Competitive third graders give Bulls a fright at Donnelly Fields

Strong performances from Nick Herring and Zoe Fleming weren’t quite enough for Gunnedah’s third grade cricketers at Donnelly Fields last Saturday, as the Bective East Bulls recorded a five-wicket win.

A defiant last-wicket partnership of 50 enabled Gunnedah to tally 112 runs in 39.4 overs, before the Bulls overcame a top-order collapse to pass the target in 20.1 overs.

Twelve-year-old Cooper Morgan was the standout bowler with figures of 4-6 off five overs for the Bulls, before Mark Slack-Smith was Bective East’s standout batter with a hard-hitting 58 not out from 25 balls.

Slack-Smith earlier captured 2-25 from seven overs, and held two catches.

After the hosts won the toss and chose to set a target in the hot conditions, the first four overs featured only two runs before the fifth over contained a boundary and a wicket.

A 25-run partnership ensued before Gunnedah went from 1-31 to 3-31 as Slack-Smith and Todd Burgess bowled a wicket-maiden each.

A brilliant delivery from Slack-Smith sent Andrew Johns’s bails flying, before Ed Martin was caught by Slack-Smith in the following over.

Slack-Smith’s second wicket left Gunnedah 4-37 after 16 overs, before the home side slumped from 4-50 to 7-50 in the 20th over which was Morgan’s first of the day.

Zoe Fleming was caught from Morgan’s third delivery, and then Digby Grimm was run out from the next ball before Angus Johns was caught from the sixth ball.

Morgan’s next two victims were bowled, leaving Gunnedah 9-62 with 14.1 overs left in the allotted 40.

Herring found a willing ally in Marnee Walters who could boast that she outscored and outlasted her brother Keaton and dad Ken to a large degree, with Keaton twice dismissed for a single within 24 hours in first grade while Ken made a duck in second grade.

Morgan’s first spell was limited to four overs due to his age, with Marnee Walters surviving one ball from Morgan before facing a maiden over from Josh Howison.

Marnee opened her account when she dispatched a full-toss to the fine leg boundary, before Herring clubbed an authoritative four to long-on in the following over.

Herring registered 11 runs in somewhat streaky fashion in the 37th over to take the total to 100, before hitting the first ball of the 39th over for his sixth and final four.

Herring finished on 40 not out off 47 balls, while Marnee scored a gritty 12 off 51 and was caught by Slack-Smith in the final over.

Bective East’s openers quickly had 22 runs on the board, before Jono Middlebrook held a catch off his son Oscar’s bowling.

Fleming’s first over was a sensational triple-wicket maiden, as the Bulls slid to 4-32 after eight overs.

Fleming’s second delivery trapped Mark Burgess lbw, and then Jono Middlebrook held a catch from the fifth delivery before the sixth delivery rattled Tyler Whitby’s stumps.

Fleming had staggering figures of 4-0 from 13 balls when she won another lbw appeal, leaving Bective East 5-38 in the 12th over before Slack-Smith took control.

The 13th over cost 18 runs, with Slack-Smith hitting two successive sixes before Brock Mason recorded a four from the final ball of the over.

Slack-Smith also plundered two sixes in the 15th over, before a mere single in the next two overs was followed by consecutive fours to dent Fleming’s figures.

Slack-Smith finished with four fours and five sixes when he struck the first ball of the 21st over for four to register the winning runs.

The seventh-placed Gunnedah will be on home soil again this Saturday, albeit at McAndrew Park in a T20 contest while the visiting side is the fourth-placed North Tamworth.

Meanwhile, Gunnedah’s fourth graders contest Norths at Chauvel Park in another T20 fixture this Saturday after Gunnedah defeated Bective East on forfeit last Saturday.

Bective East 5-114 (Mark Slack-Smith 58 not out; Zoe Fleming 4-21) defeated Gunnedah 112 (Nick Herring 40 not out; Cooper Morgan 4-6, Mark Slack-Smith 2-25) by five wickets.