Sign Print Stitch Colts win second grade preliminary final thriller

The Sign Print Stitch Colts will feature on grand final day this Saturday in their debut Narrabri District Cricket Association season after winning a nailbiter in the second grade one day competition preliminary final.

The Colts took on Tourist Hotel at Hogan Oval last Saturday in a knockout qualifier and prevailed by one wicket as their skipper Mick Dowdell got them over the line with a crucial late cameo with the bat.

Tourist Hotel batted first after their skipper Adam Gordon won the toss and they made 67 runs in 22 overs, which was their second-lowest total of the season and their lowest since round one back in November.

The Colts had limped their way to 8-49 in the second innings when Dowdell entered at number 10, and he combined for a 10-run partnership with Fletcher Whan (3) before the youngster was bowled by Tourist co-captain Chris Smith during a wicket-maiden in the 24th over that made the score 9-59.

Andrew Harvey took the ball for his seventh over in the 25th, and Dowdell eased the pressure with a boundary off the second delivery before scoring two runs from the fourth and then a single of the last to get back on strike.

Smith then lined up for his seventh over with the Colts needing two runs to win the contest, and he produced a dot ball first-up before Dowdell scored the winning runs to book a grand final berth for his team.

They will take on RSL in the big dance at Hogan Oval this Saturday where they will attempt to become the first team to beat the defending champions in the 2024/25 season one day competition.

Dowdell’s former teammates won all seven matches that went ahead across the nine-round campaign and they will go in search of their seventh straight one day premiership when they meet the Colts in the decider.

Earlier in Saturday’s preliminary final contest, Wee Waa youngster Kyne Allen sent shockwaves through the Tourist camp when he was thrown the ball for the second over of the contest and bowled Smith for a duck before knocking over his replacement Allan Whitmore also for a duck to make the score 2-2.

Allen conceded just one run off that over, and he outdid himself in the fourth over when he produced a wicket-maiden that saw him dismiss Gordon (2) and Scott Smith (0), with the assistance of catches from Mick Dowdell and Brock Allen.

Opener Aaronn Baker was then joined by Jamarl Zarka, and the duo combined for a 30-run partnership to get their side back in the contest as the score became 4-36 after 11 overs.

However, Dowdell then introduced Gareth Lamond into the attack in the 12th over and the veteran delivered as he caught Zarka (5) from his own bowling and then bowled Harvey for a duck in the 14th over to make the score 6-39.

That brought Isaiah Cochrane to the crease to partner Baker and the two T20 grand final heroes attempted to save the game for their side. Cochrane eventually reached 10 runs before being trapped in front LBW by Dowdell in the 17th over, and Lamond then ripped through the tail to finish with 5-14 from six overs as Baker ran out of partners and finished unbeaten on 42 of his side’s 67 runs.

Allen finished with 4-14 from five overs and Dowdell ended the innings with 1-12 from six overs.

Opener David McInnes (0-21 from five overs) was the only other bowler used by the Colts.

The Colts got off to a positive start to the second innings as Steve Hallett and Brock Allen combined for a 26-run first-wicket partnership.

It was broken in the fifth over when Harvey caught Allen (7) from his own bowling, and the Tourist Hotel quick struck again in the 12th over when he bowled Hallett (24) to make the score 2-41.

Hallett’s departure kick-started a devastating collapse as the Colts lost 7-8 as Harvey, Chris Smith and Scott Smith ripped through their batting attack. But that brought Dowdell to the crease and he got his side home with an unbeaten 17 runs, which included three boundaries.

Chris Smith (4-6 from 6.2 overs), Harvey (3-15 from seven overs) and Scott Smith (2-20 from six overs) did all the damage with the ball but it was not enough as their side fell just short of a win and their second grand final appearance of the season.