The visitors overcame an uncertain start to post 9-200 from their 50 overs before the hosts lasted just 27.4 overs.

Tom Fitzgerald scored a vital 51 at first drop for the visitors after they lost their second wicket at 33.

A score of 8-153 suggested Gunnedah was right back in the contest, but the tail wagged as Dave Brannan (27) and Tait Jordan (23 not out) added 46 for the ninth wicket.

Tariq Habib was the pick of Gunnedah’s bowlers with 4-32 while another spinner, Vinnie Winsor, had 1-28 as he too bowled 10 overs.

The hosts were rocked as Jordan struck in each of his first three overs. He finished with 5-17 from eight overs, while left-arm orthodox spinner Jack Richards nabbed 2-18 from nine overs.

Gunnedah was 8-36 before captain Blake Small (20) and Troy Sands (13) added 28 for the ninth wicket after Trent Lumby (13) was the only top six batsman to score more than four.

Tamworth skipper Tim Unwin considered it was a good toss to win, as he was eager to get runs on the board.

“We expected it to play a bit low later in the day, which it did,” he said of the pitch.

“We thought anything above 180 (batting first) would be good.”

In the bowling department, Unwin made mention of Jordan and Richards, who had played a mixture of one-day cricket, two-day cricket and T20s lately.

“Jordan bowled really well to get his five (wickets)...Jack’s been in really good form no matter what cricket he’s playing,” Unwin said.

Gunnedah’s skipper meanwhile felt that it was one of those days when things “just didn’t go right at all”.

“If you drop catches you lose matches,” Small said.

As for the run chase, Small said: “We got ourselves out, really, playing silly shots and that sort of stuff.”

The result at Gunnedah took Tamworth to 18 points alongside Armidale, who were six-wicket winners over competition leaders Gwydir in Armidale. After Gwydir was dismissed for 108, Jos McDonald (30 not out) and Ben Spence (14 not out) steered the hosts to 6-109 inside 37 overs.