Patel chips in during victory
After a couple of games as 12th man for Central Districts, Manawatu¯ ’s Navin Patel relished the chance to be let loose on Horowhenua Ka¯ piti.
The pace bowler chipped in with bat and ball as Manawatu¯ beat Horowhenua Ka¯ piti on first innings at Manawaroa Park yesterday, the first Hawke Cup game of the season.
The 23-year-old Patel has been with the CD squad for their first three games of the season, but hasn’t been in the starting XI.
For Manawatu¯ he took 2-61 as Horowhenua Ka¯ piti scored 195 batting first, then Patel top scored with 69 not out in Manawatu¯ ’s innings of 308-8 declared, earning them precious first-innings points in the Furlong Cup.
‘‘I’ve been in the 12 for the first few games,’’ Patel said. ‘‘I’ve been bowling a lot while I’m in there, but it’s different bowling in a game situation.’’
Patel should be in the team when CD play Otago in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Horowhenua Ka¯piti scored 193-4 in their second innings, with a lead of 80 runs, before they called the game off.
‘‘It was a pretty flat, slow pitch,’’ Patel said. ‘‘They batted pretty well and they had one good partnership took time out out the game. ‘‘It made it hard for us to push for the outright.’’
It is a good start to the season for Manawatu¯ after their first two games were rained off last year and Patel praised the all-round performance of his team-mates.
Horowhenua-kapiti won the toss and batted first on Saturday, but lost three early wickets.
No 3 Kelsey Fahey (43) and Jamie Pinfold (55) mounted a fightback, but Manawatu¯ kept chipping away.
Seamers Patel and Ray Toole knocked over the top order with two wickets each, then Tim Richards finished the job off, taking 4-35 from 21.5 overs.
Most of Manawatu¯ ’s batting order then made a contribution as they reached 151-3 by stumps.
Opener Whetu Na Nagara scored a patient 64 from 148 balls and by the time he was out yesterday, Manawatu¯ had overhauled Horowhenua Ka¯ piti’s first-innings total.
Manawatu¯ had a narrow lead at one point, but Patel came in at No 9 and hit 69 not out from 59 balls, including three sixes to get them to 308-8 before they declared with a lead of 113.
‘‘We had the mindset to get to 300 to get maximum batting points and we needed to get that before 80 overs,’’ Patel said.
Dave Meiring had earlier scored 39 and Henry Collier 30.
Schoolboy paceman Fraser Bartholemew was the pick of the Horowhenua Ka¯piti bowlers, taking 3-67.
Conor Beleski and Ramesh Subasinghe took two wickets each.
In Horowhenua-kapiti’s second turn at bat, they again lost their openers cheaply, but then Fahey and Dion Sanson dug in. Fahey scored 53 and Sanson 79 before a Henry Collier double strike, as the spinner removed both of them.
Jamie Pinfold and Rory Lorimer then saw them to the close of play with 32 not out and 13 not our respectively.