Sawtell wins back to back North Coast Premier League Cricket titles

Reigning champions hold on to win by 34 runs in the 2020/21 North Coast Premier League decider and Richardson Park.

Sawtell defeated Northern Districts to win the 2020/21 North Coast Premier League title at Richardson Park, Sawtell on Sunday, 28th March, 2021.

Sawtell Cricket Club has won back to back North Coast Premier League titles by defeating Northern Districts Rebels by 34 runs in the grand final at Richardson Park.

Opener Trent Mitchell (51 off 65 balls) set the platform on Saturday as Sawtell’s top scorer, before valuable contributions from Alec Baldwin (23 off 70), Trent Dierick (37 off 44), Tyh Murphy (37 off 105) and Matthew Riddoch (23 off 44) pushed Sawtell’s total to 190 off 72.4 overs.

Young leg spinner Lachlan Carlyle and Blake Austin led the way with the ball for Northern Districts, each taking 4 for 58, off 27.4 and 22 overs respectively.

Northern Districts were always behind the eight-ball on Sunday after losing wickets early, but were never out of contention as Ian Slapp (26 off 111), Damon Rootes (22 off 45) and Alex Byrne (20 off 42) all made starts, at one point requiring 62 runs for victory with five wickets in hand when the score was 5 for 129.

But things slid downhill after Baldwin stumped his opposite number Simon Donald (15 off 49) off Sawtell captain Richie Gallichan’s (2 for 44 off 17.1) bowling. The Northern Districts tail failed to fire and captain Taj Dosanjh (55 off 78), who was involved in a 53-run 6th wicket partnership with Donald, succumbed to opening bowler Jack Horseman (2 for 25 off 14) when he was brought back into the attack.

Humraj Singh (1 off 7) was the last man out, caught in close by Mitchell off Gallichan, with the total on 156 off 63.1 overs.

Sawtell only used four bowlers, with Charlie Howard (2 for 26 off 11) and Dierick (3 for 57 off 21) the other contributors.

It was Sawtell’s second premiership in a row after behind handed the title in 2020/21 as the first team through to the grand final when it was abandoned due to wet weather.

Meanwhile captain Brad Chard led from the front in Tucabia-Copmanhurst’s six-wicket victory over Brothers in Clarence River Premier League grand final at Grafton.

CRCA premier league grand final between Tucabia and Brothers at Ellem Oval. Photos: Adam Hourigan

The former Australian Under-19 fast bowler took 5 for 38 off 16.1 overs as Tucabia restricted Brothers to just 102. After the top order passed the first innings total four wickets down, Chard (47*) was involved in a 65-run 10th wicket stand with Taine Riley (20) to push the score to 210 and bury buried any hopes of a Brothers comeback.

The Lower Clarence First Grade grand final was abandoned for the second week in a row due to the recent floods, with undefeated minor premiers Lawrence handed the premiership and Yamba the runners up.