Tourist Hotel to go down swinging as Matt Conroy inspires a big victory against RSL

Tourist Hotel Cricket Club may have left their run too late for a spot in Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2025/26 season first grade one day competition finals series, but a dominant victory against RSL on Saturday afternoon showed just how determined they are to end their campaign on a high.

The Tourist men challenged the defending champions at Collins Park in the round 12 game and prevailed by 46 runs after Matt Conroy starred in both innings, top-scoring in the first with 63 runs from 69 deliveries to guide his side to 139 in 35.5 overs before taking a match-best 4-18 from seven overs in the second to help limit RSL to 93 runs in 31 overs.

That result saw Tourist Hotel remain in the fight to avoid the wooden spoon as they dragged themselves within two wins of RSL and eight points of Boggabri Colts, however, they need to win their final two matches to climb above fifth and they would need other results to go their way as well.

RSL’s loss was their third on the trot since the competition resumed following the T20 fixtures, and they are now in danger of slipping out of the top three this weekend as they sit out with a bye with the Boggabri men just four points behind them.

The defending champions were stunned after losing a match that they had put themselves in the box seat to win by the first drinks break when they had Tourist Hotel on the ropes at 5-53.

However, poor fielding and some impressive striking from Conroy turned the innings on its head before the RSL men struggled with the bat for a third week in a row.

They struck early in the first innings as Andrew Harvey bowled Nick Tomlinson (8) in the fifth over, and their skipper Jarrett Tough then made it a double blow in the sixth when he bowled Tomlinson’s replacement Lucas Hogan for a duck.

That made the score 2-12, which then became 3-17 in the ninth over when Harvey struck again as he bowled Kaleb Mowle (4) to secure the wickets of both openers.

That wicket brought Conroy to the crease to partner Hamish Duncan, and with two of the side’s three top run-scorers at the crease, Tourist Hotel were looking to get back in the contest. They produced a 27-run partnership before Duncan (15) was bowled by Nathan Trindall in the 17th over, and the RSL quick delivered again in the 19th when he bowled Dan Treseder (4) to make the score 5-50.

Dylan Segundo (16) and Connor Duncan (6) made handy contributions in solid partnerships with Conroy to guide their side past 100, which they brought up in the 27th over when Conroy blasted back-to-back sixes off the bowling of Tough, and he then went on to bring up his own milestone in the 31st over when he celebrated his first half-century of the season.

Alin Chhantyal finally made the breakthrough in the 36th over when he dismissed Conroy with the assistance of a Trindall catch, and he then wrapped up the innings three balls later when he bowled Danny Laws (0) as Tourist Hotel finished all out on 139.

Trindall (3-16 from eight overs) and Tough (3-38 from eight overs) were RSL’s best with the ball in that innings, but they were both outdone by Conroy in the second as the man-of-the-match starred with four wickets.

Hamish Duncan (2-15 from eight overs) and Danny Laws (3-32 from eight overs) got the ball rolling for Tourist Hotel as RSL found themselves struggling at 5-59 after 19 overs, with Tough (30) the only top-five batsman to reach double digits.

Conroy replaced Duncan in the 18th over and struck nine deliveries into his spell when he bowled Hadley Sevil (1) just before drinks to make the score 6-59.

Lucas Duff (10) and Nathan Trindall (12) both made starts but were knocked over by Conroy after he had also dismissed Chhantyal (4), with the wicket of Trindall making the score 9-92 after 30 overs.

Johnny Lawlor then brought the match to an end in the 31st over when Tomlinson took the match-winning catch to dismiss Harvey (0) as RSL fell 47 runs short of the required total.

Tourist Hotel will now go in search of their third win of the one day season this Saturday when they meet Boggabri Colts at Hogan Oval, while the other round 13 match will see Wilga Hotel Razorbacks challenge Tatts at Collins Park.

RSL will sit out with the bye and will be looking to regain some form when they take on Tatts at Hogan Oval in round 14 on February 28.