'It feels pretty surreal': Superb Tamworth City United go back-to-back

Winning the 2022/23 premiership certainly made a strong argument for them to have earned that label. But after claiming their second-straight title over South Tamworth earlier today, they removed any modicum of doubt.

And for captain Tait Jordan, it felt "pretty unreal".

"After a long stint without winning any, it feels pretty surreal to suddenly have two in the bank just like that," he said.

"It was a really good team effort all around, and I couldn't be happier with the way we performed."

Although most captains like to say that winning a title was a team effort, there are few more apt examples than this weekend's victory.

After Simon Bellamy produced a one-man show with the ball in last year's final, this season's was a stark contrast in that there were no clear standouts for City United.

When Souths won the toss at No. 1 Oval and sent them in to bowl on Saturday, Jordan was unfazed.

"I'm pretty proud of the boys' effort," he said after day one.

"From one to 11, everyone did a job. We keep things pretty simple, and when the pressure comes on at the end of the season, the boys just seem to grow another leg somehow.

"216 on a tough wicket is a pretty big score."

Will Doran led the scoring for the defending premiers with 37, while Bellamy (33) and Jordan himself (26) also made more than 20.

But eight of City United's 11 batters made it into double figures on a day that Souths captain Chris Skilton said was "a bit frustrating".

"We didn't really have much luck," he said.

"There was a few times where they got an inside edge and it missed the stumps, or they played one straight into a gap, or it went over the top. But that's how it goes sometimes.

"They made us stay out there and field the 80."

In the semi-final, Souths' batting gave them the edge over Bective East. But in the grand final, against one of the most well-rounded attacks in the competition, they could not chase down a daunting total.

Though the going was "pretty tough early" for the bowlers, Jordan said, Bellamy again proved himself the man for the occasion and took three quick wickets to break the back of Souths' chase.

From 1-33, they fell to 6-38 and were eventually all out for 75.

Bellamy took 3-15, while paceman Jack McVey chipped in late with 3-9.

"We just kept pushing, didn't let up, and managed to take wickets at regular intervals," Jordan said.

"We didn't let them get away from us at all. It was definitely beyond what I thought was gonna happen, especially after the early stages of the game."

For the second year running, Bellamy was Man of the Match in a grand final.

And after a premiership drought of 26 years, City United have now won two in two and one thing is beyond question: they are, at this moment, the best team in Tamworth cricket.