Gunnedah firsts fall short in T20s despite lightning opening stand

Steep run chases proved too much for Gunnedah’s first grade cricketers in last Saturday’s T20 contests at Kitchener Park.

City United defeated Gunnedah by 75 runs in the opening fixture, before the hosts lost their following encounter by 121 runs against the North Tamworth Redbacks.

Gunnedah product Oscar King top-scored for City United in its total of 147 in 19.5 overs, before the home side was bowled out with 10 balls to spare following a top-order collapse.

King recorded the opening boundary in the second over which cost 11 runs, before he clouted two sixes and a four in the third over which cost 19 runs.

King hit a four and a six from successive balls in the fourth over, and was caught at cow corner next ball for an entertaining 37 off 17 balls.

City United slipped from 0-47 to 3-56 before a 29-run partnership was followed by another wobble, as the visitors fell to 7-109 in the 15th over.

The momentum changed again as 12 runs came in the 16th over, with Simon Bellamy hitting a six before a misfield enabled Matt Rodgers to register a four.

Following a run-out in the 18th over, Izaak Merlehan captured the final two wickets from the second and fifth balls of the final over, with Ash White taking a catch before Braith Winsor produced a stumping.

Richard Avendano was Gunnedah’s best bowler with 3-13 from three overs.

The hosts were 1-1 as Kyle Gallen was bowled from the final ball of the second over, before fellow opener Will Ford opened his account with a boundary.

Ford’s dismissal was followed by that of Merlehan just two balls later, and then the run-out of captain Andy Mack left Gunnedah 4-14 after six overs.

Avendano and White were caught as they sought big hits, and a sub-50 total loomed as the hosts sank to 6-23 in the eighth over.

The 11th over cost 19 runs, with Jaycob Price smacking successive full-tosses over the boundary before Winsor also slogged a six.

Price soon fell to a sharp overhead catch at cover, before Jack Hayes scored 11 in an 18-run partnership.

Winsor fell to a brilliant one-handed catch, before the contest ended as a direct hit produced a run-out.

In the following fixture, City United made 7-122 in its 20 overs before dismissing North Tamworth for 115 in 17.2 overs.

The Redbacks appeared certain to win, until they lost their final six wickets for just nine runs.

In the game which began under lights at 7pm, Gunnedah’s bowlers were powerless to stop an onslaught as North Tamworth’s openers hammered the ball all over the place.

Devon Hamley blasted six fours and 10 sixes in his innings of 100 from just 39 balls, while opening partner Harry Lewington belted seven fours and five sixes in his 99 off 55.

The first 10 overs yielded a staggering 144 runs without a wicket, before the latter 10 overs contained four wickets for 113 runs.

The seventh over contained 29 runs including four byes off a no-ball.

Hamley departed from the final ball of the 12th over with the total on 168, before the 15th over contained 21 runs as well as a dropped catch.

The Redbacks went from 1-239 to 3-240 as Merlehan held two catches, with a fine running and diving effort denying Lewington a century before Franklin Cripps produced a skied shot. Price and Hayes each claimed 2-31, with Hayes capturing his second wicket when he bowled Blake Scicluna in the 19th over.

Hamley subsequently conceded 30 runs in three overs as an opening bowler, having missed a bullet-like return catch in the first over.

When a Cripps delivery contained five runs in wides, Gunnedah was 0-29 at the three-over mark after North Tamworth had also been 0-29 after three overs.

Harry Lewington received a taste of his own medicine as his sole over cost 25 runs. Lewington had earlier hit two successive sixes off Ford, who later hit Lewington for six, four and six from consecutive deliveries.

Gunnedah was 0-86 after seven overs before Gallen was wastefully run out from the first ball of the eighth over.

Gallen had hit three fours and three sixes in his 41 from 22 balls, before his dismissal sparked a collapse of 5-10.

The seventh, eighth and ninth wickets fell in the space of four balls, with Ford also finishing with three fours and three sixes before he was bowled for 58 off 55 balls.

Ateeq-ur Rahman slogged a six in the final over before he was lbw next ball which ended proceedings, as Ryan Campbell finished with 4-21 from 3.4 overs.

City United 147 (Oscar King 37; Richard Avendano 3-13) defeated Gunnedah 72 (Jaycob Price and Braith Winsor 18; Nathan Clark 2-7, Jack McVey 2-9) by 75 runs.

North Tamworth Redbacks 4-257 (Devon Hamley 100, Harry Lewington 99; Jaycob Price and Jack Hayes 2-31) defeated Gunnedah 136 (Will Ford 58, Kyle Gallen 41; Ryan Campbell 4-21) by 121 runs.

Gunnedah opener Will Ford scored a half-century under lights at Kitchener Park last Saturday.