NDCA’s preliminary final matches abandoned on Saturday as rain wreaks havoc

Tatts Cricket Club’s season was ended in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday afternoon when the Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2023/24 season preliminary finals were washed out and the higher-ranked Tourist Hotel Cricket Club advanced to the first and second grade grand finals by default.

The Tatts teams were on the verge of winning both matches as their first XI had Tourist on the ropes at Collins Park and their second XI were also in total control at Leitch Oval.

In first grade, the Tatts men had rolled Tourist Hotel for 81 runs in 30.3 overs and were cruising at 4-72 in the 15th over, and in second grade, Tatts had knocked over Tourist Hotel for 84 runs in 30 overs and were flying at 2-69 in the ninth over.

But when the rain hit, both pitches were deemed unsafe to play on and the matches were abandoned. They were already rain affected following a storm in town on Friday evening and the matches’ start times were both delayed to give the NDCA’s grounds committee time to get them ready.

The first grade teams put the covers on at Collins Park as the rain began to fall on Saturday but that was not enough, and there was simply no hope at Leitch Oval where there were no covers to protect the pitch.

And although Tatts almost certainly would have won both matches, there is no DLS system or any other way to determine a winner of an abandoned game in the NDCA competition. Teams split the points during the regular season when the situation arises and it is the higher-ranked side which progresses in the finals series.

Just last year the 2022/23 campaign grand finals were abandoned and RSL were declared the major premiers due to the fact that they were the top-ranked team in both grades.

So while Tatts understandably feel as though they deserve a spot in this season’s deciders, the importance of the regular season and finishing as high as possible on the ladders has been highlighted once again.

Tourist Hotel will now meet minor premiers RSL in the grand finals of both grades on Saturday, March 16.

The rain that the fields received on Friday and Saturday also affected the Narrabri District Women’s Cricket Association’s 2023/24 season. Their decider between Wilga Hotel and Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri was scheduled to be contested on Saturday night at Hogan Oval, but it was called off and the minor premiers Wahgunyah were named champions as the match will not be rescheduled per the competition rules.