Western Razorbacks storm into the NDCA first grade grand final

They’ve done it again.

For the third time in as many Narrabri District Cricket Association seasons, the Western Razorbacks have reached the one day grand final.

The Wee Waa-based club took on Civeo in the 2020-21 preliminary final on Saturday at Collins Park, and for the second consecutive season defeated that opposition to advance to the big dance.

Last season’s preliminary final match came down to the final ball as Wee Waa clinched a one-run win, and this year’s victory was just as close.

Civeo batted first after winning the toss and it made 133 in 42.5 overs. The Razorbacks chased that down in 42 overs while losing nine wickets, holding on to win in a thrilling finish.

They will now take on RSL in this weekend’s grand final at Collins Park.

On Saturday, Josh Trindall proved once again that he is the most reliable player in Narrabri cricket in big game, high-pressure situations, with another crucial contribution when the game was in the balance.

The Razorbacks all-rounder entered the middle at number six when the score was 4-80 and he scored a team-best 34 from just 46 deliveries, which included back-to-back sixes in the 39th over to ease the pressure on the chasing side when it had just three wickets in hand.

He lost three partners during his 46 minutes in the middle but guided his side to within eight runs of the
required total before he was eventually dismissed.

The winning run was eventually scored by Nathan Hamblin. In the 42nd over, the number nine batsman mishit a Jordyn Mowle full toss high into the air which bounced in between a retreating Mowle and an approaching Nick Tomlinson who had charged towards the ball from mid-off.

Neither could get a hand to it as Hamblin and Max Smith hurried through for the winning single.

It was a thrilling finish to an entertaining match, however, earlier in the contest it had the potential to be over a lot quicker.

Civeo was inspired to its 133-run total by skipper Lachlan Cameron who scored 76 from 137 balls, which included five fours and four sixes.

But such a defendable score looked unlikely early on when Civeo found itself 4-15 after five overs when the Razorbacks’ opening bowlers Jay Hall and Hamblin got their side on top early.

The duo combined for the first wicket, with Hall taking a catch at short fine leg to remove Civeo opener Nick Smart (0) in the Hamblin-bowled second over.

Hall then took two wickets himself in the third over. The first saw him dismiss Matt Conroy (1) who flicked a shot off his pads to Justin Knight at mid-wicket, then he bowled Tomlinson (0).

That made the score 3-9, which became 4-15 in the fifth over when Luke Meppem (0) was run out by Hamblin from short fine leg with an assist from Hall at the bowler’s end.

Those wickets left Cameron at the crease with Chris Sargent and the pair steadied the ship to get their side back in the game.

They combined for a 55-run partnership before Sargent was forced to retire hurt on 17.

Razorbacks spinners Clay Hoffman and skipper Ty Baker then took a wicket each to remove Jordyn Mowle (4) and Jake Thurston (0) respectively which made the score 6-84 and brought Sargent back to the crease. He chipped in with seven more runs before he was run out by Hall in the 33rd over as the score became 7-102.

Civeo tail-enders Jye Manton (1) and Sam Bullen (0) both faced seven deliveries each before they were dismissed by Trindall and Baker respectively.

Blake Jarrett then entered the middle at 11 for Civeo and watched on from the non-strikers’ end as Cameron blasted two sixes and a one-bounce four to add more runs to the side’s total.

Cameron was eventually bowled by Hall for a match-best 76, and Jarrett remained unbeaten on no runs from nine deliveries.

Hall was his side’s best with the ball with 3-19 from 7.5 overs. Baker (2-22 from eight overs) was the only other multiple wicket-taker, while Trindall (1-15 from nine overs), Hoffman (1-22 from four overs) and Hamblin (1-34 from eight overs) claimed one each. Justin Knight (0-5 from five overs) also chipped in with a handy economical spell.

Knight and Baker then opened the batting for the Razorbacks and got their side off to a strong start. The duo combined for a 52-run partnership which lasted more than 16 overs.

Civeo’s Smart then took over the game as the Razorbacks lost 5-30 in a 10-over period.

After failing with the bat earlier in the day, Smart ripped through the chasing side’s top order to put Civeo in the box seat.

He bowled Knight (18) in the 17th over then removed Baker (30) in the 21st who was caught at deep mid-wicket by Cameron.

In the Sargent-bowled 24th over, Smart ran out Daniel Hamilton (0) to make the score 3-79, which became 4-80 in the 26th over when Angus Galagher (1) was caught by a diving Meppem at first slip who took a spectacular one-handed grab.

Smart then took another crucial wicket the following over when he bowled Razorbacks big-hitter Chris Smith (19).

Middle order batsmen Hall (4) and Hoffman (2) were run out by Thurston and Smart which made the score 7-103 as the occasion started to get the better of the chasing side.

However, Trindall’s team-best 34 runs got the Razorbacks back on top. He was eventually caught and bowled by Mowle in the 40th over which made the score 8-127.

That became 9-131 in the 41st when Meppem bowled Harry Pattison (1).

It set up a thrilling finish which saw Hamblin get the job done by scoring the three required runs in the 42nd over as the Razorbacks held on to qualify for their third consecutive grand final.