City United gained the upper hand despite a comeback from Gunnedah in Tamworth District Cricket Association (TDCA) first grade action at Wolseley Park last Saturday.
City United will resume this Saturday at 7-110 in its first innings, in reply to Gunnedah’s disappointing first-innings total of 91.
With City United in second place and Gunnedah fourth on the five-team ladder, the home side badly needs to force an unlikely outright victory to remain a chance of sneaking into the top-three to qualify for the finals.
Gunnedah’s situation could easily have been worse last Saturday, with City United having spilled a few catches.
A single from the first ball of the third over was the only run in the first 31 deliveries, before Gunnedah’s score crawled to 0-7 after 10 overs.
The next six overs yielded 21 runs before City United skipper Tom Fitzgerald claimed three wickets in quick succession to leave the hosts in strife at 3-30.
Ash White hit a couple of fours and a six during a third wicket stand of 23, before opener Justin Carter’s painstaking innings of 15 ended when he was stumped in the 29th over.
White fell from the final ball of the 32nd over before Hayden Doherty’s dismissal three overs later made the score 6-70.
Tea was taken with Gunnedah 8-89 midway through the 42nd over when Blake Randahl was dismissed, and then the ninth wicket fell from the first ball when play resumed.
Gunnedah was all out from the third ball of the following over when Callum Henry claimed his fourth dismissal with the wicketkeeping gloves, while Richard O’Halloran became the third bowler to capture three wickets.
White and fellow opening bowler Keaton Walters set about getting Gunnedah back into the contest, with White striking with the second ball of City United’s innings when Kyle Gallen held a slips catch.
Walters struck twice in five balls with the total on 20 in the eighth over, with Sam Davis bowled before Carter held a freakish slips catch to account for O’Halloran.
Following three straight maiden overs, Fitzgerald smoked 10 runs in two balls with a straight six and a four from a full-toss.
Opening batter Will Doran’s sluggish 13 ended with the final ball of the 21st over with the total on 62, before Fitzgerald reached 51 off 48 balls with his seventh four.
Peter McCormack had the dangerous Fitzgerald caught at mid-off with the total on 80, before the next partnership took City United to a 12-run lead.
Walters held a caught-and-bowled in the 33rd and second-last over of the day, before Matthew Heit held a catch at cover from the third-last ball of the final over.
City United 7-110 (Tom Fitzgerald 53, Callum Henry 25 not out; Keaton Walters 3-23, Ash White 2-44) leads Gunnedah 91 (Ash White 26; Tom Fitzgerald 3-16, Richard O’Halloran 3-17, Nathan Clark 3-19) by 19 runs on the first innings.
