Tourist Hotel kick-starts second grade one day season with a win

Tourist Hotel Cricket Club claimed a major scalp in the first round of the 2023/24 Narrabri District Cricket Association second grade one day campaign as they downed defending champions Narrabri RSL Cricket Club by 14 runs at Hogan Oval on Saturday.

Tourist Hotel batted first after their skipper Kaleb Mowle won the toss, and the nine-man side scored 153 runs before losing their eighth and final wicket in the 32nd over.

In reply, the five-time defending 40-over champions RSL reached 139 before losing their 10th wicket in the 31st over as they fell 15 runs short of victory.

Tourist’s first-wicket partnership was the catalyst for their victory.

Aaron Baker and Tim Hayne opened together and put on 85 runs before Baker (40) was bowled by RSL skipper Justin Saunders with the final ball of the 16th over.

Hayne scored the first half-century of the NDCA’s 2023/24 second grade campaign but was finally dismissed for a game-best 51 runs in the 19th over when he was bowled by Gabe O’Connor.

Tourist Hotel then cruised past 100 and on their way to a defendable total as Chris Smith (26), Jai Baker (13) and Scott Smith (17) all chipped in with handy contributions.

The batting side entered the Karan Veer Dhiman-bowled 32nd over at 6-153, but the RSL man only required two deliveries to bring the innings to a close as he bowled Scott Smith and then knocked over Pat Mowle (0), who was stumped by Tyson Gilmore and was the eighth of nine batsmen to depart.

Gabe O’Connor (3-30 off seven overs) was RSL’s best with the ball, while Veer Dhiman (2-15 off 4.2 overs) and Mick Dowdell (2-23 off six overs) claimed two wickets each and Saunders (1-42 off eight overs) took the other.

Dowdell and Gilmore opened the batting for RSL and they combined for 28 runs during the first eight overs of the chase before Kaleb Mowle made the breakthrough as the Tourist Hotel skipper bowled Gilmore (12) during the ninth.

The score then became 2-29 in the 10th when Chris Smith trapped Gabe O’Connor (1) in front.

Dowdell was expectedly proving to be the RSL danger man during the game’s second innings as he smashed six boundaries while scoring 34 of the side’s first 53 runs. However, he then departed for that team-high score in the 13th over when he was caught off the bowling of Baker.

Max Hunter replaced Dowdell in the middle and the youngster was the anchor for the chasing side as RSL advanced past 100 runs and towards the total. Hunter eventually finished on an unbeaten 25, but none of his teammates were able to stick around alongside him long enough to help get the job done as RSL fell 15 runs short.

Matt Tubner (12), Veer Dhiman (14) and Jakson Dowdell (12) all made handy contributions, but the Tourist Hotel bowlers and fielders were up to the task.

The skipper led by example as Mowle claimed a game-best 4-25 off eight overs, and Scott Smith (3-34 off 4.1 overs), Baker (2-25 from off overs) and Chris Smith (1-17 off seven overs) combined for the other six.

RSL will have a chance to bounce back from their round one loss this Saturday when they challenge Tatts in a grand final rematch at Hogan Oval.

Tourist Hotel have the bye this weekend and will line up next in the one day competition against Tatts on Saturday, October 28.