Glen Innes fell an agonising seven runs short of a Connolly Cup grand final finish.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They hosted Narrabri in Sunday’s semi-final at sent the visitors in to bat first.
Glen’s opening bowling pairing of Jake Baker and Matt Campion set to work early.
Campion removed opener Shane Murphy for seven and Baker sent Narrabri captain Craig Gleeson packing for a duck.
A 105 not out from the visitors’ number four batsman Justin Knight proved vital on Narrabri’s way to 6-192 after their 50 overs.
For Glen Innes, Campion finished with three wickets, Baker two and Luke Hodgson one.
The hosts got through the first over unscathed but when Narrabri’s Sam Bullen stepped up to bowl, he managed to dismiss Glen opener Ian Law for two.
Andrew Symons and Matt Campion stepped up to steady their side’s innings with Symons smacking 49 runs from 54 balls.
Brandon Levy departed the crease as quickly as he arrived with a duck.
Campion left on his hard-fought 15, quickly followed by Perry Stapleton with 28 and Glen were in for a battle at 5-99.
Joel Jackson was caught on 12 followed by skipper Nathan Purvis on eight.
Tom Chard was run out on three before Greg Wilkins and Nick Levy put on a 34-run partnership.
Levy whacked 25 runs from 15 balls before he was caught, leaving Wilkins and Hodgson at the crease with the tough task of securing the final 34 runs required to book their spot in the decider.
At 9-186, Hodgson managed to find the fielder and Glen Innes were all out and seven runs short.
While disappointed with the end result, Purvis was quick to credit Narrabri’s effort in the field.
“I think we bowled well, I think we fielded pretty good,” he said.
“200 runs on this sort of field, we should have chased it down.
“They had some exceptional outfield catches, a few of our better players got caught on boundary catches and that probably, to their credit, got them over the line.
“It was probably our game to win at the end but we couldn’t get there.”
There is a good mix of experience and young talent among the Glen Innes and Purvis believes, if they stick together, they have the potential to make it one step further.
“Next year. It is a great team of young blokes and they are keen,” he said.
“Certainly to get to the semi-finals is a credit.”
Narrabri will now face Tamworth Blue in the decider. Tamworth bagged their spot on Sunday after a commanding effort against Walcha.
