Narrabri RSL Cricket Club has won it all again for the second time in three seasons as one of the great Narrabri District Cricket Association dynasties continues.
Saturday’s 2022/23 season one day grand finals were both washed out and declared draws after rain forced both matches to be abandoned due to dangerous pitch conditions.
With RSL claiming the minor premierships after topping the table in first grade and second grade, both of the club’s teams were named premiers.
RSL was also awarded the club championship this season, which it has now earned four times in the past five campaigns.
The club has enjoyed several years of dominance, including minor and major premierships and the club championship in season 2020/21, and then four of the five last season, with only the second grade minor premiership eluding the RSL men.
On Saturday, RSL took on Tourist Hotel in the first grade grand final at Collins Park and Tatts in the second grade decider at Hogan Oval.
The defending champions were 3-41 chasing 57 when the first grade match was abandoned after they bowled Tourist Hotel out for 56 runs in 20 overs in the game’s first innings, while the second grade game saw Tatts bat first and reach 7-107 in 24 overs.
While it was certainly not how RSL wanted to earn this season’s two premierships, it continued an era of red ball dominance as the first grade men extended their streak to three and the second grade side claimed a fifth consecutive premiership.
Narrabri RSL Cricket Club chairman Jason Trindall, who played in the first grade match, told The Courier that he was proud of his club.
“I’m extremely proud of the club. It’s been a really good effort this season,” Trindall said.
“It’s definitely not the way that we wanted to finish, with the weather, but we played pretty good cricket all year, and that’s what you get when you finish minor premiers.
“It’s good to see our second grade side win a fifth in a row. It was good to be a part of that when this sort of dynasty started. They are going along really well there with Saundo (captain Justin Saunders).
“It’s also really good for our first grade side getting three in a row now.
“I’m hoping that these blokes stick around for years to come because if they do, I can honestly see a dynasty in first grade with what we’ve got now and what we’ve got coming through.”
Trindall said it would be tough to back up this season’s success in the 2023/24 campaign but declared his club was definitely looking forward to the challenge.
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