Gunnedah’s second grade cricketers had a day out in Tamworth last Saturday as they beat Old Boys and Wests in T20 action on Tamworth soil.

Gunnedah dismissed Old Boys for just 75 and then overhauled it at Chaffey Park despite some hiccups, before narrowly defending a solid total of 3-151 at Riverside 5.

Last Saturday was virtually the first time Gunnedah tasted victory, having previously won on forfeit after South Tamworth withdrew from the Tamworth District Cricket Association (TDCA) second grade competition.

The toss proved vital in the contest at Chaffey Park as the visitors chose to bowl first on a green deck.

Will Hicks struck with his second delivery to have Old Boys 1-1 in the second over, before an 18-run partnership was followed by a sharp collapse.

Jonah Cameron also nabbed a wicket in his first over, and soon Hicks struck again before Cameron claimed two scalps in his second over as Old Boys slumped to 5-24.

Richard Avendano’s sixth delivery sent the bails flying, and his second wicket made the score 7-43 in the 12th over before 21 runs were added for the eighth wicket.

Josh Green bowled Bradley Duprez before holding a catch off Hicks, and then two singles made the score 9-68 with one over remaining.

Malcolm Green hit a four, a two and a single in the final over, before Cameron bowled Mitchell Small from the fifth ball to finish with 4-16 from 2.5 overs.

Hicks also had great figures although his 3-10 from four overs included five runs from wides.

Three Old Boys players registered double figures but none reached 15, before Keaton Walters hit the first and fifth balls of the run chase to the boundary.

Alistair Hillard also opened his account with a four, and Gunnedah progressed to 0-23 in the fourth over before sliding to 3-29 as a catch was followed by a run-out before the third victim was bowled.

Another 10 runs were added before Hillard too was bowled, and then two catches in Green’s first over left the visitors shakily placed at 6-48 in the 14th over.

Ken Walters came to the rescue with 22 not out, while Green scored four singles as Gunnedah won by four wickets with just three balls to spare.

With 12 runs needed from 12 balls, Ken Walters eased the pressure with a pair of twos and a boundary in the 19th over before the batting duo scored a single each in the final over.

After the Gunnedah players changed venue and then chose to bat first at Riverside 5, Keaton Walters gave the visitors another bright start.

Keaton Walters’s fourth boundary took him to 23 but he was out next ball, and then a wicket-maiden left Gunnedah wobbling at 2-26 after six overs.

Avendano provided the backbone of Gunnedah’s total as he hammered seven fours and three sixes in his undefeated 67.

Langdon supported Avendano with 15 in a third wicket stand of 62, before Trent Lumby made 23 not out in the unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 63.

More than 20 runs in the penultimate over proved crucial in the long-term.

Braith Winsor conceded 12 runs in the first over of the run chase, before his second over was a maiden.

Peter McCormack broke through in his second over, before Cameron captured 2-2 in his first over as Wests fell to 3-34.

Jason Livermore-Mudaliar lifted the tempo while Avendano made inroads, as the latter grabbed three wickets and was involved in a run-out as Wests faltered to 7-90 with five overs left.

Livermore-Mudaliar reached 49 with his tenth four, but was caught off Green just after reaching his 50 which left Wests 8-116.

Despite some brave hitting from Troy McCarthy and Ben Schubach in the closing stages, Gunnedah held on to win by seven runs.

Gunnedah 6-76 (Ken Walters 22 not out; Dinesh Goyal 2-6, Malcolm Green 2-17) defeated Old Boys 75 (Kieran Betts 14; Jonah Cameron 4-16, Will Hicks 3-10, Richard Avendano 2-14) by four wickets.

Gunnedah 3-151 (Richard Avendano 67 not out) defeated Wests 8-144 (Jason Livermore-Mudaliar 50; Richard Avendano 3-10, Jonah Cameron 2-17) by seven runs.

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