DON’T COUNT US OUT YET: Kirk heroics keep Tatts’ finals hopes alive

A Rod Kirk-inspired victory saw Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI keep their finals hopes alive as they avoided the wooden spoon for at least another week.

Tatts entered their round eight clash against Tourist Hotel at Collins Park in last place, 12 points (two wins) behind their third-placed opponents with just two rounds remaining in Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2024/25 season one day campaign.

The Tatts men batted first after their skipper Jakeb Nipperess won the toss and they made 8-161 as they batted out the 40 overs for the third one day match in a row.

That total was their largest of the competition and they converted it into their first win when they bowled Tourist Hotel out for 153 with just 10 deliveries to spare.

The eight-run win saw Tatts narrow the gap between themselves and Tourist Hotel to six points (one win) heading into the ninth and final round.

Nipperess’ team need two results to go their way this Saturday. Firstly, they need to defeat RSL when the two sides meet at Leitch Oval, and secondly, they need the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks to beat Tourist Hotel at Collins Park.

Tatts would finish level on 27 points with Tourist if those results occur, and the team that places third and meets defending champions RSL in the March 8 preliminary final would be determined by an algorithm that takes into account runs scored and conceded and wickets taken and lost.

It was Kirk who led the charge for Tatts in their victory at Leitch Oval on Saturday as the club legend scored his second half-century in as many one day matches. He opened the batting in the first innings and made 52 runs, bringing up the half-century in the 33rd over when he smashed Tourist skipper Luke Meppem for six.

Kirk then stood out with the ball as well in the second innings as he took a team-best 3-22, two of which were big wickets as he dismissed Tourist Hotel opener Nick Tomlinson and first drop Josh Trindall.

That outstanding effort saw the Tatts veteran awarded the three best and fairest points, which takes him to seven overall and leaves him in the hunt to win the NDCA’s best and fairest award for season 2024/25.

He is also the favourite to win the Tatts Cricket Club first grade best and fairest award, which was named after him following his 30th season for the club in the 2021/22 campaign.

Kirk lost two partners early on in the round eight match on Saturday as Ed Pavey dismissed Ed Currall (4) in the fourth over and Danny Laws ran out Nipperess (1) in the sixth over.

Saad Kahn then arrived at the crease and smashed three fours on his way to 20 runs before he was bowled by Laws in the 16th over.

Kahn’s 42-run partnership with Kirk was then bettered as the in-form opener combined for a 53-run stand with Craig Gleeson (24), which made the score 4-108 when Gleeson was trapped in front by Trindall in the 27th over.

Kirk was finally dismissed for 52 in the 33rd over just one delivery after he reached that score with a six. He was caught by Jason Paull off the bowling of Meppem.

Bill Wood anchored the remainder of the innings as he ended with an unbeaten 20 runs, and Tourist Hotel managed three more wickets as they failed to bowl a team out for a third straight 40-over match.

Pavey (2-19 from seven overs) was their best with the ball and Tomlinson (2-15 from three overs) enjoyed a late cameo after being thrown the ball for the first time this season.

Tomlinson then opened the batting with Paull in the second innings and they put on 28 runs before Paull (4) was caught by Kahn in the Nipperess-bowled eighth over.

Tomlinson eventually reached a team-high score of 39 runs before he was bowled by Kirk in the 16th over as the score became 2-65, but that began a collapse as Tourist lost 5-31 to find themselves on 6-96 in the 28th over.

Middle order duo Kaleb Mowle (18) and Pavey (33*) combined for a 30-run partnership to get the innings back on track and they were the only Tourist batsmen alongside Tomlinson to reach double figures.

Pavey looked set to guide his team to a victory that would have secured their spot in the finals, however, he ran out of partners in the 39th over as Wood bowled Jye Manton (4) and Tourist finished all out on 153 runs.

Kirk (3-22 from eight overs) was Tatts’ best with the ball, Nipperess (2-30 from eight overs) and Currall (2-10 from two overs) both claimed two scalps each, and Wood (1-13 from 2.2 overs), Gregg Gray (1-18 from two overs) and Brodie Heron (1-36 from eight overs) combined for the other three wickets.

Two NDCA best and fairest points were awarded to Pavey and Wood picked up the other.

Tourist Hotel’s match against the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks at Collins Park this weekend will be their last chance to find some form heading into the finals series, if they do indeed qualify. That match will be played from 1pm, not 3.30pm as a day-nighter as many of the Razorbacks’ games this season have been.

Tatts and RSL will also get underway from 1pm at Leitch Oval.