Gunnedah’s third graders made a game of it in last Saturday’s third grade T20 fixture at McAndrew Park, before the North Tamworth Redbacks prevailed by four wickets.
A total of 106 simply wasn’t enough, as Norths passed it with five overs to spare following a few hiccups and a high sundries count in the run chase.
There were no standout batting displays for either side, as the highest individual score was 25 not out from Gunnedah’s Darrin Cameron.
Norths opening bowler Jacob McGoldrick was exceptionally tight, as his four overs cost only six runs.
Thirteen runs in the sixth over took Gunnedah’s score to 0-28, but the next six overs were potentially game-changing as three wickets fell for merely nine runs.
Jakob Vearing’s 21 in the 29-run opening stand included four fours, before he was bowled in the eighth over which was a maiden.
Rory MacRae bowled the next two victims before Cameron, Shayne Riordan and Lachie Straney lifted the tempo in Riordan’s first game for a while.
Forty-six runs were added in four overs for the loss of Riordan, who found the boundary three times before he too fell to MacRae.
Straney hammered two of MacRae’s final three deliveries for six, before David Rose claimed 2-2 in his first over after bowling Straney and Lachlan Hills with successive balls.
Gunnedah’s 100 was raised with only one over to spare, and the healthy 69-run tally in the final eight overs ultimately couldn’t compensate for the sub-standard first 12 overs.
Paul Kerr struck a six and a four in the second over of the Norths innings, and then hit two fours in the third over before lobbing a catch to Vearing in the slips.
The total sped from 1-32 to 1-46 in the sixth over, before a wicket to Vearing from the final ball of the over sparked a collapse of 3-8 to raise the possibility of an unlikely Gunnedah victory.
Vearing’s victim was bowled, and then Straney held a juggling catch at mid-off off Angus Johns before Vearing took a running catch wide of mid-on off Jack Hayes.
Numerous boundaries kept the score ticking over, while an occasional wicket didn’t cause the Redbacks any major concerns.
Hayes won an lbw appeal with the total on 73, before Adam Veli-Gold did likewise with the total on 93.
The final 13 runs came in Straney’s only over which contained a series of wides and a no-ball, with the winning single coming from a free hit.
Gunnedah remained at the foot of the eight-team ladder while Norths moved to second.
North Tamworth Redbacks 6-107 (Sundries 28, Paul Kerr 21; Jack Hayes 2-19, Angus Johns 2-21) defeated Gunnedah 6-106 (Darrin Cameron 25 not out; Rory MacRae 3-28, David Rose 2-7) by four wickets.