In an exciting conclusion to the Cobar Senior Cricket Summer 2024/25 season, Back Door Bandits emerged victorious in the Twenty/20 final, defeating Howie’s Hombres by 21 runs.
The match, played on Saturday night at Ward Oval, saw Back Door Bandits post a total of 4/139 before restricting Howie’s Hombres to 5/118 in a tense chase.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Back Door Bandits made a steady start but faced early wickets.
Openers Mathew Shepherd and Beigh Hillier were dismissed cheaply, leaving the middle order to rebuild.
The team’s innings was anchored by Tristan Everett, whose sublime 56 not out off 42 balls, including five boundaries and a six, helped lift them to a competitive total.
Despite Jayden Potts (15 off 13) and Tim Hillam (23 off 29) falling in quick succession, Jed Noonan (21 not out off 14) ensured the team finished strong with his brisk cameo.
The Bandits reached a total of 4/139 after 20 overs.
In reply, Howie’s Hombres began cautiously, with Alec Fraser and Jay Egan providing solid starts but both falling early to the Back Door Bandits’ bowlers.
Their middle order struggled to build partnerships, with Andrew Hill contributing a quickfire 24 off 20 balls before losing his wicket to Jed Noonan.
A valiant late stand by Adam Doherty (13 not out off 8 balls) and Ben McBride (4 not out off 3) tried to push the total, but the Bandits’ bowlers were too tight, and Howie’s Hombres fell short of the target to finish at 5/118.
The Bandits’ bowlers kept tight control throughout the innings, with Noonan (2/24) and Everett (1/17) leading the charge.
Tom Plater (1/12) and James Anderson (0/9) were also effective in containing Howie’s Hombres, while Hillier chipped in with a crucial wicket of his own.
On the bowling front, Graham Harbison (1/21) and Fraser (1/6) were the pick of the bowlers for Howie’s Hombres, although the team could not make enough breakthroughs to slow down the Bandits’ inning.
Hill (1/9) also contributed with a key wicket, but the Bandits’ total proved to be out of reach.—contributed
