Gunnedah win in the final over against Old Boys

Gunnedah recorded its second victory in the first four rounds of the fourth grade cricket competition, having prevailed by six wickets in last Saturday’s clash with Old Boys at Carroll Community Ground.

The contest was much closer than the margin suggested, as Gunnedah was behind the required run rate before a late onslaught enabled the team to achieve the 181-run target with just four balls remaining.

Gunnedah youngster Noah Kelly made a vital 49 off 42 balls, while veteran Paddy Paul was another strong contributor with 38 not out off 37.

Kelly was also Gunnedah’s best bowler with great figures of 3-16 from six overs.

Old Boys lost its first two wickets at 8 and 42, before the arrival of Eathen Byrne proved decisive with the score at 3-75 in the 24th over.

Old Boys stumbled to 6-101, but Byrne rescued the team with a quickfire half-century. He retired as soon as he cleared the boundary in the 35th over to reach 52 from a mere 23 balls.

Following a wicket from the final ball of the 38th over, Old Boys faltered in the final two overs as two wickets fell for only five runs.

The final over yielded a boundary from the first ball and a wicket from the fifth ball, before Byrne faced the last ball.

Gunnedah’s Jack Duncan scored a rapid 29 before being run out in the 13th over with the total at 47, while opening partner Harry Paul played his usual solid game.

Paul had 22 runs off 71 balls when he retired at the 20-over mark with the score at 1-67, as Gunnedah needed 114 runs in the final 20 overs.

The departures of Angus Johns and Jonah Cameron left Gunnedah needing 89 runs from 83 balls with seven wickets in hand.

The task became stiffer as 46 runs were needed in the final five overs, but 13 runs in each of the 36th and 37th overs were followed by 12 in the 38th to swing the pendulum.

Kelly departed in the second-last over before Darrin Cameron hit a four from the fifth ball to bring the total to 179, and then scored two singles in three balls to clinch victory.

Gunnedah 4-181 (Noah Kelly 49, Paddy Paul 38 not out; Koby Byrne 2-15) defeated Old Boys 9-180 (Eathen Byrne 52 not out, Chase Wilson 46; Noah Kelly 3-16, Jack Canham 2-23, Harry Paul 2-24) by six wickets.