Burnside break title drought
Burnside West Christchurch University cricket captain Carl Huyser wasn’t exaggerating after his side’s win on Sunday when he said it had been a ‘‘long time between drinks’’ for the club.
The batsman was overwhelmed with his side’s 21-run win over defending champions and hot favourites Old Boys Collegians after the Burnside club had waited more than 20 years since their last Christchurch metro premier competition win. The most recent was in the early 1990s.
‘‘We weren’t the favourites and Old Boys were coming in defending champions, but we had prepared well all season and all week for this. We had a lot of belief to get here,’’ Huyser said.
Burnside West posted 234 in stifling Christchurch heat, thanks to a handy 62 from fellow opener Tinus Huyser, before they dismissed Old Boys for 213 with 10 overs to spare at Elmwood Park.
Old Boys were on track to knock off the total at 118-4 before star Burnside bowler Jackson Latham stole the show, taking 5-36.
‘‘Jackson Latham, what a match he had. They were pretty much on top and he just come in and ripped them apart,’’ Huyser said.
‘‘It was good to have runs on the board, that was ideal and we are just so happy to get this win.’’
Missing Canterbury legspinner Todd Astle due to his long-awaited Black Caps one-day debut this Wednesday, the Old Boys bowling contingent struggled.
Comeback bowler Edward Nuttall – making a measured return from a back stress fracture – had the side’s best figures with 3-36, pulling back Burnside who were eventually bowled out just short of 50 overs.
Captain Huyser said after playing with the Burnside team for over 10 years this was the best moment he’d had with the club and believed it would be the start of a new era.