Jesse Packer century in big Tatts win headlines second grade opening round

Narrabri District Cricket Association’s second grade one day competition got underway on Saturday and delivered the first century of the 2025/26 campaign as Tatts skipper Jesse Packer helped guide his side to a huge victory at Hogan Oval.

Tatts batted first in their round one contest against Tourist Hotel after Packer had won the toss, and they made 4-234 in 40 overs before bowling Tourist Hotel out for 150 in 28.2 overs to register an 84-run win.

Packer entered the middle at number three to join his father Robert after opener Ryan Steel had blasted three fours and two sixes on his way to 26 runs off 11 deliveries before being caught in the fourth over.

The father and son duo produced a 109-run partnership that lasted more than 22 overs, which was finally broken in the 26th over when Robert Packer (39) was caught by Chris Smith off the bowling of Tourist Hotel skipper Aaronn Baker.

That made the score 2-142, which became 3-157 in the 29th over when Campbell Hancock (9) was bowled by Matt Stanford.

Jesse Packer eventually brought up his century in the 35th over when he smashed a six to move to 99 and then followed it up with a single to reach triple digits. He then blasted Tatts past 200 during the next over when he struck a six and two fours off consecutive deliveries to move to 114, which was the total he was finally dismissed on during the 37th over when he was bowled by Chris Smith.

The Tatts skipper had struck 16 fours and three sixes during his 112-ball innings.

Jake Cooper (15*) and Taryn Kirk (9*) remained unbeaten after 40 overs as Tatts finished with 4-234.

Tourist Hotel required a positive start to their innings if they were any chance of chasing down the mammoth total, and their openers Aaronn and Terry Baker and number three batsman Chris Smith delivered that as they all made starts to guide their side into triple digits by the 14th over.

However, they were all dismissed in the thirties and only one more Tourist Hotel batsman was able to reach double figures as Lucas Summers-Lawler struck 20 runs from number five.

The next five batsmen combined for just five runs as Jarrod Gould (4-18 from 5.2 overs) and Jake Cooper (3-41 from 6.5 overs) ripped through the tail.

Jesse Packer added to his player of the match heroics by taking the other two wickets, which included the big wicket of Smith to finish with 2-26 from eight overs.

The other second grade match on Saturday was contested at Gately Field, where defending champions Sign Print Stitch Narrabri Colts took down RSL by 80 runs.

The Colts batted first after skipper David McInnes had won the toss, and he and opener Gareth Lamond produced a 68-run second-wicket partnership to take their side into triple-digit territory.

The Colts were 1-100 at the halfway mark after 20 overs, and RSL finally struck again when their skipper Beau Tomlinson brought himself on to bowl and knocked over McInnes (45) in the 22nd over and Lamond (50) in the 24th, during his first two overs.

Tomlinson went on to finish with 4-21 from six overs and was his side’s best with the ball, while Colts batsmen Brendan Jenkins (19), Gus Ford (10), and George Barton (11) all chipped in with double-digit scores during the back-end of the innings.

RSL’s Justin Saunders bowled well without a wicket in that innings as the opener conceded just 19 runs from his eight overs.

Mick Dowdell and McInnes then opened the bowling for the Colts in the second innings and were sensational to get their team on the front foot early.

They had RSL struggling at 0-11 after seven overs before McInnes struck to dismiss both openers as he knocked over Lucas Duff (7) in the eighth over and Lee Iselin (8) in the 10th.

Dowdell then trapped Allan Whitmore (7) in front LBW in the 13th over, and the wickets just kept tumbling before RSL were all out for 83 in the 32nd over of their chase.

Only Jason Trindall reached a double-digit total as the RSL legend scored an unbeaten 32 runs, which included six boundaries.

The Sign Print Stitch Narrabri Colts used seven bowlers during that innings and they all chipped in with at least one wicket.

McInnes (2-16 from seven overs), Ford (2-13 from four overs) and Jenkins (2-27 from four overs) grabbed two each, and the other four were shared between Dowdell (1-12 from eight overs), Barton (1-3 from four overs), Ryan McConnell (1-6 from four overs) and Lamond (1-1 from 0.3 overs).

This Saturday’s round two matches will see the Sign Print Stitch Narrabri Colts take on Tourist Hotel at Gately Field while RSL and Tatts meet at Leitch Oval.