A solid all-round team effort enabled Gunnedah to beat Moree by four wickets in last Sunday’s U13 representative cricket clash at Donnelly Fields.
Having had three heavy losses, Gunnedah relished a breakthrough victory after its only other win was on
a forfeit.
Moree was all out for 158 with 4.3 overs remaining in the allotted 40 overs, before Gunnedah reached the target in just 26.4 overs.
The visitors appeared on track for a total closer to 180 after sitting at 1-84, but regular wickets meant Moree was unable to take full advantage of the solid platform.
Moree’s innings included 32 sundries, before Gunnedah’s innings comprised 37 sundries.
The first ball of the match was a wide, before Nate Partridge hit the stumps with his fifth legitimate delivery to have Moree in early trouble at 1-2.
The first two boundaries came from successive balls in the 11th over, which cost 14 runs to take the total to 1-53.
Moree stuttered to 3-88 as Joe Swain struck from the first ball of the 20th and 22nd overs, with Marnee Walters holding a sharp catch at cover to remove Alex Hart for 40 before Max Woods was ruled lbw despite no appeal from the bowler.
Eighteen runs were quickly added before Moree fell from 3-106 to 6-115, with Nicholas Swain bowling two of the victims while the other victim snicked a catch to the wicketkeeper off Linden Miller.
A 24-run partnership revived Moree’s hopes of a score around the 180 mark, but then a run-out threw a spanner in the works.
The next two wickets fell with the total on 154, with Harry Langdon holding a catch off his bowling before he trapped Sophie Jensen in front of the stumps.
The final wicket fell to another run-out, meaning five of Gunnedah’s 10 bowlers shared eight wickets.
The first over of the run chase also featured a run-out as the home side found itself 1-3, before Harry and Joe put on a 57-run second-wicket stand.
The 10th over cost 13 runs, including successive fours from Harry who subsequently exited in the 12th over.
Joe played many fine shots before he was bowled for 42, with Gunnedah’s total on 90.
Kallie Walters helped Nicholas push the score along, with a little luck along the way as Kallie edged two runs through the slips.
Nicholas was bowled with the total on 121 before a dropped catch gave Kallie a reprieve, but the respite was short-lived as Kallie was bowled with the total on 131.
The deficit quickly shrank as Nate swatted two full-tosses to the boundary, before he was ruled lbw with the total on 150.
A few illegitimate deliveries and a series of singles enabled Gunnedah to knock off the remaining nine runs, with one of the runs coming from a dropped catch.
Gunnedah’s final match will be on Inverell soil on February 8.
Gunnedah 6-159 (Joe Swain 42, Sundries 37, Kallie Walters 20) defeated Moree 158 (Alex Hart 40, Digby Adams 35; Nicholas Swain 2-11, Harry Langdon 2-14, Joe Swain 2-19) by 4 wickets.
