NDCA’s first grade one day competition to resume this Saturday as exciting race to the finals looms

Cricket will return to Narrabri on Saturday when Narrabri District Cricket Association’s 2025/26 season first grade one day competition resumes for the first time since December.

The T20 campaign that was contested through December and January wrapped up on Saturday, January 17, and was followed by last weekend’s Australia Day long weekend, and the players are now eager to get back on the park and get some consistent cricket under their belts.

The first grade sides have turned their attention to the one day competition, with just six rounds remaining ahead of the finals series that will get underway on Saturday, March 14.

This Saturday’s round 10 fixtures will see the Wilga Hotel Razorbacks challenge Tourist Hotel in a day/nighter at Collins Park from 3.30pm after Boggabri Colts meet RSL at Leitch Oval from 9.30am.

Tatts will have the bye on Saturday, as will all of the second grade sides who will return for their run home towards the one day comp finals on Saturday, February 7.

The undefeated Wilga Hotel Razorbacks enter the 10th round of the first grade season on top of the table with 40 points as they go in search of their second consecutive minor premiership and a return to the grand final. They have won all four matches they have played to go with three washed-out draws and two byes across the first nine rounds of the 2025/26 campaign.

One win behind them in second place are the defending champions RSL, who are currently on 34 points following three wins, three washed-out draws and two byes since their opening-round loss back in October.

Tatts are third with 29 points following three washed-out draws, three losses and one bye since their back-to-back victories to start the season, and the T20 champions will be looking to take the momentum they gained from their short format success into the 40-over campaign when they make their return to the field in round 11.

Boggabri can overtake Tatts this Saturday with a victory against RSL, given the Colts are just four points behind them in fourth place. Their 25 points have come from two wins, two washed-out draws, two byes and three losses across the first nine rounds.

Tourist Hotel are currently occupying last place on the five-team ladder with 16 points following one win, five losses, two byes and one washed-out draw. They can still play finals cricket in 2026, but almost every match on their run home is set to be must-win as they look to overturn a 13-point deficit on the top three.

Once again in the 2025/26 campaign, the minor premiers will go straight through to the March 21 decider and the teams that finish ranked second and third will play off in a preliminary final on March 14 for the other grand final spot.

While the race to the finals heats up from this Saturday, so does the battle for the competition’s individual honours.

Wilga Hotel Razorbacks opener Matt Bradshaw currently leads the way with the bat as the top run-scorer in the competition with 175 runs across four knocks, with RSL’s Jake Brayshaw next best with 121 runs across three innings.

Greg Melton from the Razorbacks is third on that list with 114 runs and RSL’s Shane Murphy is fourth with 106 runs, and they are followed by Tatts duo Jacob Nichols with 105 and Tom Craig with 101.

Boggabri Colts’ top run-scorer is skipper Cody Kember with 97, while Tourist Hotel’s openers Nick Tomlinson and Hamish Duncan lead the way for their team with 89 runs and 84 runs, respectively.

Three bowlers currently lead the way at the top of the wicket-takers list with 10 scalps, which include RSL’s Nathan Trindall, Wilga Hotel’s Jack Tate and Boggabri Colts’ Rabjir Singh.

Tourist Hotel’s best is Danny Laws with nine, and Tatts’ best are Rod Kirk and Jonty Schwager with eight each.

When it comes to the best and fairest award race, Brayshaw, Craig and Bradshaw all lead the way with six points and Kember is next best with five.

Meanwhile, Narrabri District Women’s Cricket Association’s 2025/26 season will continue this Saturday following the long weekend break. Rounds eight and nine will be played as a T10 double header, with all teams playing two games.