Huge win for Gunnedah second grade cricketers

Gunnedah’s second grade cricket team overcame a horror start at Wolseley Park last Saturday, as the home side slaughtered West Tamworth by 179 runs.

Gunnedah lost four early wickets but subsequently amassed a total of 250, before Wests collapsed in the hot conditions.

Josh Ryan, Keaton Walters and captain Braith Winsor made half-centuries for the victors before Walters, Richard Avendano and Blake Randahl shared the wickets.

With drinks breaks taken every 10 overs, it took nearly three-and-a-half hours for Wests to bowl 40 overs before the run chase lasted just 23.4 overs.

The final 11 overs of Gunnedah’s innings were perhaps the most decisive in the context of the game, as the home side tallied 110 runs.

The heat took its toll, as there was plenty of tardy fielding and slow running between the wickets in the second half of Gunnedah’s innings.

After losing the toss, Wests captain Mitch Lincoln appeared to bowl his team into a winning position as he bagged a hat-trick to leave Gunnedah reeling at 4-8.

Joshua Forwood accounted for Aidan King in the second over, before Lincoln delivered two wides in the third over and then achieved the three-wickets-in-three balls feat as he dismissed Matthew Heit, Avendano, and Chris Holliday.

Lincoln’s first and third victims were bowled, while the second was lbw.

The next 16 deliveries featured no runs off the bat, and the first boundary was not registered until the first ball of the eighth over.

Gunnedah’s situation could have worsened, but a dropped catch gave Walters a vital reprieve when he was in single figures.

Gunnedah was 4-31 at the first drinks break before the 12th over contained 19 runs, with Walters smashing 16 runs from the final three balls.

Walters cleared the boundary with the last ball of the 19th over, before a four and a six from the fourth and fifth balls of the next over took him to 56 off 54 balls. But then he was caught at square leg from the final ball before the second drinks break, leaving Gunnedah uncertainly placed at 5-93.

Braith Winsor and Josh Langdon rebuilt the innings before the return of Lincoln paid off, albeit as he bowled left-arm spin rather than left-arm pace. He rattled Langdon’s stumps to render Gunnedah 6-125 in the 27th over.

Winsor subsequently lifted his scoring rate, after making just 26 runs from his first 61 deliveries.

The 28th over cost nine runs while there were five long-hops, before Ryan found his stride with 14 runs in the 30th over which also featured a wide to help the total to 6-155.

Winsor survived a chance at long-on in the 32nd over before the next over yielded three fours to Ryan, with 16 runs in the over taking Gunnedah’s score to 6-188.

Ryan lobbed a simple catch to cover with his score on 45 while Gunnedah was 6-196, but the sitter was fumbled.

Winsor reached his 50 off 81 balls, and faced one more ball before opting to retire with five overs remaining while Gunnedah had 201 runs on the board.

Ryan posted his half-century off just 31 balls, and kept the score moving rapidly despite the loss of two more wickets.

Jonah Cameron whacked the third and fifth balls of the final over to the boundary, before a single from the last ball raised the 250.

Ryan finished with 71 not out from 44 balls, while 25 of the 28 sundries were from wides.

Gunnedah subsequently conceded 14 sundries including nine from wides and three from no-balls, and only two Wests players registered double figures while neither reached 20.

Wests had 11 runs on the board when Troy McCarthy was caught by Aidan King at point off Walters without scoring.

The next over cost 11 runs following a six to Tyson Palmer, before Walters dismissed another Wests player for a duck when he bowled Caleb Briggs.

Wests had another setback when Palmer retired hurt with the score at 2-37, and he did not return which effectively meant the Tamworth team was 3-37.

Luke Fisher also made a duck when Aidan King held another catch at point off Walters, and then Avendano began with a no-ball which Lincoln hit for four.

The next two victims were bowled, before the final four were caught.

Avendano picked up the final three wickets, with a catch at mid-wicket followed by a catch in the slips and another catch at mid-wicket.

It was only Gunnedah’s second win of the season – the first having occurred back in round one on October 18 – enabling Gunnedah to join Wests on 19 competition points at the foot of the seven-team ladder.

Gunnedah’s second graders return to Wolseley Park this Saturday to contest the fourth-placed Souths which had a bye last weekend.

Gunnedah 9-250 (Josh Ryan 71 not out, Keaton Walters 56, Braith Winsor 50 retired; Mitch Lincoln 4-15) defeated West Tamworth 71 (Richard Avendano 4-16, Keaton Walters 3-6, Blake Randahl 2-11) by 179 runs.