Tourist Hotel makes the minor premiership battle a two-horse race with round nine win against Tatts

A sensational performance from Sid Harvey was not enough to steer Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI to victory in the ninth round of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s first grade one day competition at Leitch Oval on Saturday as the side lost by 31 runs against Tourist Hotel.

Tatts entered the round with a slim chance of finishing on top of the table and earning the automatic grand final qualification, but they will now have to go through the preliminary final to get a shot at premiership glory this season.

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club, which beat Western Razorbacks by seven wickets at Collins Park on Saturday, and Tourist Hotel are now locked at the top of the ladder on 48 points.

Tatts is 21 points behind those two teams and will more than likely finish third. The side can lock that in on Saturday if it defeats the fourth-placed Western Razorbacks in round 10.

Tourist Hotel batted first in the ninth-round clash at Leitch Oval and made 116 runs before losing its final wicket in the 29th over of the innings. Tatts then reached 85 before losing its final wicket, falling 32 runs short of the required total.

Harvey was dominant in his side’s batting and bowling innings on the day. He took 3-26 from three overs with the ball and then backed that up with a round-high score of 50 runs with the bat.

His performance was so impressive that the sides’ captains awarded him three NDCA best and fairest points, which are rarely received by a player from the losing team.

Harvey’s teammates Karl Hatfield (3-17 from 8.4 overs) and Eben Botha (3-21 from six overs) also took three wickets each in that match, and Jonty Schwager (1-38 from six overs) took the other.

Lachlan Woolford (27) top-scored for Tourist Hotel with 27 runs, and Mark Page (20), Hamish Duncan (19) and Jye Manton (13) were the other key contributors.

Harvey batted at number three in the second innings and was required to enter early after Brendon Ward was caught by Mark Page in the second over from the bowling of Tourist Hotel quick Dylan Segundo.

The 17-year-old produced a quality innings but had lost six partners by the end of the 12th over as his side found itself struggling at 7-37.

Brock Schwager (10) entered at number nine and held up an end to try and support Harvey, and those two put on a 44-run partnership.

However, Harvey was caught by Matt Conroy in the Chris Sargent-bowled 27th over as Tatts’ hopes of winning the contest came crashing down.

The innings was all over one ball before the 30-over mark when Brock Schwager was caught and bowled by Matt Conroy as Tatts succumbed to a 31-run loss.

Duncan (3-19 from six overs) and Manton (3-23 from nine overs) were Tourist Hotel’s best with the ball, and they picked up two and one NDCA best and fairest points, respectively.