A six-year wait will come to an end this Saturday after Tatts Cricket Club won their way through to the Narrabri District Cricket Association’s first grade one day competition grand final with a three-wicket victory against RSL at Collins Park.
Tatts have not played in a 40-over decider since they won the 2019/20 season premiership with a 26-run victory over the Western Razorbacks at Collins Park, and they will be determined to see history repeat itself this Saturday when they challenge the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks at the same venue.
The Tatts men finished ranked second on the ladder this season and challenged third-placed RSL in the preliminary final on Saturday.
RSL batted first after their skipper Jarrett Tough won the toss, and the five-time defending champs scored 120 runs in 38.4 overs. They then attempted to defend 121 runs as they looked to get back to the big dance to continue their impressive streak, but it was Tatts that got the job done as the chasing side reached the required total with one delivery to spare in the 29th over.
Jonty Schwager got Tatts on the front foot early in the first innings as the opening bowler picked up the wicket of Tough (8) with the assistance of an Ed Currall catch in the third over before he produced a maiden in the fifth, five dot balls in the seventh and a wicket-maiden in the ninth as he bowled Max Hunter (1) to make the score 2-19.
RSL’s third-wicket partnership was their largest of the day as their top run-scorer Jake Brayshaw combined for 35 runs with Tim Shields to take their side past 50. However, Tatts were able to deal RSL another double blow when Rod Kirk took a catch in the slips to send Shields (10) on his way during the Tom Craig-bowled 20th over to make the score 3-54, which then became 4-60 in the 21st when he bowled Shane Murphy (4).
Brayshaw and Jordan Doolan then put on 24 runs together for the fifth wicket before Kirk struck again, and this time it was finally the big wicket of Brayshaw (36), who was caught by Jacob Nichols in the 27th over.
RSL brought up their 100th run in the 32nd over and then got to 101 before a Josh Campbell wicket started a batting collapse that saw the defending champions lose 5-19.
The Tatts skipper bowled Nathan Trindall (6) before opening bowler Brodie Heron returned for his second spell, and in 3.4 overs cleaned up the RSL tail with the final four wickets of the innings as RSL slumped to 120 runs.
Heron (4-8 from 6.4 overs) and Schwager (2-16 from eight overs) were their side’s best with the ball, with the opening duo combining for six wickets and five maidens.
The RSL men knew that they needed an early wicket if they were any chance of winning the preliminary final, and opening bowler Andrew Harvey delivered with a major scalp in the fourth over as he dismissed Tom Craig (8) with the assistance of a Murphy catch.
Jacob Nichols (32) and Craig Gleeson (30) then fired up for Tatts as they combined for a 37-run partnership, which was the largest of the match, to take the chasing side towards the required total.
Harvey knocked over Nichols in the 10th over, which Tatts finished at 2-57, making it clear that run rate would not be an issue for the chasing side and RSL would need to bowl them out to win the match.
Two of their standout players this season then stood up and delivered some crucial wickets as Brayshaw (3-28 from eight overs) and Tough (2-22 from 6.5 overs) ripped through Tatts’ middle order.
They had Tatts sweating at one stage when Brayshaw bowled Kirk (1) in the 22nd over to make the score 6-99, but Ed Curall (14*) was cool, calm and collected for Tatts towards the back-end of the innings.
The chasing side were 7-118 after 28 overs, and Currall brought them level with two runs from the second delivery of the 29th before he sealed the victory with a four from the fourth delivery to send Tatts into the big dance.
This Saturday’s grand final will be the second that Tatts have featured in against Wilga Hotel this season after they defeated the Razorbacks men by 46 runs at Collins Park in the T20 decider back in January.
The two sides have met in three 40-over games throughout the 2025/26 campaign. Wilga Hotel won by eight runs in round three and 26 runs in round eight before Tatts became the only side this season to beat the minor premiers in the one day competition with a seven-wicket victory in round 13.
The Razorbacks have only lost once all season in the 40-over competition and they will now be looking to secure a maiden one day premiership on Saturday.
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