Tatts Cricket Club’s first XI kicked off Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2023/24 campaign on the front foot with a dominant eight-wicket against the Western Razorbacks at Leitch Oval on Saturday.
The Razorbacks batted first after skipper Dylan Smith won the toss and they scored 157 runs before losing their final wicket in the 35th over. A classy 98-run partnership between Tatts skipper Jakeb Nipperess and key batsman Craig Gleeson the helped guide the chasing side to the required total in just 32 overs after they had lost just two wickets during the innings.
It was the perfect start to the new season for Tatts following what was a flood-affected 2022/23 campaign, during which they only scored two victories in eight matches. Only one of those was an on-field win as well, with the other coming by a forfeit.
Nipperess was a proud captain as his side got the job done in style. He told The Courier he was pleased with the result and could not wait for a highly-anticipated round two contest against fellow round one winners RSL who downed Tourist Hotel by 33 runs at Collins Park to get their minor and major premiership defences off to a positive start.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the win, really,” the Tatts skipper said.
“I can’t remember us chasing down a total like that for a little while now.
“We definitely didn’t bowl our best; we bowled too many wides (33). But we got the job done, so I can’t really complain at the end of the day.
“(RSL) are the team to beat this season, obviously. They’ve won the last three in a row, and they’ll always put up a pretty good fight.
“Hopefully we’re close to full strength next week and we can give them a good run.”
The Western Razorbacks went into Saturday’s round one contest a man down as the Wee Waa-based club were missing about nine players and were only able to field 10 on the day. One of those absent was the club’s president Steve Phelps, who was away at a soccer tournament with Wee Waa United FC. He told The Courier that his team would scrape through with a side during the opening two rounds before they would finally be able to start selecting from more than 11 players from round three.
Despite being short in the opening round of the season, the Razorbacks certainly put up a brave fight and were commended by their opposing captain, with Nipperess declaring he was impressed that they scored 157 runs while being a player down on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.
Tatts struck an early blow during the first innings as Nipperess dismissed Razorbacks’ opener Angus Galagher (1) caught and bowled to make the score 1-11, which became 2-20 in the Brock Schwager-bowled fifth over as the Razorbacks’ other opener Dustyn Allen (12) was caught out by Darcy Gleeson.
Ben Sevil then lost three more partners as Matt Bradshaw (0), Smith (4) and Clay Hoffman (13) all departed cheaply. However, Sevil and number seven batsman Greg Melton steered the ship to guide the Wee Waa men past 100.
Their promising 44-run partnership was finally broken in the 26th over when Sevil (33) was trapped in front by Darcy Gleeson to make the score 6-113, and then just six more runs had been scored when DJ Allen (2) was bowled by Jake Cooper in the 29th over.
The Western Razorbacks entered the 30-over drinks break on 7-130, and they scored 17 runs after play resumed before Melton departed for a team-best 51 as he was caught by Schwager in the Josh Campbell-bowled 33rd over.
Campbell then took the ninth and final wicket of the innings two overs later when Ryan Brown glanced one down the leg side and Tatts’ new wicketkeeper Ed Curall took a superb one-handed diving catch to bring the innings to a close. That capped off a brilliant debut fielding innings for Currall, who Nipperess said was solid behind the stumps and did not let any byes or leg byes through.
All six of Tatts’ bowlers took wickets on the day, with Campbell (2-20 from 3.4 overs) and Schwager (2-57 from nine overs) both claiming two each, and Cooper (1-2 from two overs), Darcy Gleeson (1-15 from seven overs), Craig Gleeson (1-35 from five overs) and Nipperess (1-28 from nine overs) all taking one. Darcy Gleeson was also effective in the field as he chipped in with two catches and a run out.
The Razorbacks celebrated an early wicket to get their defence off to a red-hot start when Curall (1) was caught by Melton in the Bradshaw-bowled fourth over to make the score 1-8.
However, the Wee Waa side was dealt a blow when their skipper Smith pulled up injured with a side strain during the third over and could not bowl again during the innings.
Nipperess and Craig Gleeson put on a fantastic 98-run partnership that lasted almost 20 overs but was broken in the Kyne Allen-bowled 23rd over as Dustyn Allen caught Gleeson (54) to make the score 2-106.
That was the final wicket of the game as Nipperess produced a captain’s knock with an unbeaten 69 to guide his side to the eight-wicket win. He was joined by Campbell, who finished unbeaten on 17 runs and smashed a boundary to secure the victory.
Nipperess earned the three best and fairest points, while two went to Melton and one was awarded to Craig Gleeson.
Tatts’ round two clash against fellow round one winners and defending champions RSL this Saturday will be contested at Leitch Oval, while the Razorbacks will be looking to bounce back when they take on Tourist Hotel at Collins Park.
