'I thought the game was over': Redbacks defend Bush Cricket title

Having been sent in to bat first on Saturday and scoring 205 from their 30 overs, the Redbacks were initially confident.

Dean Hoy (34*), Andrew Collins (36), and Tony O'Connor (40) led the scoring for North Tamworth, while Rod Newton (4-16) was the pick of the opposing Nemingha bowlers.

But when Nemingha reached 2-101 in reply at the 15 over mark, Pearson became less assured.

"It was very tense," he said.

"When they were two for 100 at drinks, I thought the game was already over, but some tight bowling in the end got us there."

Newton (40) and Sam Tomlinson (32) had gotten Nemingha off to a rollicking start in the run chase.

However, once the wickets began to fall, the scoring dried up as the Redbacks bowlers found a groove and became hard to get away.

Craig Vincent (38), who came in at number six, was the only batter late in the order to make more than 12.

Meanwhile, Hoy (3-19) and Collins (2-12) backed up their batting performances with a spate of wickets, and earned further praise from Pearson.

"Andrew Collins, Dean, and Andrew Mepham were all good with the ball," he said.

"They bowled nice tight lines and didn't really give them much to hit in the last six overs."

The Redbacks' stranglehold with the ball was tight enough to ensure that Nemingha couldn't capitalise on its strong start, and fell just 13 runs short by the end of the innings.

It was a thrilling game down to the last over, and particularly pleasing for Pearson considering Nemingha had been the top team in 2021/22.

"Nemingha was the top side all year, so they were the one to beat coming in to the final," he said.

"But we ended up getting the chocolates on the day. It was a good game all round, everyone played some good cricket."

The title was North Tamworth's second in as many years, and the victory vindicated the pressure that Pearson and the Redbacks had felt throughout the season.

"Everyone wants to beat you after you win the grand final," he said.

Given their position as defending champions, Pearson believed a second consecutive title was on the cards from the outset of the season, but didn't want to get ahead of himself.

"[A grand final] is always what you want to play for at the start of the year," he said.

"We scraped a few wins together and ended up making it. It was a good year by all the boys."

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