Pink Slugs cruise past Gunnedah in MA Connolly Cup clash

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s representative first XI are back on top of the 2023/24 season MA Connolly Cup competition ladder following a crushing nine-wicket win away from home against Gunnedah on Sunday.

The Pink Slugs dominated the game from start to finish at Kitchener Park after Gunnedah had won the toss and elected to bat. The visitors rolled the hosts for just 51 runs in 20.3 overs and then chased down the required total in 9.4 overs, having lost one wicket in the process.

The NDCA men had entered the Christmas and New Year break in first place but they dropped down to second after Tamworth demolished Moree by 134 runs in a rescheduled round four match on January 14.

Sunday’s round six victory in Gunnedah saw the Pink Slugs reclaim top spot as Tamworth sat out with a bye, however, Tamworth will get the final say in the seventh and final round on Sunday, February 4, when they host Gwydir as Narrabri sits out with their bye.

Narrabri, Tamworth and third-placed side Gwydir, who beat Moree by two wickets in round six on Sunday, are all a chance of playing in the February 11 grand final, but the venue of that game will be determined by which side finishes ranked first.

Sunday’s game was the first time that the Pink Slugs have chased in the four matches they have played in the 2023/24 campaign, and they did so in dominant fashion. They ripped through the Gunnedah batting lineup with ease, and it was Dylan Smith who did the bulk of the damage as the gun quick claimed 5-6 from 5.3 overs. His devastating spell included three maidens as well as the big wicket of Andy Mack (20), who was Gunnedah’s top-scorer after he entered at number three.

Smith was brought into the attack in the 11th over when the score was 2-29 after skipper Nathan Trindall (1-11) and Cooper Brayshaw (1-18) knocked over the Gunnedah openers during their respective five-over spells. Brayshaw got the ball rolling in style when he bowled Justin Carter (1) in the second over of the game before Trindall sent Oscar King (0) on his way after he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Lachlan Woolford from the first ball of the third.

Mack and Henry Johns attempted to steady the ship for Gunnedah as they combined for the home side’s largest partnership of the game, but it only contributed 25 runs to the total before Smith bowled Johns (5).

Five Gunnedah middle and lower-order batsmen were dismissed for ducks by Smith and Dylan Segundo (3-15 from five overs), as the score became 9-43 in the 15th over.

The home side’s number 10 and 11 duo Lachie Straney (3) and Peter McCormack (3) then scored six runs between them, but the innings was done and dusted in the 21st over when Smith took his fifth wicket and Narrabri’s 10th as Gunnedah fell for 50 in 20.3 overs.

Only 32 of the home side’s runs came off the bat, with the Pink Slugs contributing the other 19 runs via 18 wides and a no ball.

The visitors sent Jakeb Nipperess and Hamish Duncan out to open the batting in the second innings, and Nipperess got it off to a flying start as he opened the scoring with a boundary from the fifth ball of the Rhyce Kliendienst-bowled first over. Kliendienst eventually had the final say in that battle when he dismissed Nipperess (15) in the seventh over after Vincent Winsor held onto the catch at point.

Bernard O’Connor entered at number three and blasted a game-high unbeaten score of 23 runs to guide the Pink Slugs to a nine-wicket victory, while Duncan (9*) remained unbeaten at the other end. O’Connor brought the contest to a close with his fourth boundary of his short innings, which was a classy drive straight down the ground off the bowling of Braithen Winsor as the Pink Slugs made 1-53 in just 9.3 overs.

Round six was Gunnedah’s final game of the regular season as they will pick up an automatic win in the seventh and final round on Sunday, February 4, with their opponent being Armidale, who pulled out of the comp earlier in the season. Despite the guarantee of those points, they cannot qualify for the grand final.

Tamworth will host Gwydir in round seven a week from Sunday, while Moree travels to challenge Quirindi in their final game of the season.