Eric Higgins’ side began the season with a narrow loss to Narrabri but hit back with a 68-run win at Gunnedah’s Wolseley Park and is now in contention for the War Vets final and the Country Cup playoffs.

“That’s why it was good to get this win,” Higgins said.

“Tamworth is always too strong but the other sides are at a similar standard, which makes it a good comp.

“It’s just that no one can beat Tamworth but someone will one day.”

He hopes that someone can be his side this Sunday.

It will be a tough ask though, with Country Under 17 stars Aaron Flaherty and Brendan Reynolds away playing against City, though Tamworth will be without Josh Hazlewood after his NSW call-up.

“Unfortunately we’ll lose Brendan and Aaron which is a big blow,” Higgins said.

“But we’ll bring the Orchard boys (Tim and John) back in and they’re handy players.

“Cookie won’t be playing for them either and Ben Middlebrook isn’t playing for them now.

“But they’re always strong.”

Inverell’s total of 134 was more than enough on a tricky wicket at Gunnedah.

“It didn’t play badly,” Higgins said.

“It was a bit slow early on which we’re not used to.

“But it probably quickened up when we were bowling so that helped our bowlers.”

Not that the Inverell pace attack needed much help, with Reynolds snaring 5-15 and Jake Turner 1-14 as Gunnedah folded for 66.

But Inverell will need to score more runs against Tamworth than it did on Sunday.

“Like I said, someone has to beat them some day,” Higgins said.

“The thing is 200 or 250 isn’t enough against them.

“Their bowling is good, although they don’t have Mitch Power as their spinner anymore so they’re probably going through a transition there.

“But they do have their Connolly Cup sides as well to call on.”

Gunnedah’s next opponent is also Tamworth, in the War Vets Cup in two weeks.

It bowed out of the Country Cup last week and has to pick up a couple of victories in the War Vets Cup to stay in the race in that competition too.

“We’ve got Tamworth, Armidale and Narrabri and if we can beat Armidale and Narrabri it’ll be good,” Gunnedah captain Ben Middlebrook said.

“In the end no one expects us to compete anyway.

“But I think we can even go all right against Tamworth.

“The fielding and bowling was good, we probably just need to do better in the wides department.”

But Middlebrook said his side’s biggest challenge, as has been the case at Gunnedah for several years, was to concentrate when at the crease.