Last season’s losses still dog Taupo¯ Cricket Club
Having started their Baywide season with a commanding ninewicket win over Tauranga Boys Premiers earlier this month, GM Painters Lake Taupo¯ Cricket Club thought they had put the ghosts of last season behind them. However at Owen Delany Park last Saturday, those ghosts returned with a vengeance in the first home game of the season.
Sending the Rotorua Central Indians into bat on a bowlerfriendly pitch, the visitors started well. The consistent line and length of Taupo¯ seamer Will Perry got the breakthrough, knocking over Rotorua opener Ryan Neves.
Young Taupo¯ seam bowler Nathan McNeish, 17, made his premier debut and opened the bowling in place of injured strike bowler Roger Urbahn. McNeish was supported well by brother Josh who returned 2/17 from six overs.
Some sharp fielding and tight bowling from a young home team kept the visitors contained until a partnership of 55 between Northern Ma¯ori representative Chris Tupaea and UK professional Jake Rowe guided their team to a defendable total of 163.
Taupo¯ got off to a shaky start when off-season UK recruit Michael Mitchell was strangled down the leg side by opening bowler Tupaea. A resilient 26 from opening batsman Perry and a wellcrafted 55 from UK recruit Ewan Williams guided Taupo¯ to of 71/1 after 20 overs. The wheels started to fall off as Perry was undone by spin and Captain Habib Malik followed shortly after. Rotorua Captain Stephen Nichols bowled well with a five-wicket bag and the home side was all out for just 114 in the 42nd over. The local lads knew it was their game to lose after dominating it. An away fixture against tu¯moetai Cadets at the ¯O Tauranga Domain they look to bury the ghosts and give the home side a scare of their own.
Score: Rotorua Central Indians defeated GM Painters Lake Taupo¯ CC by 49 runs.
Rotorua Central Indians 163 all out — Jake Rowe 34, Will Perry 3-46, Josh McNeish 2/17, Habib Malik 2/15. GM Painters Lake Taupo¯ CC 114 all out — Ewan Williams 55, Stephen Nichols 5/16.