Colts crush RSL to join Tatts in NDCA’s second grade decider

Sign Print Stitch Narrabri Colts will get a chance to defend their title this Saturday when they meet Tatts Cricket Club in the grand final of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s second grade one day competition at Leitch Oval.

The defending champions and reigning T20 premiers finished third on this season’s points table and then knocked over second-placed side RSL with ease in Saturday’s preliminary final at Leitch Oval.

The Colts rolled RSL for 46 runs in 21 overs before chasing down the required total in 21.4 overs, having only lost one wicket of their own in the process, to qualify for their second one day decider in just their second season since the club formed in 2024.

The Colts were in control from start to finish in the knockout clash as Kyne Allen opened the bowling and claimed the first wicket of the game with the third delivery to knock over RSL skipper Beau Tomlinson for a duck with the assistance of a Mick Dowdell catch.

Allen then struck again in the third over as Gus Ford caught Kyle McIlrick (1), and his opening bowling partner Michael Harris-Clayton made it 3-6 in the fourth over when he bowled RSL’s top run-scorer Allan Whitmore for a duck.

Allen then produced a maiden in the fifth over before taking his third wicket of the day in the seventh when Blair Lennox held onto a catch to dismiss Mitchell Shields (3).

Brady Jenkins and Dowdell then replaced the openers from the 10th over and they kept the wickets tumbling. Jenkins produced a maiden first-up and then dismissed Rod Tomlinson (2) in the 12th over with the assistance of Ford’s second catch of the day, and Dowdell took the big wicket of Gabe O’Connor (8) caught and bowled in the 15th over to make the score 6-31.

Jenkins (two wickets) and Dowdell (a wicket and a runout) then combined for the final four scalps to help their side limit RSL to 47 runs in 21 overs, with Darcy Anderson (9*) finishing unbeaten with his side’s top score.

Allen (3-6 from five overs) was the Sign Print Stitch Colts’ best with the ball, while Jenkins (3-15 from six overs), Dowdell (2-10 from six overs) and Harris-Clayton (1-12 from four overs) also finished with impressive figures.

Beau Tomlinson took the new ball for RSL and the skipper delivered almost immediately as Anderson held onto a catch to dismiss Brady Jenkins for a duck and make the score 1-1 after three deliveries.

However, that was the only wicket RSL would manage to take as Brendan Jenkins (29* from 67 deliveries) and Jakson Dowdell (7* from 63 deliveries) batted patiently to put on a 46-run match-winning partnership as they guided their side to a nine-wicket victory.

Saturday’s decider will be Tatts’ first since the 2022/23 campaign when they met RSL at Hogan Oval. They batted first that day and were on 7-107 after 24 overs before rain arrived and washed the game out, with RSL winning the premiership after finishing on top of the table.

The last time Tatts won a second grade 40-over premiership was back in 2018 when they downed Tourist Hotel by 89 runs in the 2017/18 decider, which was also the last time RSL did not feature in the big dance. RSL won the next six in a row before the Colts ended that streak last year.

The Colts and Tatts have faced off four times in the 40-over competition this season, with Tatts winning by 42 runs in the third round, three wickets in round six and 168 runs in round nine before the Colts won by 15 runs in round 12.