Shaky start to claim win over St Peter’s

The Hinuera A cricket team was away on grass to St Peter’s Cambridge in the latest round of the Waikato Valley Cricket’s Champions Trophy competition.

What should have been a twoday match became a standard 50-over game on Saturday as rain cancelled play the previous weekend.

Hinuera needed points from this game. With three of the usual players away, it was a slightly different line up.

Captain Anthony Marsh lost the toss and the boys bowled on a dry, slightly slower wicket. Again extras could have been the problem but wickets luckily came reasonably consistently meaning St Peter’s couldn’t really create a strong partnership.

Alan Tappin got the first break through in the 9th over and quickly followed up with another with the total at 58.

A 38-run partnership was finally broken by Jayden Park who finished a fine spell of bowling with 4/28 from 7 overs. His spell and Ben Blackett’s of 2/7 off 2 and Andrew Tiddy 2/21 off 4.3 proved to be the defining point with this young team bowled out in the 30th over for 141.

Opening again, Tiddy was quickly gone with 11 in the 4th over.

Four down, 59 runs and in the 19th over, opener Scott Mitchell was joined by David Scholtz and a 62-run partnership pushed Hinuera to a much needed 121. Run out on 41 after a patient innings, Hinuera again got the wobbles but did manage to reach the total in the 36th over with 8 wickets down.

Scholtz finished with 28 and Ben Blackett with a key 14 notout. They will take the points but it certainly wasn’t a perfect game and could have quite easily have not finished well. The Hinuera Bs had the long trip to Te Kuiti and have to be thanked for providing the two players for the As.

Hinuera A plays Paeroa this weekend.

-Leanne Green