A total of 65 from Gunnedah’s fourth grade cricketers was nowhere near enough against the Bective East Bulls at Riverside last Saturday, as the home side won by seven wickets.
Leo Blomfield captured a hat-trick as a 10-player Gunnedah outfit was dismissed in 21.2 overs, before Bective East reached the target in 14.2 overs.
The teams had a distinct family flavour, with Gunnedah fielding Ken Walters and daughters Marnee and Kallie, father-and-son duo George and Bis Hoddle, and stepdad-stepson duo Ryan Cooper and Arthur Graham.
Bective East meanwhile had captain Will Gell and son Eddie, Mark Slack-Smith and son Hunter, Justin Whitby and son Tyler, and Ian Laurie and sons Joe and Hugh.
Ken Walters hit two successive fours in the third over, but disaster struck as Gunnedah crashed from 0-11 to 5-12.
Ken Walters was ruled lbw in the fourth over, and only one run was added to the total when George Hoddle was similarly dismissed in the seventh over.
Blomfield struck with the first three balls of the eighth over as three victims were bowled, before a 50-run partnership was followed by another collapse as the final four wickets fell for three runs.
Zoe Fleming stood out with 29 at number four, while Gunnedah’s only other player to reach double figures was Bis Hoddle who made 11.
Cooper Morgan took 3-0 from 2.2 overs, having polished off the innings with successive balls.
Bective East lost its first two wickets at 20 and 33, before Mark Slack-Smith hammered the first two balls he faced for four and six.
Cooper held a catch off Graham to account for Hunter Slack-Smith, whose dad finished on 27 not out which included three fours and two sixes.
Gunnedah and Old Boys will square off at Donnelly Fields this Saturday, after Old Boys had back-to-back wins.
Bective East Bulls 3-66 (Mark Slack-Smith 27 not out) defeated Gunnedah 65 (Zoe Fleming 29; Leo Blomfield 4-6, Cooper Morgan 3-0) by 7 wickets.
