Gunnedah’s first grade cricketers suffered two seven-wicket losses in the Tamworth District Cricket Association (TDCA), which involved T20 contests last Friday and Saturday.
The North Tamworth Redbacks defeated Gunnedah at Kitchener Park under lights last Friday night, before a somewhat Gunnedah-flavoured Old Boys outfit repeated the dose at Wolseley Park the following afternoon.
Gunnedah was dismissed for just 80 in 15.4 overs against Norths, which subsequently took only 8.5 overs to reach the target.
Izaak Merlehan hit a four in the first over, before Keaton Walters was stumped from the second ball of the second over to leave Gunnedah 1-6.
The third over yielded 21 runs, with Merlehan clubbing back-to-back sixes before Kyle Gallen struck the fifth ball for six and the final ball for two.
The onslaught was short-lived, as Merlehan was caught from the first ball of the fourth over.
The dismissals of Gallen, Hayden Doherty and Sam Doubleday left Gunnedah 5-41 in the seventh over, before a 24-run partnership was followed by the loss of the final five wickets for a miserable 15 runs.
Bailey Lennox clouted a six as he top-scored for Gunnedah with 20, but he was bowled from the next ball he faced which left Gunnedah 8-76.
Gunnedah’s final wicket fell when Will Hicks was run out when seeking to turn a single into a two.
Blake Scicluna hit four consecutive fours in the second over of the run chase, before belting a catch into the covers in the fourth over.
The final three balls of the over cost 10 runs, with Harry Lewington hammering a four and lofting a two before creaming another boundary.
Ash White held a fine catch in the next over to leave Norths 2-40, after a catch was spilled earlier in the over.
Keaton Walters worked up plenty of pace in his first over, which included a six to Lewington who pulled a short-pitched ball into the sign at the Ron Turner Stand.
Brendan Rixon was out lbw as he tried to slog-sweep Doubleday, before Lewington pulled the fifth ball of the same over for six.
Lewington also clubbed Doubleday for six on two occasions in the ninth over, with the latter hit producing the winning runs and taking the aggressive batter’s score to 41 not out from 19 balls.
In a game starting at 10.30am at Wolseley Park the following day, the Bective East Bulls made 6-150 in their 20 overs before restricting Old Boys to 9-94.
As was the case last season and earlier this season, Old Boys fielded a contingent of former Gunnedah-based cricketers.
For the record, former Gunnedah cricketer Mitchell Swain had the best bowling figures for Old Boys before another former Gunnedah cricketer, Adam McGuirk, hammered 70 not out from 43 balls as an opener.
Swain was the only bowler to take more than one wicket while the six other Old Boys bowlers – including former Gunnedah-based cricketers Rhyce Kliendienst and Hayden Baker – nabbed one scalp each.
Gunnedah’s start against Old Boys resembled its start against the Redbacks, with Merlehan again hitting the fourth legitimate ball of the game to the boundary before Keaton Walters again exited for a single in the second over.
This time, Walters was ruled lbw from the final delivery of the over while there was some doubt about the dismissal.
Merlehan registered two sixes off Kliendienst in the fifth over, including a monstrous hit which sent the ball towards the Civic Theatre.
Another attacking shot caused Merlehan’s downfall with the total on 51 in the ninth over.
Gallen twice hit Baker for six on his way to 40 from 30 balls, but then he edged a booming drive to the wicketkeeper off Swain.
Hayden Doherty hooked his first ball to the boundary, before a three to Doubleday took Gunnedah to 3-90 after 13 overs.
A total around 140 looked possible, but then Doubleday was stumped off Baker in the 14th over.
The rest of Gunnedah’s innings spluttered along while no more boundaries were hit, and the hosts finished with 8-126 after Baker held a tumbling catch in the final over.
The left-handed Lawson Shepherd faced 10 balls in the run chase, and hammered 22 runs before lofting a catch to deep mid-wicket from the final ball of the second over.
Merlehan bowled Swain with the total on 58, before Old Boys went to the drinks break at 2-66 from 10 overs after Gunnedah had been on the same score at the same stage of its innings.
The 11th over of the run chase was decisive, as McGuirk belted 22 runs. The first ball was a full-toss which he smashed to the tennis courts, and then he swept the second ball behind square leg for four before slog-sweeping the fourth and fifth balls over mid-wicket.
A risky single raised McGuirk’s half-century from 33 balls, before he pulled the final ball of the 13th over for six.
McGuirk’s fifth and final six was a whip off his pads, before Harrison Hamilton lofted a catch to long-on as victory was just three runs away.
The scores were tied, before the first ball of the 18th over was a wide which ended the game.
Despite the result, Old Boys remained last on the five-team ladder while Gunnedah remained fourth.
While Old Boys trounced Gunnedah, City United was too strong for Bective East at Kitchener Park.
Bective East made 6-137 before City United overtook it for the loss of just three wickets in 18.2 overs.
This Saturday also features a round of T20 clashes in Gunnedah, with City United contesting Gunnedah before Bective East faces Norths at Kitchener Park.
At Wolseley Park, Norths and Old Boys face off before Old Boys opposes City United.
North Tamworth Redbacks 3-81 (Harry Lewington 41 not out; Sam Doubleday 2-25) defeated Gunnedah 80 (Bailey Lennox 20; Michael Rixon 2-5, Harry Lewington 2-7, Jordan Lewington 2-9) by seven wickets.
Old Boys 3-127 (Adam McGuirk 70 not out; Izaak Merlehan 1-18) defeated Gunnedah 8-126 (Kyle Gallen 40, Izaak Merlehan 27; Mitchell Swain 2-16) by seven wickets.
Gunnedah’s Izaak Merlehan fires in a return from the outfield.
