HAVING ended a 22-year premiership drought last year, Elmore has made it back-to-back flags in the Northern United Cricket Association.

The Redbacks defeated the reformed Dingee by 39 runs at Elmore on Saturday.

Elmore capitalised on the invitation to bat first by Dingee, cracking 5-175 off its 40 overs set up by an 82-run opening stand between captain Matt Gilmour and man-of-the-match James Harney.

Harney played a superb knock in compiling 84 off 124 with eight boundaries and four sixes, while Gilmour capped a strong season with the bat with 45, with Dingee not taking its first wicket until the 29^th over.

With the foundation laid by the openers, the Redbacks then launched, cracking 93 off their last 10 overs.

The Blowflies were under the pump early in their chase at 2-13 before a much-needed partnership between Adam Baird (58) and veteran Nic Balic (43), who put on 100 for the third wicket.

However, when the stand was broken by Jauvane Bannon (1-17) the Redbacks were able to take a succession of wickets to bowl Dingee out in the 37^th over for 136.

The Blowflies, who returned to the competition this season after being in hiatus in 2019-20, lost Anthony Lawry (3 n.o.) to a hamstring injury during his innings and had to leave the field in a wheelchair.

Elmore's Tyler Oliver produced the game's best bowling figures of 3-12, which included removing Baird, while Harney backed up his 84 with the bat with 2-21 with the ball.

"It's a great result for the boys, especially for someone like James Harney who was there five or six years ago when the club was getting thrashed every week... to now be where we are is great," Elmore skipper Gilmour said.

"And to beat a class side like Dingee that has been the standard for so long makes it that bit sweeter.

"We knew we'd have to be at our best to beat them today."

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