Tate rips through RSL’s top order to guide Wilga Hotel Razorbacks to a crucial win

A Jack Tate-led six-wicket victory has rocketed the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks two wins clear at the top of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s first grade one day competition ladder with four matches remaining in the regular season.

A return to the finals is now locked in for the side that finished fourth in the previous three seasons, and the minor premiership and the automatic grand final qualification are now also within their grasp.

The Razorbacks met the four-time defending champions RSL at Hogan Oval on Saturday afternoon and they cruised to a comfortable victory in the round five clash. RSL batted first after Jarrett Tough won the toss and they limped to 86 runs in 20.5 overs before the chasing side reached the required total in 32.4 overs.

The other first grade match in round five on Saturday was won by Tourist Hotel at Collins Park. They downed Tatts by 23 runs to join RSL on 20 points following two wins, two losses and a washed-out draw each. The Razorbacks are two wins ahead of the 2023/24 season grand finalists on 32 points following four wins and a washed-out draw, while the winless Tatts are last on eight points.

Tate got the Wilga Razorbacks off to a flying start at Hogan Oval as the first grade one day comp’s top wicket-taker took the ball for the opening over and bowled out RSL opener Jake Brayshaw for a duck. He then trapped Will Ford (1) in front during the third over before bowling both Zaac Brayshaw (4) and Cooper Brayshaw (0) in the fourth over to make the score 4-15.

The right arm quick claimed his second five-wicket haul in two games when he bowled Shane Murphy (4) in the eighth over as Jordan Doolan lost his fifth partner of the day, and Tate then knocked over the opener in the 10th over when he bowled Doolan (4) to make the score 6-32.

Tate went on to bowl eight straight overs and finished with 6-26 to move to 16 scalps for the campaign, leaving him six clear of his teammate Dylan Smith (10), who is second on the NDCA first grade wickets tally.

RSL found themselves struggling at 8-44 after Greg Melton bowled Tough (5) in the 12th over and wicketkeeper Jack Maunder held onto a catch in the Smith-bowled 12th over to remove Max Hunter (2).

That left Cody Kember at the crease with Nathan Trindall and the duo put on their side’s largest partnership of the day as they combined for 23 runs before Trindall (19) was bowled by Smith in the 18th over.

Beau Tomlinson joined Kember for the final partnership and scored two runs before he was caught by Matt Bradshaw in the Zack Doring-bowled 21st over as RSL fell for 86.

Kember ended up unbeaten on 22 runs as he ran out of partners with almost half an innings to spare.

Tate’s six-wicket haul did the bulk of the damage for the Razorbacks, while Smith (2-22 from six overs) claimed two scalps, and Melton (1-7 from four overs) and Doring (1-1 from 0.5 overs) combined for the other two.

RSL needed to get off to a fast start if they were any chance of scoring their third win of the season, and they did that as Cooper Brayshaw bowled Steve Phelps (4) during a wicket-maiden in the fifth over to make the score 1-13.

It then became 2-18 in the Will Ford-bowled eighth over as Jake Brayshaw took a catch to dismiss fellow opener Melton (7).

Those wickets left the Razorbacks’ skipper Bradshaw at the crease with Tate, and they put on 36 runs together in almost 15 overs before Bradshaw (22) was caught by Hunter off the bowling of RSL’s skipper Tough.

That made the score 3-54, which became 4-81 after Tate (13) was bowled by Tough in the 32nd over.

Josh Schwager was on 20 runs at that stage and he finished off the game in the 33rd over when he blasted two boundaries to help the Razorbacks secure a six-wicket win.

Schwager ended up unbeaten on a game-high 28 runs, while Tough (2-8 off five overs) was RSL’s best with the ball.

Tate was awarded three NDCA best and fairest points for his outstanding performance during the first innings, and Schwager and Kember earned the two and one points, respectively, for their efforts with the bat.

This Saturday’s round six matches will see RSL challenge Tatts at Collins Park as they look to bounce back from their second loss of the season, while the Razorbacks will go in search of a fifth consecutive victory when they meet Tourist Hotel at Hogan Oval.