Tourist Hotel finishes the regular season with a win

Tourist Hotel enters Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2022/23 season first grade one day competition finals series on a high after securing a five-wicket win in the 12th and final round of the regular season against Tatts on Saturday.

The two sides met at Collins Park, and they will meet in the preliminary final at Leitch Oval this Saturday.

Tourist Hotel finished the regular season in second place, just one win behind the minor premiers RSL, and Tatts placed third.

When they met in the 12th round on Saturday, Tatts batted first after Jakeb Nipperess won the toss. His side made 99 runs in 35.2 overs, which Tourist Hotel chased down inside 25 overs having lost five wickets.

It was another frustrating day with the bat for the Tatts men as they were unable to reach triple figures for the third time in four rounds.

The side lost openers Daniel Kahl (8) and Nipperess (4) inside the first eight overs, which made the score 2-24 and brought Tom Craig to the crease.

The classy batsman produced yet another impressive showing as he struck an unbeaten 53 runs to finish the season as the side’s top-scorer. However, he lost eight partners as Tatts fell all out for 99 in 35.2 overs.

Eben Botha (11) was the only other Tatts batsman to reach double figures.

Tourist Hotel used seven bowlers on the day and they all took at least one wicket.

Hamish Duncan was his side’s best with the ball with 3-11 from five overs, and opener Jye Manton was the other multiple wicket-taker with 2-23 from nine overs.

Harry Pattison (1-6 from 1.2 overs), Chris Sargent (1-7 from three overs), Dylan Segundo (1-12 from 2.3 overs), Matt Conroy (1-18 from 8.3 overs), and Josh Trindall (1-20 from six overs) all claimed one each.

Nick Tomlinson and Duncan both opened the batting for the chasing side and the duo combined for a 43-run partnership that lasted 12 overs.

It was broken when Nipperess threw the ball to Botha in the 13th over and he delivered a wicket-maiden, during which he knocked over Duncan (18), who was caught by the Tatts captain.

Botha made the score 2-70 in the 15th over when he dismissed Tourist Hotel captain Luke Meppem (0), and then made it 3-78 in the 19th when he picked up the big wicket of Tomlinson (40).

Brock Schwager took two wickets for Tatts in the 22nd over and he was on a hat-trick after dismissing Dave McInnes (14) and Ciaran McCann (0) with back-to-back deliveries.

However, that could not spark a late Tatts revival as Lachlan Woolford (5*) and Harry Pattison (4*) guided Tourist Hotel to victory.

Botha (3-14 from six overs) and Schwager (2-32 from nine overs) were their side’s best with the ball.

Tomlinson’s knock in that second innings saw him reach 168 runs for the season, which ranked him equal first on the competition’s overall run-scorers’ tally alongside RSL’s Bernard O’Connor.

O’Connor went into the round with 160 runs to his name and scored eight in his side’s win against the Western Razorbacks.

Tomlinson picked up three NDCA best and fairest points for his effort, while Craig earned two and Duncan was awarded one.