Tatts take down RSL in first grade clash at Collins Park

Tatts Cricket Club will have a chance to compete for second place on the Narrabri District Cricket Association 2023/24 season first grade one day competition ladder this weekend after knocking off minor premiers RSL by 64 runs at Collins Park in round 11 on Saturday.

Tatts went into the day well aware that they needed to win to stay level with Tourist Hotel after the Tourist men received a forfeit from the Western Razorbacks that saw them move to 50 points. Tatts joined them after getting the job done comfortably against the defending champions.

Tatts batted first after captain Jakeb Nipperess was successful at the toss and they made 122 in 44 overs before ripping through RSL’s batting lineup in just 19.5 overs, having conceded just 58 runs. Both sides only had 10 batsmen at their disposal, which meant that both innings were over after nine wickets had fallen.

Tatts and Tourist Hotel are now both two wins behind the minor premiers RSL, who finished the weekend on 62 points, and they are both 39 points clear of the Razorbacks who remained on 11 points following their forfeit on Saturday.

It was Nipperess and Craig Gleeson who opened the batting together at Collins Park on Saturday and they combined for a promising 26-run partnership that came to an end when Gleeson (8) was caught by Mitchell Shields in the Jarrett Tough-bowled 10th over as the RSL skipper made the breakthrough for his side.

Cody Kember then replaced Nathan Trindall at the other end for the next over and it took him 12 deliveries to make his mark as he struck with the wicket of Nipperess (17), who was caught by Trindall in the 13th over as the score became 2-35.

Those two wickets left Tatts’ top run-scorer Tom Craig at the crease with Hugh Lennon, and the duo put on their side’s biggest partnership of the day as they combined for 36 runs. They were looking good at the crease before both fell in quick succession as Lennon (10) was trapped in front by Jake Thurston during a 22nd-over wicket-maiden and Craig was caught by Alistair Wheeler during the Will Ford-bowled 23rd over for a team-high score of 20 runs.

Craig’s departure made the score 4-73 but another positive partnership took Tatts into triple digits as Karl Hatfield and Bill Wood put on 27 runs together. They took Tatts into the 30-over drinks break at 4-94 and the score was 4-100 during the 33rd over until Wood (10) became Ford’s second victim when he was caught behind by Hadley Sevil.

Tough then took a catch from his own bowling during the next over to remove Hatfield (16) and make the score 6-100 before the Tatts tail-enders combined for 22 runs as their side finished on 112 runs after 44 overs.

Waldo Botha (2*) finished unbeaten and Saad Badahur (6), Tom Cameron (6) and Jonty Schwager (3) all chipped in to help their team establish what was a truly defendable total.

Five of the six RSL bowlers took at least one wicket on the day, with Ford (2-14 from eight overs) the pick of the bunch. Tough (2-22 from nine overs) and Kember (2-27 from nine overs) also claimed two scalps each, while Shields (1-5 from one over) and Thurston (1-34 from nine overs) took one each and Thurston also chipped in with a run out to bring the innings to a close.

RSL were hoping to get off to a good start as they also lined up with 10 batsmen for the run chase and Ford ensured they did as their top scorer this season struck 12 runs during the Wood-bowled second over as RSL moved to 0-14 after 12 deliveries.

However, Wood’s opening bowling partner Cameron turned the innings on his head when he dismissed Alistair Wheeler (2) with the first ball of the third over and his replacement Shane Murphy for a golden duck from the second. Tough arrived at the crease and survived the hat-trick ball, and Cameron went on to become the fourth player this season to claim a double-wicket-maiden as the scorebook read 2-14 after three overs.

After Wood’s first over went for 12 runs, his next two only conceded three combined as he produced 10 dot balls, and his fourth was even better as he knocked over Ford (15) during a wicket-maiden to make the score 3-21. Gleeson took his second catch of the day to help secure that wicket, and his skipper Nipperess then took a catch during the ninth over to help Cameron take his third scalp and send Tough (3) on his way.

Those wickets left Kember and Shields together at the crease and the duo combined for RSL’s best partnership of the day. However, it only contributed 17 runs before Kember (12) was caught by Schwager from the bowling of Wood in the 12th over.

Tatts then secured a third double blow of the innings when Schwager trapped Thurston in front for a duck during the next over as the score became 6-40.

A Schwager maiden in the 15th over saw RSL limp into the drinks break at 6-43 and the carnage continued soon after play restarted when Wood bowled Trindall (6) and Schwager bowled Sevil (1) as the score became 8-48.

Shields had lost five partners when Jake Brayshaw entered at number 10, and Brayshaw got off the mark in style as he smashed a four from the final delivery of Wood’s ninth and final over. But Wood had the final say as he claimed the match-winning catch during the Botha-bowled 20th over to dismiss Shields (9) as RSL fell 65 runs short of victory and suffered their second loss of the season.

Cameron (3-10 from six overs) and Wood (3-40 from nine overs) both finished the match with three wickets each and both polled NDCA best and fairest points for the first time this season as Cameron earned three and Wood picked up one. Their teammates Schwager (2-6 from four overs) and Botha (1-1 from 0.5 overs) combined for the other three wickets, and Ford, who was RSL’s best with both bat and ball on the day, earned the other two NDCA points.