5 overs.

The other round six match between RSL and the Western Razorbacks was scheduled to be played at Collins Park, but it did not go ahead as the Wee Waa-based club forfeited.

Again, the Razorbacks had too many players unable to get through closed roads to play amid ongoing flooding in the Narrabri Shire.

The Razorbacks are scheduled to take on Tatts in a battle of the two winless sides at Hogan Oval in round seven this Saturday, while RSL and Tourist Hotel meet at Collins Park in a top-of-the-table clash.