Gunnedah opened its account in the MA Connolly Cup representative cricket scene in resounding fashion with a seven-wicket drubbing of Narrabri at Collins Park last Sunday.
Following two washouts and an eight-wicket loss to Tamworth, Gunnedah dominated last Sunday amid strong contributions from Sam Doubleday, Izaak Merlehan, Nick Herring and Adam McGuirk, as well as a cameo from Keaton Walters.
Former Gunnedah-based player McGuirk had played for the Tamworth-based Old Boys in its narrow defeat against Gunnedah in club cricket the previous day, before several of his opponents from the Saturday became teammates barely 24 hours later.
Narrabri crumbled to 120 all out after losing its final six wickets for just 26 runs, and then couldn’t halt Gunnedah’s progress during the run chase.
After winning the toss, Narrabri scored its first runs from the final ball of the second over before the first wicket fell on 26 in the eighth over when Matt Bradshaw was stumped off Merlehan.
Jarod Adams struck Doubleday for six in the 12th over but was bowled next ball, and then Jake Brayshaw was adjudged lbw from the final ball of the same over as Narrabri stumbled to 3-44.
Another 26-run partnership hinted at a revival, before Herring held a catch at mid-wicket off Doubleday.
A few boundaries in quick succession suggested another momentum change, but then another catch to Herring left Narrabri 5-94.
The 100 was raised in the 28th over which cost nine runs but it also included the vital wicket of Narrabri skipper Nathan Trindall, as Herring rattled his stumps.
Cody Kember found the boundary from the first ball of the 32nd over, but was caught behind off Herring from the next ball.
Herring then bowled Kaleb Mowle for a third-ball duck, before McGuirk’s second scalp was followed by Merlehan’s second scalp as Narrabri lost its last four wickets for a paltry three runs.
Having watched the final eight wickets fall from the non-striker’s end, Hamish Duncan was left stranded on 25 not out from 56 balls while Narrabri had wasted 38 balls in its allotted 40 overs.
Gunnedah gave away 18 runs in illegitimate bowling before Narrabri conceded only seven sundries including five from wides, but it made little difference in the end.
Gunnedah’s openers put on 11 runs in the first four overs before Doubleday doubled the total in the fifth over as he struck a six, a four and a single.
Trindall bowled Lennox in the seventh over with the total on 23, before Merlehan opened his account with a boundary.
Doubleday struck a six in the 11th over and two fours in the following over, before falling for 41 to leave Gunnedah 2-67 after 16 overs.
McGuirk hit a six during a third wicket stand of 19, before Merlehan was caught-and-bowled by Brayshaw for 24.
A string of dot balls was broken when McGuirk cleared the fence in the 24th over, and then Walters smacked two sixes from successive balls in the following over.
McGuirk hammered another six, before recording the winning runs with 74 balls to spare.
Gunnedah’s next outing will be an away fixture against Armidale on February 8.
Gunnedah 3-122 (Sam Doubleday 41, Adam McGuirk 29 not out) defeated Narrabri 120 (Hamish Duncan 25 not out; Sam Doubleday 3-27, Nick Herring 3-39, Izaak Merlehan 2-11, Adam McGuirk 2-24) by 7 wickets.
