Col Smyth lets rip for South on Saturday as West skipper Tim Kensell looks on. Photo: Barry Smith 160213BSD20
SOUTH Tamworth failed in its bid to outright West Tamworth but collected just over 10 points from their NICU Tamworth grade clash at No 1 Oval and heads into next weekend’s top of the table clash with North Tamworth on a high.
After mustering just 158 from its first innings, South had West 8-58 at stumps last Saturday and then met some stubborn resistance on Saturday before dismissing West for 95 and enforcing the follow-on.
Batting a second time, West fared much better and, when stumps were drawn at around 5.20pm, had made it to 3-143.
“We batted a lot better this week,” West skipper Tim Kensell said of a team that went back to basics.
“We left the right ball and played the right one.
“We applied ourselves a lot better.
“But the damage was done last week.
“Full credit to South – they outplayed us.”
Batting a second time ,Kensell, who suffered a painful neck problem in the first week, opened the innings to make 32.
He and Shaun Stevenson (33) put on 67 for the opening wicket.
Daniel Hartley (17), Matt Kent (31no) and Mark Madden (11no) also weathered the South bowling attack.
Col Smyth finished the West first innings to claim 1-12 and then took 1-43 on Saturday.
James Psarakis (1-13 off 11) and Chris Skilton (1-2) also picked up wickets but the bowling stars from the first week, Angus McNeil (0-30) and James Hammond (0-38), who both picked up four wickets in the first-week rout, went wicketless on Saturday.
“West did bat pretty well today,” South captain Tom Groth said.
“Matt Kent put his head down and we couldn’t get him out.
“But we didn’t catch very well either.
“We dropped three catches today and bowled a heap of no-balls. That didn’t help.”
South Tamworth’s haul of 10.18 points leaves it almost 12 points behind North Tamworth on the Tamworth first grade premiership table.
