Gunnedah’s first grade cricketers face a tough task in avoiding defeat at Wolseley Park this Saturday, as day two of the two-day clash with Old Boys takes place.
The home side was dismissed for 145 in 61.4 overs after choosing to bat first on a hot day last Saturday, before the visitors reached 0-59 in 14.4 overs.
Gunnedah was in danger of being dismissed for less than 100 when the eighth wicket fell with the total at 91, but lower order resistance from Matthew Heit, Ben Irwin and Jonah Cameron made the total look more respectable.
Irwin top-scored with 30 at number 10, having been involved in partnerships of 32 and 22.
The Old Boys team contained a smattering of ex-Gunnedah players, with Hayden Baker the pick of them as he grabbed four wickets.
Sam Doubleday scored 20 in an opening partnership of 27, before he was bowled by Lawson Shepherd in the 14th over.
Shepherd proved hard to get away, as his 11 overs cost just 11 runs.
Justin Carter eked out seven runs from 64 balls, before Gunnedah fell from 1-36 to 5-46 as three wickets to Baker were followed by one to Shepherd.
Keaton Walters and Alistair Hillard halted the collapse, but runs were still at a premium as Hillard scored six off 56 balls while Walters scored 23 off 77.
Will Hicks became Baker’s fourth victim before Heit and Irwin put on the highest partnership of the innings.
Heit struck Baker for six, before gaining two runs from a dropped catch to make the score 8-115 when it could instead have been 9-113.
Irwin clouted Baker for two successive fours, but Heit departed in the next over when Baker held a stunning one-handed catch in the gully.
Cameron scored an unbeaten nine in the final wicket partnership, and Irwin survived a chance at deep backward square leg before a miscued hook shot was caught by the wicketkeeper.
Irwin and Cameron subsequently bowled a tidy over each, before boundaries were hit in the following two overs.
Shepherd clubbed a six in the seventh over, and finished the day on 30 not out while opening partner Harrison Hamilton was two runs behind.
Gunnedah meanwhile opted not to play its three scheduled T20 matches at the Tamworth-based Riverside the following day, due to players not being interested in playing cricket on successive days.
Gunnedah 145 (Ben Irwin 30; Hayden Baker 4-51, Lawson Shepherd 2-11) leads Old Boys 0-59 (Lawson Shepherd 30 not out, Harrison Hamilton 28 not out) by 86 runs on the first innings.
