Tough eyes off another title after RSL return to the winner’s circle

Narrabri RSL Cricket Club skipper Jarrett Tough has declared the five-time defending champions are more than capable of making it six on the trot following an eight-wicket victory against Tourist Hotel at Hogan Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Tough’s men bowled out a 10-player Tourist Hotel side for 60 runs in 13.5 overs in the second round of Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2025/26 one day campaign before chasing down the required total with ease in just 12.3 overs.

They only lost two of their own wickets to win in style and put a disappointing 140-run round one defeat against the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks just a week earlier behind them.

RSL entered the new season without several key players from their 2024/25 campaign squad, including Cooper Brayshaw, Cody Kember, Will Ford and Zaac Brayshaw, while Shane Murphy is yet to play and Jake Brayshaw lined up for the first time on Saturday.

They also lost new signing Zack Trindall after he went down with an achilles injury in the first round against the Razorbacks.

Despite a chaotic start to another premiership defence, Tough has high standards this season.

“Tourist were a bit short but it’s always good to get a win, especially for the boys after the first week was pretty hard going,” Tough said.

“I think that we will go alright this season. I’m confident with the boys that we’ve got that we can stick it with all of the other teams, and I’d be disappointed if we don’t make the GF again.

“The Razorbacks have an outstanding bowling lineup there. Those boys will set the standard again, but we won’t be far behind.”

Nathan Trindall continued his super 2025/26 season as he took 4-14 from four overs to end the weekend with 20 scalps to his name after just five matches, including two representative T20s and an NDCA first grade T20 earlier this month.

He has secured two five-wicket hauls in those five games and has taken four wickets in a game twice, and his economy is an impressive three runs an over to go with an even better average of 2.95.

Tough said he was impressed with Trindall’s determination to step up and be a leader this year following the departure of the key players from last season’s premiership-winning side.

“He’s bowling really well so far this season. He’s taken a load of wickets already,” Tough said.

“He’s been aiming at the stumps a bit more and doing it well.

“We’ve lost a few players this season, and he’s trying to stand up and be a leader, which is good to see.

“He’s a tearaway opening bowler and wears his heart on his sleeve, and it’s really good to have him around.

“He was thinking of going to play in Tamworth this season, and we’re glad he’s stayed with us.”

It was Trindall who struck first on Saturday to take a big wicket for RSL. He conceded an early boundary against Matt Conroy but then took a brilliant one-handed grab off his own bowling to remove the Tourist Hotel opener for four runs.

That made the score 1-4, which became 2-20 off the last ball of the fifth over when the quick bowled Lucas Hogan (5).

Trindall then struck twice in the seventh over as he bowled Tourist skipper Luke Meppem and his replacement Dan Treseder for ducks during a double-wicket maiden.

Tough had opened the bowling at the other end and changed himself and Trindall after four overs each as Andrew Harvey and Jake Brayshaw took over.

They both continued where their teammates left off with tidy bowling, and Harvey made an instant impact in the first over of his spell as he removed Brendan Jenkins (2) with the assistance of a Hadley Sevil catch behind the stumps to make the score 5-33 in the ninth over. He then bowled Danny Laws (4) in the 11th and took two more wickets in the 13th when he bowled Luke Baker (4) and Tough caught John Lawlor (5).

Harvey’s four wickets made the score 8-52 as Amy Trindall arrived at the crease to partner Hamish Duncan, who had opened the batting and watched all of his other partners depart.

Trindall got through the final three deliveries of Harvey’s over, and Duncan then scored eight runs off the first five deliveries of the Brayshaw-bowled 14th over. However, Duncan was dismissed by his cousin two deliveries after smashing him for a six when Jordan Doolan held onto the catch that brought the innings to a close.

Duncan ended up with a team-best score of 21 runs from 30 deliveries as Tourist Hotel fell for 60 runs in 13.5 overs.

Nathan Trindall (four overs) and Harvey (three overs) both finished the innings with 4-14.

Tourist Hotel needed a fast start to the second innings if they were any chance of winning the match, and their openers delivered as Duncan and Laws had RSL at 1-9 after four overs.

Laws took the first wicket as he bowled Rowan Keeler (6) in the fourth over, and he struck again in the sixth over when he trapped Doolan (6) in front LBW to make it 2-22.

That was the last wicket that would fall in the match as Brayshaw joined Max Hunter in the middle and the duo combined for a 39-run stand to guide RSL to an eight-wicket win.

Hunter ended up with a patient 14 runs from 34 deliveries, while Brayshaw hit five boundaries on his way to 24 runs from 22 deliveries.

RSL will now get a weekend off to regroup as they sit out with the round three bye on Saturday.

Next up for the defending champs is a round four fixture against the currently undefeated Tatts at Hogan Oval on Saturday, November 8. Tatts defeated Boggabri Colts by five wickets at Collins Park on Saturday after also chasing down 60 runs.

Tourist Hotel will go in search of their first win of the season this Saturday when they meet the Colts at Hogan Oval in round three, and the other fixture will be played between undefeated duo Tatts and Wilga Hotel Razorbacks at Collins Park.