Tatts produce improved performance in four-wicket loss against RSL

Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI produced its best performance of the 2022/23 Narrabri District Cricket Association season in round eight on Saturday but came up just short as Narrabri RSL Cricket Club prevailed by four wickets at Hogan Oval.

In its third outing of the campaign, Tatts batted first after skipper Jakeb Nipperess won the toss and the side made 8-179.

It was the first time this season Tatts had batted out the 45 overs, and it was also the team’s largest total of the campaign following scores of 36 and 71 in the two games that it had played previously.

RSL managed to chase down the required total in 37.3 overs having lost just six wickets, but the signs were certainly positive for Nipperess’ men who sit third on the ladder with four rounds remaining, all of which will be played in February next year following the local T20 campaigns.

Tatts will be chasing its first on-field win when the first grade one day campaign resumes, having claimed its only victory so far this season by forfeit to go with four washed-out draws and three losses.

But if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, that win will not be too far away for the Tatts men who are still in the minor premiership race despite sitting 15 points behind both RSL and Tourist Hotel on the ladder.

Tatts’ innings got off to a fast start on Saturday as Nathan Trindall’s opening delivery was a wide that raced away to the boundary to make the score 0-5.

However, Trindall followed that up with five dot balls and then with the final delivery of the over, he bowled Tatts opener Daniel Kahl for a duck.

Will Ford removed Tatts’ other opening batsman when he trapped Karl Hatfield (0) in front in the fourth over to make the score 2-9.

Off the back of two low scores so far this season, Tatts’ innings was in danger after losing both openers so cheaply, however, Sid Harvey (30), Brendon Ward (41) and Tom Craig (38) were the next three batsmen in and guided their team past 100 runs with impressive knocks.

Harvey and Ward put on a 60-run third-wicket partnership before the youngster Harvey was trapped in front by Cooper Brayshaw in the 22nd over.

That brought Craig to the crease in his first game of the season and the former premiership-winning skipper looked as though he had not missed a game as he smashed four fours and two sixes, but his innings came to an end in the 30th over when he was caught behind from the bowling of Bernard O’Connor.

That made the score 4-118, and Tatts managed to produce 61 runs in the final session to finish on 8-179.

Jacob Nichols also played his first game of the season on Saturday and scored 20 runs after entering at number seven.

RSL’s best with the ball was Trindall, who took 2-17 from nine overs, while O’Connor (2-17 from four overs) and Cooper Brayshaw (2-26 from seven overs) also took two wickets each. Ford (1-24 from five overs) and Cody Kember (1-34 from nine overs) claimed one each.

Tatts earned an early scalp to get its defence off to a great start when Harvey produced a wicket-maiden in the second over, during which he bowled Jordan Doolan (2).

The quick struck again in the 12th over when he dismissed Alistair Wheeler (5) after Nipperess held onto a superb diving catch to make the score 2-43.

That left opener Jake Brayshaw at the crease with Bernard O’Connor, who a week earlier in round seven at the same venue combined for a 93-run partnership to guide RSL to a six-wicket win against Tourist Hotel.

They got the job done again for their side as they batted together for more than 12 overs and put on a 66-run partnership before O’Connor (34) was caught by Nipperess in the Tom Craig-bowled 24th over.

Brayshaw was eventually bowled by Craig in the 28th over for a game-high 55 runs, and RSL then went into the 30-over drinks break at 5-134, needing 46 to win in the third and final session.

The chasing side only lost one more wicket as Cooper Brayshaw (24*) and Ford (6*) guided their team to victory.

Harvey finished with game-best figures of 4-25 from nine overs and Craig (2-40 from nine overs) took the other two scalps.

Jake Brayshaw was awarded the three NDCA best and fairest points for a standout performance with the bat, while two points went to Tatts’ Harvey and one was awarded to RSL’s O’Connor.