Tatts hit back with a convincing 65-run first grade victory against the Western Razorbacks

Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI bounced back from consecutive losses to score their second victory of the 2023/24 Narrabri District Cricket Association season on Saturday as they took down the Western Razorbacks by 65 runs at Collins Park.

Having lost against last season’s grand finalists RSL and Tourist Hotel following their round one win against the Razorbacks, Tatts were eager to find some form and stay in touch with the two sides ahead of them on the ladder.

They went about that in the right way during the first innings after their skipper Jakeb Nipperess won the toss as they put on their largest total of the season, scoring 171 runs before losing their 10th and final wicket in the 39th over.

They then knocked over the Western Razorbacks for 106 runs in 30 overs following a dominant six-over period that saw them come home strong and take 6-18 to earn the 65-run win.

It was a result that saw the side move to 16 competition points and remain just two wins behind the defending champions RSL (28), who won their fourth straight game of the campaign when they downed Tourist Hotel by seven runs at Leitch Oval.

The Tourist men also finished the round locked on 16 points alongside Tatts, with both of those sides now two wins ahead of the fourth-placed Razorbacks (4) following their winless start to the season.

The Wee Waa-based club managed to start off on the front foot at Collins Park as skipper Dylan Smith took the ball for the opening over of the game and produced a wicket-maiden.

He removed his opposing skipper, Nipperess, who was caught behind by Angus Galagher from just the second delivery of the contest.

Tatts’ second and third-wicket partnerships had been he side’s most dominant of the season heading into the round four clash, and they were once again on Saturday as gun trio Craig Gleeson, Rod Kirk and Tom Craig took the side into triple figures.

Gleeson and Kirk put on a 50-run second-wicket partnership that was only broken in the 12th over when Gleeson (20) was trapped in front by Josh Schwager.

That knock saw Gleeson become the first and only Tatts batsman to reach triple digits this season as the side’s leading scorer finished the day on 102 runs from four matches.

His dismissal saw Craig join Kirk at the crease, and the duo combined for a 62-run partnership that ended in the 25th over when Kirk (38) became Smith’s second victim after he was dismissed LBW.

That made the score 3-114, which became 5-128 following Smith’s next over after he removed Josh Campbell (6) and then claimed the big wicket of Craig for a game-best 42 runs.

The Razorbacks took the final five wickets at the expense of 43 runs as Zack Doring (3-20 off four overs) and Greg Melton (2-37 off 8.5 overs) cleaned up the rest of Tatts’ middle order and the tail, with Ed Curall (15) the only batsman from the bottom six to reach double digits.

Smith was the Razorbacks’ best with the ball as he finished with game-best figures of 4-26 from nine overs, and Schwager (1-40 off six overs) finished the innings with one wicket.

Kirk took the new ball for Tatts and was sensational from the get-go as he bowled 15 dot balls in his first three overs, which included a wicket as he knocked over Doring in the fifth over as the Razorbacks opener was caught by Campbell for a duck.

That made the score 1-12 and left Angus Galagher at the crease with Greg Melton. They combined for a 40-run partnership, however, departed in quick succession as Kirk got Galagher (15) in the 15th over with the assistance of a brilliant Darcy Gleeson catch at gully before trapping Melton (19) in front during the 17th over to make the score 3-56.

The chasing side lost three more crucial wickets during the following 11 overs, with Schwager (7) and Matt Bradshaw (11) being removed by Craig and then Smith (8) dismissed by Campbell to make the score 6-98 in the 27th.

Nipperess then got in on the action as he bowled Kyne Allen (2) in the 28th over as the Western Razorbacks found themselves struggling at 7-99.

Two more batsmen departed during the 29th over as Campbell claimed the wickets of Luis Salvado (2) and Ambrose Farquhar (0).

The last wicket then fell from the final delivery of the Craig Gleeson-bowled 30th over when Lucas Duff (2) was caught by Tom Craig as the match came to an end.

Campbell (3-18 from six overs) and Kirk (3-21 from nine overs) both claimed three wickets each for Tatts, while Craig (2-38 from nine) took two after bowling for the first time this season, and Nipperess and Gleeson combined for the other two after both finished with identical figures of 1-3 from one over.

Kirk was awarded the three NDCA best and fairest points, while Smith picked up two and one went to Craig.

Tatts will now go in search of back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2021/22 campaign this Saturday when they challenge RSL at Collins Park. A victory in that match would see them cut RSL’s lead at the top of the table to one win, but a loss would see them fall three wins behind.

The other round five clash will be played at Leitch Oval, where Western Razorbacks will be looking to bounce back from Saturday’s round four loss when they meet Tourist Hotel.