Cricket: Old Boys eek out narrow win over South Tamworth in Quirindi

It was not due to the aesthetic nature of the venue - on the contrary, Quirindi's Longfield Oval is quite beautiful.

No, what deterred Middlebrook was the state of the match.

"I was a bit nervous, I'm not the best watcher of cricket when it gets close," Middlebrook said.

With one wicket left, Old Boys needed eight runs to close out a game that, initially, had looked like it would only need an hour or two to wrap up.

"I don't think we played that well," was Middlebrook's assessment of Old Boys' performance.

They did, however, start very well.

Just seven overs after Souths had won the toss and elected to bat, they were 5-16 and teetering on the verge of a disastrous collapse.

The pitch had been a major factor, with extreme variations in bounce and a spin-friendly disposition.

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"We had them five for 20, we should have rolled them for 50, 60, 70," Middlebrook said.

"There was a lot of guys from their point of view who are inexperienced in first grade. But full credit to Benny Murphy, he came in and hit the ball clean."

Murphy's 80 was Souths' only double-digit score, and propelled them to a total of 142 all out.

Old Boys got off to a strong start in their response. At 1-84, with Adam McGuirk set on 22 and Middlebrook hitting his straps, the end seemed nigh for Souths.

But a disastrous mix-up in the middle resulted in McGuirk being run out, and evidently fuming in the aftermath.

"Adam's not talking to me," Middlebrook said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

It sparked a streak of wickets which left the previously-assured Old Boys in shambles at 6-97.

It was only the efforts of Mitchell Swain (27 not out), batting at number six, that delivered them from complete disaster.

Not that it was easy. Wickets continued to fall at the other end as Daniel Lawrence (3-25) produced a lionhearted spell of eight overs.

And despite a shaky back-foot drive that hung in the air with one run needed, Swain saw Old Boys through to a much-needed win.

"I'm just happy we got the points, it keeps us a bit closer to that third spot," a tired Middlebrook said.

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