Mick Rixon put on a hard fought 29 at the top of the McDonald’s innings but he ran out of support.

Jack Beaumont played another defiant innings down the order top scoring with a sizzling 36 from just 23 balls as Maccas were all out for 130 with one over to spare. Gunnedah import Troy Sands opened and did it in style with 55 from just 35 balls.

Steggles finished at 3-131 with captain Ben Middlebrook (22) guiding them home, while across the road the closest game of the season was unravelling.

Halpin’s got off to a flyer with captain Matt Everett (16), Craig Baker (24), and Tyson Rennie (25) getting the side to 0-50 from eight overs before the bowlers got on top and slowed them down.

When they crept home at 6-115 the Tigers were in the box seat, until Col Smyth tore through the top order.

Smyth was on 3-9 in his third over but finished with a wicket on his last ball to have Steggles at 4-36 early.

Brad Jenkinson (23) and Anthony Bellington (26) saw Smyth out and got the side back on track. But then the wickets started to fall.

Tenth and eleventh bats AJ Langenbaker and Mitch Newman found themselves together at 9-85 with 30 to get.

They dug in and hit the loose balls to the boundary, with Matt Everett whipping off the gloves and pads to bowl two overs at the death.

Five runs off his first over had the Tigers needing eight off the final two. Newman ran a double then single on the offside to win with three balls to spare.