Schwager shows off in big Tatts win

Three teams are currently on two wins and a loss following the first three rounds of the 2019-20 Narrabri District Cricket Association first grade one day season.

Tatts is one of those sides, and RSL is not.

That came as a result of the two clubs’ round three contest at Collins Park on Saturday.

Defending champions Tatts batted first after skipper Tom Craig won the toss.

His side made 167 runs before losing their final wicket in the 44th over.

In reply RSL could only score 112 runs. The chasing side was moving along comfortably at 1-65 after 17 overs before collapsing to fall to a 55-run loss.

Tatts’ Brock Schwager played a key role in that RSL downfall, finishing with a game-best 6-8 from nine overs which included four maidens and earned him three NDCA best and fairest points.

Tatts skipper Tom Craig picked up the two best and fairest points after top-scoring for his team for a third straight week, this time with 41.

RSL’s Hamish Duncan earned the one point for a combined effort with both bat and ball.

Tatts, Western Imperial Razorbacks and Civeo are all locked on 15 points each following two wins and a loss to start the 2019-20 campaign.

RSL (three points) has lost all three of its matches, unable to chase down the totals set by its opposition after losing the toss in all three games.

In round three on Saturday at Collins Park Tatts’ Luke Morgan and Daniel Kahl opened the batting and put on a 25-run partnership which was broken in the seventh over when RSL opening bowler Nathan Trindall bowled Luke Morgan (17).

Two overs later Trindall struck again, claiming the scalp of Craig Gleeson (2) in a wicket-maiden to make the score 2-29 after nine overs.

That brought Craig to the crease with Kahl and together the pair put on a 33-run partnership before Kahl (14) was caught by Terrence Duncan in the Cody Kember-bowled 19th over which made the score 3-62.

Middle order batsmen Chase Magner (23) and Jake Packer (10) scored a combined 33 runs but both were bowled by RSL skipper Mick Dowdell which made the score 5-129 at the 30-over drinks break.

In the first over after drinks Craig departed for a game-best 41 runs, caught by Luke Barton from the bowling of Hamish Duncan.

That made the score 6-138 and Tatts added 29 more runs as it lost its final four wickets, the last which fell in the 44th over as the defending champions finished with 167 runs.

RSL quick Trindall was his team’s top bowling performer on the day with 3-15 from eight overs, while Dowdell (3-22) from nine overs also claimed three scalps.

In reply RSL was cruisng at 1-65 in the 18th over after losing opener Chris Watkins (20) in the seventh over.

Watkins was caught by Michael Morgan from the bowling of Ryan O’Neil.

But RSL would then lose 6-11 in a collapse sparked by Schwager who took four of those wickets to leave RSL struggling at 7-76 after 24 overs.

The innings lasted just eight more overs as the chasing side added 36 runs to its total while losing its final three wickets. The latter two of those wickets were taken by Schwager who finished with 6-8 from nine overs.

Teammate Gleeson took 3-40 and O’Neil (1-18 from six overs) was the only other wicket taker in Tatts’ 55-run victory.