Gunnedah’s fourth graders became the first Gunnedah Cricket Club team to qualify for the Tamworth District Cricket Association (TDCA) finals, having defeated the North Tamworth Redbacks by 38 runs at Donnelly Fields last Saturday.

With Gunnedah fielding four teams in the TDCA for the second straight year, the fourth-placed Gunnedah fourth grade team contests the first-placed Old Boys at Riverside 5 in a semi-final this Saturday.

The victor will reach the grand final, along with the winner of Saturday’s other semi-final, featuring the second-placed City United and the third-placed Redbacks.

Needing a win last Saturday to seal fourth spot on the ladder, Gunnedah upstaged the third-placed team after also beating the top two teams in the previous three weeks.

Gunnedah’s batting was unconvincing, with the home side making 143 runs for the loss of six wickets in 40 overs before the Redbacks succumbed in just 24.4 overs while nobody passed 20 in the run chase.

The game was memorable for Gunnedah captain Ken Walters, who top-scored on his birthday while the team progressed to the play-offs.

It was also pleasing for Walters to see several youthful players take the bulk of the wickets – Oscar Middlebrook, Digby Grimm, Rhyse Frost and Tyler Small – while Frost was also the second top scorer.

In typical fashion, Gunnedah opener Jono Middlebrook recorded a four from the first ball of the contest.

His son Oscar hit a four from the last ball of the second over, but then there were 22 consecutive deliveries without a run.

The total was only 10 when Middlebrook senior exited from the final ball of the seventh over, before the departures of Middlebrook junior and Grimm left Gunnedah 3-42 in the 17th over.

Frost became the fourth player to open his account with a four, before he also sent the first ball of the 21st over to the boundary to lift the total to 3-56.

Zoe Fleming and Frost passed 20, but Gunnedah stumbled to 5-82 in the 26th over after they were dismissed before Ken Walters struck the first two balls of the following over to the boundary.

The run rate remained modest despite Ken Walters reaching 32, before he was dismissed with three overs remaining.

Eleven runs in the 38th over included a boundary each to James Perrett and Marnee Walters, before four singles in the 39th over were followed by a meagre two runs in the final over.

The Redbacks made a flying start to the run chase as William Constable hit the first two balls to the boundary, but things unravelled soon afterwards.

Both openers fell with the total on 12, with Callum Anderson caught by Zoe Fleming at short cover before Constable was caught by Small at mid-wicket.

Small held another catch – this time at long-off – before James Perrett held a chance at mid-on.

Martin Ward scored at better than a run per ball before holing out to Oscar Middlebrook at cow corner, leaving the Redbacks 5-48 in the 11th over.

Brendan Chaffey threatened to change the pendulum, as he struck Zoe Fleming’s first delivery – a no-ball – for four before clubbing the ensuing free hit for the only six of the match.

Fifteen runs came from the over but the bowler broke through with the final delivery, with Chaffey edging to wicketkeeper Marnee Walters.

Redbacks skipper Phillip Judd found the boundary twice in Zoe Fleming’s second over, but the bowler struck back in her following over when she sent the ball thudding into Judd’s pads with the total on 78.

Frost was forced to leave the field after bowling the second ball of the 17th over, meaning Gunnedah was a player short.

Small began with a juicy full-toss, but George Ingall succeeded only in hoisting it to Zoe Fleming at backward square leg to leave Norths 8-90.

The total reached 100 before Small broke through again, with Andrew Finlay fiddling outside off-stump and edging a catch to Grimm who had taken over the wicketkeeping.

Small captured the final three wickets, with the last occurring when a skewed drive soared to Jason Perrett at backward point.

Gunnedah 6-143 (Ken Walters 32, Rhyse Frost 26; Craig Louwen 2-14) defeated North Tamworth Redbacks 105 (Martin Ward 20; Tyler Small 3-9, Digby Grimm 2-22, Oscar Middlebrook 2-26) by 38 runs.

Tyler Small’s three late wickets sealed victory for Gunnedah’s fourth graders.