Ingham century ensures victory
A century by opening batsman Tom Ingham highlighted Waimea Toi Toi United’s 47-run win over home team Wanderers at Brightwater on Saturday.
Ingham hit 148 runs off 168 balls, including 19 fours and three sixes, as the mainstay of WTTU’s 248-run offering to kickstart the second half of this season’s Car Company Nelson 110-overs premier club cricket series.
Kurt Thompson’s 23 was the next highest contribution as the pair added 58 runs for the fourth wicket, Hayden Ingham (4-34) emerging as Wanderers’ leading wicket-taker.
A threatening century partnership between Wanderers batsmen Tom Cross and Joe O’Connor ultimately stood between WTTU and victory.
So it was with absolute relief that WTTU seamer Jon Routhan finally bowled Cross for 75 at 151-5 in the 21st over of their reply to spark Wanderers’ eventual demise. It ended an imposing 115-run stand between Wanderers’ two most dangerous batsmen as WTTU’s bowlers quickly tightened the noose.
Chasing a 249-run victory target after WTTU had been dismissed for 248 in 59.1 overs, Wanderers were finally all out for 201 as their last six wickets fell for just 50 runs.
Cross’ 75 had come off just 50 balls, including 13 fours and three sixes, with O’Connor eventually departing for for 57 off 47 balls (nine fours) at 175-7 to effectively end Wanderers’ resistance. Josh Newport (3-33) and Jon Routhan (3-15) were the main destroyers.
At 77 without loss, Wakatu must have seriously entertained the notion of finally ending Stoke Nayland’s unbeaten run.
Chasing 168 runs for victory at Victory Square, Wakatu’s opening batsmen Aaron Dron and Jared Exeter appeared to have their team’s fate in their hands.
But as is so often the way with skittery Wakatu batting lineups, disaster inevitably struck as the home team eventually lost all 10 wickets for just 30 runs to hand Stoke Nayland a comfortable 60-run win.
There had been few batting highlights in Stoke Nayland’s earlier 167-run innings as openers Kendall Hodson (21) and Ben Homan (29), Paddy Howes (24) and an aggressive late 39-run contribution by Daniel Dwyer off 34 balls at least offered their bowlers some sort of challenge.
Dron had already made his presence felt, taking 4-22 off 12 miserly overs as young Hunter Cavill (2-32) and offspinner Jared Exeter (2-20) lent their support.
Dron backed that up with a typically belligerent 52 runs off 41 balls, including eight fours and two sixes as the dominant partner in his opening stand with Exeter (19).
But with Dron gone at 77-1 in the 14th over, Stoke Nayland’s bowlers quickly took control as Wakatu finally crumbled for 107 23 overs later.
Seamer Marty King finished with immaculate figures of 4-8 off his 11 overs, including seven maidens, with opening bowler Dylan Eginton taking 3-39.
An unbeaten half century by David Zohrab and a late flourish by Ben Hazlett helped ease Nelson College to a comfortable six-wicket win over Athletic College Old Boys at the Botanics.
With the students chasing 132 runs for victory, a six by Hazlett off Matt Grimes eventually sealed victory in the 37th over of their reply at 134-4, leaving Zohrab 50 not out and Hazlett 32 not out off just 24 balls. A 57-run stand between Zohrab and his twin brother Thomas had earlier produced the key partnership after a momentary hiccup at 11-2. But when Thomas departed for 25 as the second of seamer Willem Ludick’s three victims at 68-3, Nic Clark (12) and Hazlett continued the momentum, Hazlett ultimately playing the dominant role in an unbroken 45-run partnership.
The Zohrabs had also previously delivered with ball in hand, seamer Thomas taking 4-23 and his offspinning brother 2-24 to help restrict the home team to 131 off 36.3 overs.
Opener Jimmy Graham’s 48-run offering of 85 balls was the stand-out effort in ACOB’s other- wise muted batting effort, Cory Larson providing some support with 20. But with Hazlett (2-32) and Finn Raxworthy (2-31) also chipping in with useful wickets, Nelson College’s run-chase was never likely to pose a genuine problem.