RSL on a roll in the second grade competition following a dominant win against Tourist Hotel

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club’s second XI became the first team to score back-to-back wins in the 2023/24 Narrabri District Cricket Association one day second grade season after outscoring Tourist Hotel by 93 runs at Hogan Oval on Saturday.

The defending champions batted first after skipper Justin Saunders won the toss ahead of the round four clash, and they piled on a season-best total of 9-243 as they became the first team to bat out the 40 overs during the four week old campaign.

RSL then managed to knock over Tourist Hotel for 150 runs in 31.5 overs to score a comfortable victory that saw them move a win clear of Tourist Hotel and remain level with Tatts.

The three sides in the competition all entered the weekend locked on 15 points each following a win, a loss and a bye across the opening three rounds.

Tatts had the bye in round four, so were guaranteed to move to 22 points, and they were joined by the RSL side as Tourist fell six behind on 16 points.

The first session on Saturday was a positive one for RSL as they went into the 20-over drinks break on 2-105.

Karan Veer Dhiman opened the batting with Max Hunter and blasted six fours and a six on his way to 41 runs in a 57-run partnership before he was run out in the 12th over. Hunter (17) was then caught by Aaronn Baker during the next over from the bowling of Scott Smith as the score became 2-68.

That left Mick Dowdell and Matt Tubner together in the middle, and they put on a 37-run partnership to take RSL into the break on the front foot.

That partnership was broken the first ball after the drinks break when Tourist Hotel skipper and opening bowler Kaleb Mowle came back for a second spell and bowled Dowdell (31), who had entertained during his time at the crease with six boundaries.

Tubner (12) was then caught by Smith in the Jamarl Zarka-bowled 24th over as the score became 4-118, but Neil Brayshaw and Luke Baker knuckled down and guided their side towards 200.

Their partnership reached 66 runs before Baker was caught by Isaiah Cochrane during the Andrew Wallace-bowled 33rd over as the score became 5-184, but Brayshaw soldiered on and became the first RSL second grade player to score a half-century during the 2023/24 season.

He was eventually dismissed for a match-best 58 runs in the 36th over when he was caught by Wallace from the bowling of Aaronn Baker to bring to an end a classy innings that included 11 fours as 44 of his runs came from the ball crossing the boundary.

That wicket made the score 6-211, then Geoff Hunter (28) continued to fire for RSL as he smashed six fours to guide the side to 9-243.

Aaronn Baker (4-55 from seven overs) finished the innings as Tourist’s best with the ball, while Mowle (1-12 from eight overs) produced a sensational effort that included three maidens.

Zarka (1-31 from five overs), Smith (1-38 from five overs) and Wallace (1-63 from eight overs) all claimed a wicket each.

Aaronn Baker and Matt Wall opened the batting for the chasing side and combined for a 35-run partnership before Baker (13) was bowled by Saunders in the sixth over and Wall (21) was bowled by Luke Baker during a wicket-maiden in the seventh.

Luke Baker then struck again in the ninth over when the RSL man bowled Kallum Mallows (0) to make the score 3-41.

Tourist Hotel reached 58 runs before losing quick back-to-back wickets as Cochrane (1) was bowled by Veer Dhiman and Smith (12) was caught by Geoff Hunter from the bowling of Luke Baker.

That made the score 5-58, which then became 7-64 after 15 overs when Luke Baker knocked over Jason Smith (1) and Alan Whitmore (0) during the eighth and final over of a superb spell, during which he took 5-28.

Whitmore was the sixth partner that John Lawlor had lost, but he finally found someone to stick around with him as Wallace came to the crease and the duo put on a 67-run partnership to take their team into triple figures and beyond.

However, any hope of a miraculous comeback came crashing down in the Tubner-bowled 28th over as Lawlor (41) was caught by Geoff Hunter.

Wallace then reached 40 runs before departing in the 31st over when he was bowled by Saunders, and then Jakson Dowdell brought the game to an end with the fifth ball of the 32nd over when he bowled Josh Dowton for a duck as Tourist Hotel fell 94 runs short of the required total.

Luke Baker was RSL’s best with the ball with his match-best five-wicket haul, while Saunders (2-29 from six overs) claimed two wickets, and Veer Dhiman (1-13 from five overs), Matt Tubner (1-21 from three overs) and Jakson Dowdell (1-1 from 0.5 overs) all claimed one each.

Brayshaw was awarded the three NDCA best and fairest points for his brilliant knock with the bat, his teammate Baker earned two for his efforts with both bat and ball, and Tourist Hotel’s Wallace picked up one for a classy all-round performance.

Tourist Hotel will sit out with the bye this Saturday in round five, while RSL looks to earn their third straight win when they challenge Tatts at Hogan Oval.

The NDCA second grade T20 comp will get underway at Hogan Oval this Friday night when RSL meet Tourist Hotel under lights.