Paul Abra in driving form at Dick Edwards Oval on Saturday. Photo: Barry Smith 120113BSD21
PAUL Abra snared his first points of the Tamworth first grade best and fairest award when he helped his Old Boys side claim another big scalp in Saturday’s 58-run win over South Tamworth at Dick Edwards Oval.
The 30-year-old sales rep topscored with 32 for Old Boys in their 178 and then fielded neatly as his side routed the reigning premiers for 120.
Born and bred in Attunga, he would have been playing for Attunga as usual except the Manilla competition folded.
That left him and a number of his teammates clubless so they “came into town”.
“Seven of us are playing throughout the grades at Old Boys,” Abra said.
“We’re enjoying it too. They’re all good blokes at Old Boys.
“It’s good to be scoring a few runs too. That was a good win today too.
“They were 0-60 at one stage chasing 178.
“It’s a funny game though. We hung in there and got a few wickets and it all changed.”
South was 0-66 when Josh Crowe, who leads the B&F competition, holed out to a good catch by Matty Fullwood at deep midwicket off the bowling of young Will Chesterfield.
It started a domino effect.
Four balls later and Troy Osborne was given out lbw off his bat and pad and then next ball James Psarakis was out for a golden duck.
At 3-66, South was floundering even more as Old Boys turned the screws.
“Our first spell with the ball wasn’t the best,” Abra
admitted. “But we bowled a lot better after drinks.”
He received the three points, Ben Middlebrook was surprised when he was given the two points and Angus McNeil received one point after he claimed 3-33 from his eight overs.
West Tamworth offspinner Adam Penman deserved the three points when he and Dan Hartley saved the West innings with an 88-run sixth wicket stand and then took 2-15 off his eight overs against City United.
The chubby allrounder tonked a six and five fours in his unbeaten 53 and, with Hartley (47), who hit nine fours, gave West something to defend.
Chasing 8-175, City United was 2-65 but fell away to be all out for 147.
Hartley and Daniel Cunningham (4-31) received the two and one.
The batsmen dominated the B&F points in the game between North Tamworth and Bective East.
They accounted for all three, with Redbacks captain Michael Rixon collecting the three for his part in their 80- run win.
He laid the foundation for them to post 3-225, batting through the innings and finishing unbeaten on 112.
With the mercury topping 40 it was a brutal day to be out there for 80 overs – 40 batting and then 40 fielding – but Rixon had plenty to smile about at the end.
It was his second ton for the season.
“There was a period there where I struggled and got a bit tired but I got a second wind towards the end,” he said.
He faced 133 balls for his 112 and had Kris Halloran’s company for a lot of it.
They really set things up for the Redbacks with a 166-run second wicket partnership.
Halloran made 72 and for his part picked up the two points.
Bective skipper Nick Pearson received the one for his 51.
His dismissal was a turning point, with the Bulls on top at that point.
