Griffins hold upper hand against Mid-Canterbury
Nelson’s Ngawhatu Park is earning a reputation as a batsman’s graveyard.
The Nelson Griffins’ batsmen couldn’t break the shackles on a bowler-friendly pitch on day one of their Hawke Cup warm up cricket match against Mid Canterbury on Sunday. But they still fared marginally better than the visiting batsmen as Nelson ended day one of their two-day fixture narrowly ahead in a low-scoring game.
Nelson are already into their second innings, with only a total of 211 runs scored in the day’s 104 overs.
Fortunately for Nelson, their first innings total of 111 was enough to establish a lead after their bowlers were able to dismiss Mid Canterbury for just 87 in their reply.
Nelson had reached 13 without loss at stumps for an overall lead of 37 runs with all 10 second innings wickets in hand.
Still, day two doesn’t promise to offer the batsmen any significant change in fortunes after the bowlers of both sides predictably dominated proceedings.
Nelson opening batsman Mason Thelin led all scorers with 35 runs, the normally attacking left-hander settling for just two boundaries after facing 79 balls.
Thelin curbed his natural instincts and showed plenty of patience as he attempted to build a partnership. He lost three partners with the total at just 44 before his was the fourth wicket to fall with Nelson’s score at 75.
Newcomer Nic Clark settled nicely for 25 runs, although he faced 95 balls and, like Thelin, managed just two boundaries. Batting at No 9, Dylan Eginton was the only other Nelson batsman to reach double figures with 10 off 16 balls, including the game’s only six so far.
Mid Canterbury’s bowlers prospered, opening seamer Deon Biggs finishing with 4-33, Keiran Hunt 3-32 and skipper Bevan Ravenscoft a miserly 2-5 off his 10 overs.
However, it was merely a pointer to Nelson’s own success at the crease as the home-town attack similarly took full advantage of the conditions.
Under the circumstances, Mid Canterbury’s innings appeared to be building nicely at 40-1 as opener Tom Ravenscroft (21) and topscorer Ryan Cockburn (22) attempted to lay some sort of foundation. However, the loss of Ravenscroft for 21 at 40-2 sparked a procession of wickets as Nelson’s attack quickly snatched the initiative.
Young left-arm spinner Felix Murray would eventually earn the major spoils, taking 5-22 off 15.2 overs when he dismissed Bevan Ravenscroft to end the innings in the 50th over.
The economy rates of Nelson’s entire attack made impressive reading though, with Nelson College seamer Tom Zohrab also revelling in the conditions to finish the innings with 3-16 off his 11 overs. Hayden Ingham conceded nine runs off five wicketless overs and Eginton seven off four.