BECTIVE-EAST and North Tamworth are locked in a must-win game at No. 1 Oval with both sides battling it out for fourth place in the penultimate round.
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The Bulls had to cut their celebrations short after Friday night’s one-day final win, winning the toss and opting to bat against the Redbacks on the same ground they won the short form title on the night before.
Sitting in fifth the Redbacks need to win this match to give themselves a shot at the finals, and after opening pair Brad Redshaw and Lincoln Peters had the top order at 6-61 the odds were tipping in their favour, although a tail wag and a cameo from a former player saved the Bulls and set up a great chase next weekend.
After only getting one game since Christmas at Newcastle club Cardiff, Matt Everett was desperate for some time in the middle, the two clubs getting the paperwork done overnight to let him play, and lucky for the Bulls he did.
Everett opened the batting and absorbed a lot of strike as the Redbacks kept sending his partners back to the shed.
Jye Paterson copped his second duck in as many days, Harrison Kelly also not bothering the scorers after unluckily deflecting the ball onto his wicket.
Toby Whale (12) couldn’t go on and Adam Jones couldn’t back up his player of the final performance the previous evening, holing out to Redshaw for 6, before Nick Pearson (11) and Tyson Rennie (5) followed.
Everett did end up getting his time in the middle, facing 184 balls for a hard earned top score of 51, including a match saving 69 run partnership with number eight James Bellamy who put on a well played 44.
The pair got Bective back to 7-130 before both fell, leaving James Haling (33) and Brad Jenkinson (12) to add a valuable 42 run partnership before Lachlan Davidson (2) was caught in the third last over to be all out for 185.
Redshaw toiled hard all day for Norths, bowling 11 maidens in his 27 overs, taking 4-54, while Peters finished with 3-28, and Adam Mills 2-36. “I thought 200 would be a good score to bowl at,” Jones said.
“Although we were 2-1 early so the boys have done really well to get something to bowl at next week.”
“We enjoyed the one day win last night but are now focussed on this game and the two-day finals.”
