SO close, but yet so far. That was the case for the Belmore Bulls as they fell just 3 runs short of victory at the weekend.
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Needing just one run an over for the last three, Jaygan Bowd and Gavin Newton-Smith just couldn’t get the telling shot away and succumb to an agonising loss at the hands of Rouchel.
With just 6 runs coming from their final 5 batsman, a once comfortable chase fell to pieces with four ducks.
The Clydsdales will take much of the responsibility for the win too, as Andrew top scored with 44 and Peter took a team-high 3 wickets.
It added to a couple of other tight contests, with Bushrangers fending off Murrurundi by 23 runs and Bunnan falling short of Aberdeen by just 25.
Craig Bates 51 wasn’t enough to get his side over the line in that game, as Bunnan’s four ducks cost them in their pursuit of 190, while Lee Wilson’s 3 wickets led a strong team performance for Bushrangers as they put their bowling woes behind them to restrict their opponents to just 167.
Scores were less even in the Brook Blue verses Belltrees match though as the visitors stormed over the top with 242, which the home side got no where near as they worked their way to just 115.
Will Osmond was comfortably man of the match taking 6 for 21 with the ball and putting on a great knock with the bat as he brought up a century.
In the other game, league leaders Merriwa had no trouble with Brook Silver, racking up a dominant 195 run win.
After round six, that leaves Merriwa, Rouchel, Aberdeen and Belltrees holding onto the top four spots, with Murrurundi, Bunnan and Bushrangers hoping to displace them, while the Bulls and the Brook sides will require immediate and substantial improvement if they’re to threaten for a finals spot.