Gunnedah’s first graders concluded their second season in the Tamworth District Cricket Association (TDCA) competition with a first-innings defeat against Bective East at Wolseley Park, as the round-robin season concluded last Saturday.

Gunnedah finished fourth out of five teams with three victories and nine defeats, after finishing fifth out of six teams last season with two wins and 15 losses.

Bective East meanwhile finished second, and will contest the third-placed City United this weekend to decide who contests the top-placed North Tamworth Redbacks in the decider.

At one stage last Saturday, Gunnedah had a chance of snatching an unlikely first-innings victory.

With the hosts having been dismissed for 121 before the visitors reached 3-70 the previous Saturday, the latter added 15 runs on day two before losing four wickets for 13 runs.

Ash White bowled Jye Paterson and Riley Jones, before Sam Doubleday claimed the prized scalp of Ben Taylor for 39 when Izaak Merlehan took a catch.

White won an lbw appeal against Adam Jones, before 55 runs were added for the next wicket to put Bective East back in control.

Merlehan claimed a wicket via a stumping, before Will Gell and Forbes Boydell put on an unbroken 41-run stand to set up a 73-run lead when captain Matthew Everett declared the innings closed.

Keaton Walters and Justin Carter put on a 28-run opening stand for Gunnedah before they departed on the same total, with Carter smartly stumped down the legside before Walters was ruled lbw.

Merlehan and White were caught-and-bowled, leaving Gunnedah vulnerable at 4-50 in the 25th over.

An ensuing 52-run partnership staved off the prospect of outright defeat, before three wickets fell in the space of 23 balls.

Gunnedah captain Kyle Gallen was more subdued than normal, as he faced 78 balls for his 22 before he was one of two lbw victims for Taylor.

Hayden Doherty finished unbeaten on 48 off 66 balls, while Gunnedah finished on 7-124 from 45 overs.

Taylor finished with match figures of 10-79 off 30.4 overs, in addition to scoring 39.

Bective East 8-194 declared (Will Gell 42 not out, Ben Taylor 39; Ash White 5-36, Izaak Merlehan 2-38) defeated Gunnedah 121 (Kyle Gallen and Justin Carter 38; Ben Taylor 6-39, Jake Everett 2-34) and 7-124 (Hayden Doherty 48 not out; Ben Taylor 4-40, Cooper Jones 2-23) on the first innings.