An amazing final-wicket partnership involving Zoe Fleming and Ken Walters made all the difference in the fourth grade cricket clash at Riverside 9 last Saturday, as Gunnedah defeated City United by 34 runs.
The visitors were in trouble at 9-90, before a 97-run stand set up a total which proved beyond reach of the home side.
It was the second time in three weeks that Gunnedah beat a competition front-runner, having defeated the top-placed Old Boys by 19 runs before a washout was followed by last Saturday’s triumph against the second-placed team.
With Gunnedah progressing to fourth place with Bective East and Quirindi narrowly behind, this Saturday’s results will determine which of those teams finishes fourth and qualifies for the finals at the expense of the two other teams.
Sent in to bat last Saturday, Gunnedah began shakily when Jono Middlebrook departed from the first ball of the second over with just three runs on the board.
Oscar Middlebrook scored 13 in a 44-run second-wicket stand with Zoe Fleming before the former departed, and soon the latter retired after reaching 40.
The total moved to 2-61 before the middle and lower order crumbled.
The dismissal of the hard-hitting Zafar Mukhtar for a single was a setback, before Ben Scarborough dismissed the following two batters without scoring.
Shane Fleming also departed for a single, and then Digby Grimm’s five-ball stay included a four and a two.
Lucas Aylett accounted for Marnee Walters and Jason Perrett, leaving Ken Walters and the returning Zoe Fleming with the task of resurrecting the innings as a little over 16 of the allotted 40 overs remained.
The duo scored a mix of singles, twos and boundaries, as they progressed steadily and frustrated the bowlers and fielders.
Zoe Fleming’s 76 included only five fours, while Ken Walters struck seven fours and a six in his 68 not out before the top scorer was caught from the last ball of the final over.
Grimm broke through in the second over of City United’s innings with just one run on the board, before breaking a 37-run second wicket stand in the 10th over when he sent the bails flying a second time.
A catch off Oscar Middlebrook left City United 3-44, before a 50-run partnership brought the game back into the balance.
Zoe Fleming made the vital breakthrough when she had Hamish Mason caught for 39, before the dismissal of Fletcher France for 28 left City United 5-105 in the 27th over.
Twenty-nine runs were added for the sixth wicket but with the required run rate rising above a run per ball, City United lost its final five wickets for only 19 runs and was all out with 20 balls remaining.
Grimm finished with 2-23 from six overs, while Zoe Fleming completed a splendid all-round match with 1-17 from seven overs.
Ken Walters nabbed 1-2 in his only over, and Mukhtar’s fourth delivery produced the final wicket.
Gunnedah hosts the third-placed North Tamworth Redbacks at Donnelly Fields in a crunch clash this Saturday, in the final round of the regular season.
Gunnedah 187 (Zoe Fleming 76, Ken Walters 68 not out; Ben Scarborough 3-21, Lucas Aylett 2-20) defeated City United 153 (Hamish Mason 39; Digby Grimm 2-23, Jono Middlebrook 2-34) by 34 runs.
