RSL retain the NDCA first grade premiership and solidify their legacy in the history books

The Narrabri RSL Cricket Club first XI are Narrabri District Cricket Association champions again following a dominant victory over the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks at Collins Park on Saturday.

Two streaks were on the line in the one day competition decider as RSL were playing to win a fifth consecutive premiership while the Razorbacks were playing to remain undefeated in the 2024/25 campaign 40-over competition.

History was also on the line for RSL and they rose to the occasion as Jarrett Tough’s men matched the record of five straight first grade premierships set by Tatts Cricket Club sides that were captained by Tim Rodgers, Rod Kirk and Tony Meppem in the early 2000s.

Wilga Hotel batted first on Saturday after their captain Matt Bradshaw won the toss, and they made 82 runs before losing their final wicket with nine balls to spare in the innings. RSL then lost four wickets early on in their chase but were guided to the six-wicket victory by opener Nathan Trindall (45*) and middle-order batsman Cooper Brayshaw (22*).

Those two RSL men had been there for the past four premiership-winning seasons and they combined for a 52-run partnership to ensure their side would extend the streak to five.

The duo had combined for three wickets in the first innings after their teammate Will Ford made the early breakthrough.

The left-arm bowler opened from the bridge end and he claimed the prize wicket for RSL as he knocked overt the competition’s leading run-scorer Greg Melton (4), who was caught behind by Zaac Brayshaw in the third over.

The Razorbacks’ most successful partnership of the contest was the fourth as Angus Galagher and Jack Tate took their side from 3-28 in the 15th over to 3-48 in the 21st, but the promising combination ended when RSL’s skipper Jarrett Tough bowled Tate (11) from the final delivery of that over.

Galagher was eventually dismissed for a team-best score of 19 when he was caught by Cody Kember in the Cooper Brayshaw-bowled 25th over, and those two RSL men claimed two more key scalps as Kember took the wicket of Dylan Smith (3) in the 26th over before Brayshaw removed Bradshaw (4) in the 29th.

The Razorbacks’ tail failed to wag as Galagher and Tate ended the innings as the only two Wilga Hotel batsmen to reach double-digit scores.

RSL’s bowling was impressive from start to finish in the decider, with five of the 10 wickets falling to catches taken behind the stumps as gloveman Zaac Brayshaw took three catches and Bailey Keeler took two at first slip.

Tough (3-14 from seven overs) was RSL’s best with the ball, Cooper Brayshaw (2-8 from eight overs), Ford (2-11 from 6.3 overs) and Kember (2-18 from eight overs) all claimed two scalps each and were brilliant economically, and Trindall (1-13 from five overs) also finished with impressive figures.

The Razorbacks knew they needed to start fast in the second innings if they were any chance of winning, and they managed to achieve that as the competition’s leading wicket-taker Tate bowled Tough for a six-ball duck to complete a wicket-maiden in the first over.

Melton then cleaned up the rest of the RSL top order as he knocked over Max Hunter (1) in the fourth over with the assistance of a super diving catch from Tate before bowling Jake Brayshaw (3) and Shane Murphy (1) in the sixth and eighth overs.

Murphy’s departure made the score 4-32 and brought Cooper Brayshaw to the crease to partner Trindall, who was on 18 runs at that stage.

They needed just 11 overs to get the job done as they guided their side to 4-84 in 18.3 overs to secure a six-wicket win, a fifth straight one day premiership, and their second premiership of the season after they won the T20 final in February.

RSL skipper Jarrett Tough became one of the most successful NDCA club captains of all time following Saturday’s premiership victory, and he told The Courier that he was proud of his teammates and his club.