Bective-East were able to manufacture a draw with North Tamworth Redbacks, but even a first innings win would not have saved them from being overtaken by Old Boys who savaged South Tamworth’s premiership hopes at Chaffey Park.

After reducing Souths to 7-52 in reply to OB’s 156, the reigning premiers took just 5.5 overs on Saturday to dismiss South for 65 and then dismissed them a second time for 137.

That left them 47 to make in the final hour and Simon Norvill (21no) and Abel Carney (24no) did that 9.3 overs, reaching 0-48.

“It was a good win for us,” Old Boys skipper Ben Middlebrook said of a pink stumps day that continued at the North Tamworth Bowling Club and a trivia night in aid of the McGrath Foundation.

“We did have the best of the conditions though, but it was good to get a victory again and hopefully kick on next week.” Middlebrook and young seamer Chris Coulton both claimed 4-30 from their 14 and 16 over stints while Tom Groth top scored with 51 for Souths.

He and Josh Crowe (40) put on 54 for the fourth wicket before Middlebrook ended Crowe’s innings.

Groth was the last man out.

“Very disappointing,” South skipper James Psarakis said.

“We weren’t up to standard, batting, bowling or fielding. We’ve got a lot to work on. ”At Dick Edwards Oval Ben Semmler tore through their order twice to pick up 10 wickets that included a hat-trick.

Following a 71 from wicketkeeper Dan Whale, City became the only side to post more than 200 runs on the notorious Dick Edwards Oval wicket last week (203) to set up their first outright of the season.

Wests resumed at 2-24 but Semmler made short work of them with the help of a slightly damp pitch that was “popping”.

The opener took the first five wickets in the first innings before snaring a hat-trick to take the final three as Wests crumbled to be all out for 65.

Mark Madden doing his level best to save the game with a 23 at the top of the order, although facing 111 balls for the top score.

Campbell Baker and Tim Kensell the next best with 11 each.

Adam Cruickshank was the final wicket in the hat-trick with Mackenzie Morrison taking a screamer at short cover.

Cruickshank then had the unenviable duty of facing the next ball as well, as Wests were sent back in and then had the unenviable long walk back to the pavillion as he copped another duck – this time run out after slipping over on the damp surface.

Madden again put up a fight with a 34, this time from 76 balls as his side fell around him.

Tim Kensell’s unbeaten 48 wasn’t enough as a 10-man Wests fell for 117, 21 runs short of sending City back to the crease.

Tait Jordan took 3-19 from his nine overs, but the day belonged to Semmler who bowled City back into finals contention.

They still have a lot of work to do, not quite one point ahead of Souths, but drawing one day champs Norths in the final two day game before the finals. City captain Simon Toyer praised the efforts of Semmler as well as Whale for setting the win up.

“The last few years we have played dead rubbers at this time of year,” Toyer said.

“It is just great to be playing for something in the final game.” 

o At No.1 Oval, Bective-East scratched out a draw after their run chase was delayed by a wet wicket. 

The TDCA rules stipulate that if the team batting second isn’t able to receive the same number of overs in their first innings as the team batting first, and is not all out at the end of the allotted overs the game is deemed a draw. 

Chasing the Redbacks 6-265, the Bulls finished with 8-160 after Col Smyth (10no) and Lachie Davidson (4no) batted out the final nine overs.

Adam Jones earlier made 74 and Matt Everett a patient 24 before Adam Greentree (5-47) steamrolled the middle order to send the Bulls into survival mode.

TAMWORTH FIRST GRADETABLE 

(Unofficial): Old Boys 91.04, Norths 83.31, Bective 69.84, City United 50.88, Souths 48.97, Wests 19.13