RSL and Tatts win the NDCA second grade one day competition openers

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2024/25 season second grade one day competition began on Saturday and it was RSL and Tatts who both started strongest as they scored huge round one victories.

The six-time defending champions RSL met Tourist Hotel at Cooma Oval in a grand final rematch and beat them by 139 runs, while Tatts downed newcomers SignPrintStitch Colts by 100 runs at Leitch Oval.

RSL’s premiership defence got off to the perfect start with a victory that was inspired by two significant batting partnerships combined with brilliant bowling.

The side batted first after skipper Justin Saunders won the toss and the two openers Beau Tomlinson and Kyle McIlrick put on 76 runs together before McIlrick (30) was caught in the Alan Whitmore-bowled 15th over.

Lucas Duff (7) and Tomlinson (36) departed in quick succession in the 22nd and 23rd overs, but the RSL innings was still in good hands as Gabe O’Connor and Zanoah Grace combined for a 63-run partnership.

Grace was dismissed during the 31st over for a team-high score of 39 runs following an innings that included five fours and two sixes as the score became 4-157.

O’Connor (35) was then bowled by Whitmore in the 35th over as RSL’s total became 5-179, and Tourist Hotel managed to claim two more wickets before the end of the innings as RSL finished up on 7-195 after 40 overs.

Whitmore (3-45 from eight overs) was his side’s best with the ball.

Saunders led the charge for RSL in the second innings as he took 3-6 in his first three overs to put Tourist on the ropes at 4-26 after five overs when his wickets were combined with a second-over run out.

Tourist Hotel opener Aaronn Baker (19) and co-captain Chris Smith (13) were their side’s only two batsmen to hit double figures and they combined for a 21-run fifth-wicket partnership to take the chasing side to 4-47 after eight overs.

The innings fell apart from there though as RSL bowlers Luke Baker, Lucas Duff and Josh Buckthought inspired a Tourist Hotel collapse as the only unbeaten second grade T20 team lost 6-9 to fall 140 runs short of the required total.

Opening bowlers Baker (3-18 from six overs) and Saunders (3-23 from four overs) combined for six wickets and claimed a wicket-maiden each, and teammates Duff (2-7 from two overs) and Buckthought (1-1 from 0.2 overs) were the only other bowlers used.

RSL made a clean sweep of the NDCA best and fairest points in that match as Tomlinson earned three, Duff picked up two and Grace was awarded one.

At Leitch Oval, Tatts batted first after being sent in by the SignPrintStitch Colts and they batted out the entire 40 overs to finish with 6-152.

Openers Chris Hartnett (12) and Robert Packer (13) got the ball rolling before Denis Harvey (22) and skipper Jesse Packer (23) did more damage.

Tatts were on 5-92 after they lost Campbell Hancock in the 27th over, but Michael Hewett (42) and Ben Redfern (23) combined for a 57-run partnership to steer their side to a defendable total.

Hewett departed for a game-best score in the final over and Lee Islen (3*) took Tatts to 6-152.

Gus Ford (2-26 from six overs) was the Colts’ only multiple wicket-taker, while Michael Harris-Clayton (1-9 from five overs), George Barton (1-6 from two overs), Steve Ford (1-28 from eight overs) and Blair Lennox (1-31 from five overs) took one each.

In reply, the SignPrintStitch Colts could only manage 52 runs as they lost by 100.

Tatts opening bowler Chris Hartnett set the tone in the first over when he bowled Brendan Jenkins for a duck and then went on to finish with 2-6 after five overs. His spell included three maidens and a total of 23 dot balls.

Fellow opening bowler Jake Cooper took 4-24 from his eight overs, Islen claimed 2-6 from two overs, Bentley Myers took 1-10 in four overs and the final wicket of the match saw Rhett Myers run out Harris-Clayton.

Fletcher Whan (10*) was unbeaten at the conclusion of the innings and was the only Colts batsman to reach double figures. He was awarded two NDCA best and fairest points while Cooper was the recipient of the three and Hewett polled one.

This Saturday’s round two matches will see Tatts challenge Tourist Hotel at Leitch Oval and RSL meet the Colts at Cooma Oval.