TAMWORTH recorded its second win over the touring Canterbury Districts Kiwis cricket side with a final-over win at No 1 Oval yesterday.
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Chasing Canterbury’s 6-210, Tamworth finished 8-211 off the first ball of the final over when wicketkeeper Matt Everett (13) and allrounder Daniel Cunningham (5) took a quick single.
Earlier, Tamworth skipper Adam Lole (82) and Emus skipper Nick Pearson (42) had set the platform for the win, Lole’s sedate half century contrasted by a quickfire 32-ball 43 from Pearson.
The Kiwi visitors had set a competitive total, with James Richards (42 off 91) and Nathan Wingham (33 off 26) performing similar roles to the Tamworth pair.
Hamish Batley was best of the Tamworth bowlers, his nine overs of pace collecting him 1-23 while Daniel Cunningham (1-40) and Jeff Cook (1-43) were tight in 10-over spells.
Lole said the bowling performance was good given the hot conditions.
“The boys did bowl well in that heat,” Lole said.
“To keep them to 210 on that flat deck was pretty good.
“The Kiwis did struggle in the heat too – it was their seventh straight day of playing on the tour.
“I was a bit slow too, as usual, so we got behind the eight ball a bit but then Pearso came out and played his shots and the boys finished it off.”
He thought Kiwi paceman Henry Winchester (3-39 off 10) “made the ball move off the seam” and spinner Jeremy Benton (2-39) “pushed them through”.
Canterbury skipper James Tapper thought it a good hit-out before the two games against the Emus in Tamworth (Sunday) and Armidale (Monday-Tuesday).
“It was a real good game. It’s always good to play in tight games, especially with the two games against the Emus coming up,” Tapper said.
“It has been pretty hard on the boys too, especially the medium pacers.
“Playing seven days straight in the heat has been hard but we get a day off Saturday (after today’s day/nighter in Gunnedah).
“ We don’t start the Gunnedah game (today) until 3.30pm so that gives us a bit of a break too.”
Tapper thought number three bat James Richards batted well and spinner Jeremy Benton was also accurate.
Today’s day-night game is timed to start at 3.30pm at Wolseley Park, Gunnedah.