RSL secure second grade grand final return while Smith produces a captain’s knock for Tourist Hotel

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club secured their third straight second grade one day competition minor premiership and their sixth in seven seasons when they scored a three-wicket win against the SignPrintStitch Colts on Saturday.

The two sides met at Gately Field in a round eight clash, which was their first in the 40-over competition since December following the Christmas and New Year break, T20 matches and a round seven washout.

The Colts batted first after winning the toss and made 116 runs in 34.4 overs. RSL then chased that down in 28.4 overs, having lost seven wickets.

That win saw the defending champs remain two wins clear of the second-placed team Tourist Hotel with just one round left to play.

Tourist Hotel were also winners on Saturday as they took down Tatts by seven wickets at Hogan Oval, but they needed RSL to lose against the Colts to remain in the minor premiership hunt.

RSL securing the first-place finish has locked in their spot in the grand final on Saturday, March 15 at Hogan Oval, where they will go in search of a seventh straight premiership.

The SignPrintStitch Colts lost both openers cheaply in Saturday’s round eight clash as Matt Wall (7) and Brock Allen (1) combined for eight runs.

Skipper Mick Dowdell entered at number three and top-scored with 37 runs, but the remainder of the top five were only able to reach single-digit scores.

Middle order trio Brendan Jenkins (19), Gareth Lamond (13) and George Barton (13) provided some resistance in the middle order but the tail fell quickly as RSL bowled the Colts out for 116 in the 35th over.

All six RSL bowlers took at least one wicket on the day and they were all impressive economically. Opener Luke Baker (3-21 from eight overs) led the way, Alin Chhantyal (2-26 from eight overs) was next best, and skipper Justin Saunders (1-28 from eight overs), Darcy Anderson (1-21 from six overs), Kyle McIlrick (1-12 from three overs) and Lucas Duff (1-6 from 1.4 overs) all chipped in with a wicket each.

Zanoah Grace was electric in the field with three catches and Chhantyal also contributed with a runout.

A 116-run total was always going to be difficult for the Colts to defend against the ladder leaders, who are undefeated in the one day comp and were determined to put a crushing T20 grand final loss earlier this month behind them.

Grace and Duff opened the batting for the chasing side and they both scored 15 before Beau Tomlinson (37) top-scored and anchored the innings as he spent 20 overs at the crease.

The Colts knocked over Gabe O’Connor (0), McIlrick (2) and Josh Buckthought (0) cheaply, and the score was 7-98 after Anderson (15) and Tomlinson had departed.

Chhantyal and Jason Trindall then brought the game home for RSL and both finished unbeaten on 12 runs.

Lamond starred with 5-25 from eight overs for the Colts in their three-wicket loss and he was awarded two NDCA best and fairest points.

The three went to Tomlinson for his batting efforts, and his teammate Chhantyal picked up one following an impressive all-round performance.

The chasing side was also victorious in the other second grade round eight clash, but Tourist did it in far more convincing fashion at Hogan Oval. They held Tatts to 91 runs in 40 overs and then made 3-97 in 15 overs to secure a seven-wicket win.

Tatts’ openers Jesse Packer (18) and Ryan Steel (15) both made starts early in the innings, but their only teammate to reach double digits was Jake Cooper, who top-scored with 29 and ended the innings unbeaten.

Jamarl Zarka was outstanding for Tourist as he took 4-13 from eight overs, and co-captain Chris Smith was also a standout as he took 3-12 from eight overs.

Their teammates Andrew Harvey (1-17 from eight overs) and Allan Whitmore (1-13 from five overs) also chipped in with a wicket each.

Smith (49) and Whitmore (32*) then put on a match-winning 80-run second-wicket partnership for Tourist in the second innings after Aaronn Baker was knocked over for a golden duck by Rhett Myers from the first delivery of the innings.

Smith was bowled by Jarrod Gould a run short of a half-century in the 12th over and Gould also bowled Harvey (4) in the 14th over, but that was Tatts’ last wicket as Whitmore and Scott Smith (2*) guided Tourist to a seven-wicket win in the 15th over.

Chris Smith was awarded the three NDCA best and fairest points for his standout performance across both innings, and Zarka and Cooper picked up two and one, respectively, for their efforts in the first innings.

The round eight results may have brought the minor premiership race to an end and also saw Tourist Hotel locked into the second spot, but the battle for third place is well and truly still alive.

The Colts and Tatts have both won once and lost five times across the first eight rounds two go with two washed-out draws. However, the Colts are a point ahead of Tatts as Tatts forfeited in round three and consequently missed out on a point that day.

To finish third and qualify for the preliminary final, Tatts must beat RSL at Gately Field this Saturday in the ninth and final round and they also need the Colts to tie or lose their match against Tourist Hotel at Hogan Oval.