Erratic fielding and wayward bowling proved Gunnedah’s downfall in the second grade cricket contest at McAndrew Park last Saturday, as the North Tamworth Redbacks won by four wickets.

Gunnedah’s 20-over total of 8-141 was the highest by a Gunnedah team in any of the four grades, but the hosts never looked like defending it while Norths remained well ahead of the required run rate.

Keaton Walters, Jonah Cameron, Matthew Heit, Lachlan King and Will Hicks backed up from first grade, but Walters was the only one of them to make a notable contribution.

Walters bounced back from a bad trot, as he slammed six sixes and two fours in his 58 off 35 balls while none of his teammates reached 20.

Gunnedah flopped from 0-18 to 3-18, with the first victim caught before the next two were bowled.

Following scores of three, one, one and three in his past four innings in first grade – including a three just hours before his second grade appearance – Walters opened his account with a six.

George Bradford scored 19 in a fourth wicket partnership of 59, with his sole boundary coming in the 12th over which cost 14 runs before he was bowled with the final ball of the following over.

The 14th over contained 19 runs, with Jayden Winsor clearing the boundary from the third legitimate ball before Walters tallied 10 runs from the final two balls.

Jayden Winsor’s departure left Gunnedah 5-99 with five overs left, and then the 16th over comprised 18 runs including four byes from one ball and sixes by Walters from the final two balls.

Braith Winsor cut a four before he was among three dismissals in seven balls, with Walters the second of them when he hoisted a catch to long-off.

The only four runs in the 19th over were sundries, before Kate Gander spanked a full-toss through square leg for four in the final over which yielded eight runs.

The top six Norths players made scores between 13 and 25, while the sundries count included 19 runs from wides and four from no-balls after Gunnedah’s innings included 13 runs from wides and one no-ball.

Redbacks opener Sam Thompson recorded a four and a six from successive balls in the second over, before the next over contained 15 runs and four extra deliveries.

Another four to Thompson took the total to 44 in the fifth over, before Walters trapped Thompson lbw next ball.

The following over yielded 15 runs and a wicket, with Toby Ireland having tonked a six over mid-on before being bowled from the next delivery.

The runs kept flowing, with the 11th over costing 17 runs including a six off a no-ball full-toss.

Jack Canham claimed two wickets in three balls in his next over as Norths stuttered from 2-108 to 4-109, with Darcy Williams caught at deep mid-on from another full-toss before Max Daly pulled a catch to deep mid-wicket.

Walters produced a run-out with the total on 126, and Sam Holt was dubiously ruled lbw when Norths was two runs shy of victory.

Two more deliveries were bowled, with a single levelling the scores before Jock Smith slammed a four to seal the result with 21 balls to spare.

Gunnedah remained last on the seven-team ladder, with Norths third.

North Tamworth Redbacks 6-145 (Sam Thompson 25, Sundries 25; Jack Canham 3-34) defeated Gunnedah 8-141 (Keaton Walters 58; Ryan Stewart 2-13, Jock Smith 2-14) by four wickets.