RSL remain undefeated and on top following big win

The Narrabri RSL Cricket Club first XI are on a roll following an astonishing 251-run win over Western Razorbacks at Collins Park on Saturday in round three of the Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2023/24 first grade one day campaign.

Despite only being able to line up with nine players in the first innings of the game, the Razorbacks elected to field first after winning the toss, and RSL certainly made them pay as they registered a huge score of 7-301 before declaring during the 41st over.

The defending champs then skittled the 10-man Razorbacks outfit for 50 runs in 17.2 overs to remain on top of the competition ladder as they moved to a maximum 21 points to remain a win clear of Tourist Hotel.

The win also extended RSL’s active unbeaten streak to 12 games, dating back to November last year. They lost their opening-round 2022/23 season fixture against Tourist Hotel by two wickets at Hogan Oval and missed three rounds due to flooding, but they then demolished Tatts by 137 runs on Saturday, November 12, when the competition returned, and won 10 of their 11 games since, with the other being the washed-out grand final against Tourist Hotel in March that saw them crowned as the premiers as they were the highest-ranked side on the day.

On Saturday, Western Razorbacks’ skipper Dylan Smith got his side off to a positive start as he knocked over RSL opener Jordan Doolan (5) in the fifth over with the assistance of a Josh Schwager catch, and he then bowled Shane Murphy (2) in the seventh over to make the score 2-28.

That left opener Will Ford at the crease with fellow young gun Bernard O’Connor, and the left-handed duo combined for a remarkable 105-run partnership to put their side well and truly on the front foot.

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club first XI trio Cooper Brayshaw, Bernard O’Connor and Cody Kember were brilliant in their side’s 251-run victory against Western Razorbacks at Collins Park on Saturday and they earned a clean sweep of the NDCA best and fairest points for RSL. Photo: Supplied

Ford (46) was finally removed in the Schwager-bowled 22nd over when he was caught by Smith, and Schwager continued to claw his side back into the contest when he struck again in the 24th to dismiss O’Connor (60) to make the score 4-146.

Their replacements picked up right where they left off as Cody Kember and Cooper Brayshaw combined to take RSL past 200.

Kember reached 42 runs before he was caught by Ben Hjort in the Jacob Hopman-bowled 29th over, and he was replaced by Jake Thurston who scored 25 runs before being caught by Hopman off the bowling of Ben Sevil in the 35th over.

Brayshaw eventually became the second RSL batsman to surpass the half-century mark and he was finally dismissed for a match-high 62 runs in the Sevil-bowled 41st over when he was caught by Schwager.

The in-form all-rounder struck 10 boundaries during that impressive innings.

That wicket brought to an end a 50-run partnership alongside teammate Rowan Keeler (23*), and rather than send out one of the three remaining batsman, RSL skipper Jarrett Tough elected to declare on 7-301 with 4.1 overs remaining.

Schwager (2-38 from nine overs), Sevil (2-45 from 5.5 overs) and Smith (2-56 from nine overs) all bagged two wickets each for the Razorbacks and their teammate Hopman (1-83 from six overs) claimed the other.

Nathan Trindall and Kember took the new ball for RSL and both quicks took a wicket in their second overs of the innings as Trindall knocked over Sevil for a duck with the assistance of a Doolan catch before Kember bowled Dustyn Allen (3) to make the score 2-14 after four overs.

The duo eventually dismantled the entire Razorbacks batting lineup for a total of just 50 runs in 17.2 overs as RSL secured a dominant 251-run win, with Trindall ending the contest on 4-23 from his nine overs and Kember finishing with a five-wicket haul of 5-23 from 8.2 overs.

RSL claimed a rare clean sweep of the NDCA best and fairest points as Kember earned three, O’Connor was awarded two and the single point was given to Brayshaw.

Only captain Smith (15) reached a double-digit score for the Razorbacks as they slumped to their third loss of the season to remain at the bottom of the NDCA first grade one day ladder.

The Western Razorbacks finished the day on three points, three wins behind RSL (21), two wins behind Tourist Hotel (15) and a win behind Tatts (9).

They will go in search of their first victory of the campaign at Collins Park this Saturday when they take on Tatts in round four.

The other match will be played at Leitch Oval, where RSL will look to go two wins clear at the top of the ladder when they meet Tourist Hotel.