NDCA second grade preliminary finalists establish momentum with final-round wins

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2025/26 campaign second grade one day competition preliminary finalists have ended the regular season in winning ways ahead of their knockout clash at Leitch Oval this Saturday.

Defending champs Sign Print Stitch Narrabri Colts and fellow 2024/25 season grand finalists RSL were both winners in round 12 on Saturday as the Colts prevailed by 15 runs against minor premiers Tatts at Hogan Oval while RSL snuck home to earn a one-wicket win against Tourist Hotel.

Those results saw RSL secure a second-place finish on the ladder with 54 points following six wins, four losses and two washed-out draws this season, a win ahead of the third-placed Colts, who totalled 48 points following five wins, as many losses and two washed-out draws.

Tatts’ third loss of the campaign saw the minor premiers end up with 63 points following eight wins and one washed-out draw, while fellow round 12 losers Tourist Hotel ended up last with 27 points following two wins, nine defeats and a washed-out draw.

The Colts and Tatts clash at Hogan Oval was a low-scoring contest. The Colts batted first after their skipper David McInnes won the toss and they only managed to register 53 runs in 20.3 overs, but they then managed to hold Tatts to 38 in 20.5 overs during the second innings to get the job done in gritty fashion.

McInnes opened the batting for the Colts in the first innings and was the only player from that team to reach double digits as he scored a match-best 16 runs. He struck two fours during his time out in the middle, and his only teammate to also hit a boundary was fellow opener Matt Wall (8), who also registered two fours.

All four Tatts bowlers used on the day claimed wickets as openers Chris Hartnett (3-4 from five overs) and Jarrod Gould (3-37 from eight overs) combined for six, and Bill Wood (2-2 from three overs) and Jake Cooper (1-10 from 2.3 overs) finished off the innings with the assistance of a Waldo Botha runout.

The second innings was similar to the first, with only one Tatts batsman reaching double figures. That was their opener Ed Currall who registered 12 runs and needed 50 deliveries to do so, while striking Tatts’ lone boundary in that match.

The rest of the Tatts top order were dismissed for ducks, and Wood (8) from number six was the only other batsman to get close to double digits.

Like Tatts, the Colts used four bowlers on the day and they all contributed with wickets.

Kyne Allen (3-7 from eight overs, including four maidens), Gus Ford (3-9 from 2.5 overs), and McInnes (3-4 from six overs, including four maidens) all claimed three each, and Michael Harris-Clayton (1-14 from four overs) took one.

The other second grade contest entertained from start to finish, with two father-and-son duos making an impact with the bat.

Tourist Hotel batted first and made 117 runs in 36.2 overs. It was their largest total since round seven, and it was inspired by openers Aaronn and Terry Baker, who combined for a 70-run partnership for the first wicket.

Aaronn scored 51 of those before the skipper was caught behind during the Beau Tomlinson-bowled 17th over, and Terry (21) then departed in the 21st.

Their only teammate to also hit double digits was Chris Smith (14) from number five.

Justin Saunders (4-15 from eight overs) was RSL’s best with the ball during that innings.

Three of RSL’s top four batsmen then reached double digits to get their chase started on the front foot as opener Zanoah Grace top-scored with 24 while Darcy Anderson (10) and Kyle McIlrick (17) made handy contributions.

Alan Whitmore (19) provided some much-needed reinforcement from number six after a few wickets had fallen, but RSL saw themselves staring down what would have been a fourth loss in five matches had they crumbled when they were 9-98 after 30 overs.

However, Rod and Beau Tomlinson linked up in the middle for the final partnership of the contest and they guided their side to victory with a match-winning 20-run partnership to secure a one-wicket triumph.

Beau (18) struck two runs to tie the score at the start of the 36th over before he hit the winning single three balls later, while Rod (5*) was also unbeaten at the end.