A severely revamped Gunnedah third grade cricket outfit put in a competitive display against the Bective East Bulls at Riverside last Saturday, before the home side won by five wickets.
Gunnedah was all out for 148 with one ball remaining in its allotted 40 overs before Bective East sealed victory with 50 balls to spare.
Paddy Paul and son Harry were the only Gunnedah players to back up from the team’s two-wicket win against South Tamworth the previous week, while a few players including father-and-son duo Jono and Oscar Middlebrook stepped up from fourth grade.
Having made a blazing undefeated half-century in week one of fourth grade, Jono Middlebrook hit the fifth ball of last Saturday’s third grade match to the boundary but was out lbw next ball.
A run out left Gunnedah 3-30 in the 10th over, and teenage opener Ed Martin’s confidence-boosting 25 ended in the 18th over with the total on 61.
Oscar Middlebrook made 19, and Paddy Paul went on to score an invaluable 54 while Nick Herring contributed 28.
Bective East had a flying start with 18 runs in the first over, before Gunnedah hit back as a collapse of 4-23 left the Bulls wobbling at 4-67.
Bradley Hoad set up Bective East’s triumph with 66 not out, including eight fours and three sixes.
The fifth and final wicket came when the Bulls were just six runs shy of the target.
Paddy Paul and Herring claimed two wickets each while youngsters Harry Paul and Oscar Middlebrook impressed, with the former conceding only 15 runs in eight overs while the latter claimed 1-14 in four.
Gunnedah and Old Boys will face off at McAndrew Park this Saturday, with Old Boys having had a one-wicket win and a 97-run loss so far.
Bective East Bulls 5-149 (Bradley Hoad 66 not out; Paddy Paul and Nick Herring 2-29) defeated Gunnedah 148 (Paddy Paul 54, Josh Howison 3-16) by 5 wickets.
