Holiday blues strike batsmen
Horowhenua-Kapiti come back to beat Whanganui outright
HMC Horowhenua-Kapiti reversed last season’s Furlong Cup defeat to Riverview Motel Whanganui by claiming an outright win, despite giving up first-innings points.
That is the final statement on a remarkable weekend of cricket at Donnelly Park where 36 wickets fell for only 485 runs in total across all four turns at bat, with neither side putting together an innings that lasted 50 overs.
Despite being a solid pitch with no gremlins, both sides were feeling the post-holiday blues with a lack of game time, as Whanganui won the toss and chose to bat on Saturday, only to be promptly dismissed for 113.
Without their two most senior batsman in Ben Smith (Central Districts duties) and Mark Fraser (overseas), the top order collapsed to be 51-5, save for skipper Greg Smith (26).
Strike bowler Carter Andrews (5-23) got the ball down right in front to find the batsmen wanting.
The rot continued through the lower order until Hawke’s Bay import Liam Hall (27 not out) had a swing at No 10, before the innings was tidied up in the 41st over, HorowhenuaKapiti’s Jaedyn Dawson (2-22) and Zack Benton (2-29) also having a profitable first session.
But incredibly, Whanganui still found themselves 20 runs ahead and back to batting by the end of the next session, as Horowhenua-Kapiti fell apart to be dismissed for 93.
Only opener Andrew Simpson (29) held his ground to lead his side to a comfortable 60-1, Whanganui giving away a few extras, but once the bowlers got their line right they ripped through the hosts, taking the last nine wickets for just 33 runs.
Batting-allrounder Shaun O’Leary (6-27) added his name to the Whanganui honours board for the second time in just his second representative season, getting the key wicket of Simpson, and then no other batsmen scored more than six runs.
Kinnerley and Hall picked up toporder wickets, while Hadleigh O’Leary (2-3) supported cousin Shaun very ably.
Handed a golden opportunity to bat themselves clear to set up an outright win, Whanganui’s top-order struggles continued as they were back out there late on Saturday afternoon, reaching 64-5 at the close of play.
Dawson (4-19) got Sam Roebuck (22) and Smith (14) before they could get away from the hosts, but Whanganui still held the advantage with both O’Learys, Shaun (35) and Hadleigh (29), having played themselves in.
But the die was cast after the first hour on Sunday, where despite putting on a 50-run partnership, both O’Learys fell in the space of six runs to Dawson and Jesse Parker (3-28) to expose the tail.
The last four wickets went for just 19 runs, leaving Whanganui a target of 150 to defend — not much, but given the context of the game, possible.
Early on, it was looking realistic as again Horowhenua-Kapiti’s top order floundered to be just 18-4, while Whanganui just missed a slip catch in the last over before lunch, as the home side had cleared 60 runs thanks to Blake de Burgh (35).
Kinnerley (4-27) looked like he could carry his team home in his 50th official game.
That seemed even more likely when de Burgh was removed by Shaun O’Leary at 73-5, but with their last true batting pair at the crease, Horowhenua-Kapiti found what both sides had craved all game — a steady and decisive partnership.
Jayden Rose-Miles (61 not out) and Locky Spring (25) dug their heels in and worked their way to the promised land, Rose-Miles hitting 10 boundaries and a six.
Although Spring eventually lost his stumps to Kinnerley, only 11 runs were still required after a matchwinning 66-run partnership, as RoseMiles carried on with Andrews to leave Whanganui wondering what might have been.
“The tale of the tape is two teams that didn’t bat well,” said coach Warren Marr.
“To only get a 113, and to knock them over for 93, that was great.
“[Our batting] was silly stuff — they were setting traps and we were falling for it.”
Horowhenua-Kapiti’s pace bowlers would use the bounce to get Whanganui stepping back to swing and getting out.
Marr was proud of the team culture and competitiveness on display.
But batting is all down to individual mental toughness. Whanganui have not had a decisive partnership in a match since Fraser and Shaun O’Leary in the corresponding game last summer.
Far too often, a Whanganui pair would get set, but the dismissal of one signalled the demise of the other, leaving two fresh batsmen to face a fired-up attack.
“Crazy game, coaches on both
sides pulling their hair out,” said Marr. “The positives all year have been how we’ve bowled, fielded and caught. But if you’re not scoring runs in the first innings, you can’t win these games.”
Whanganui will come back together in mid-February for the 50-over Chapple Cup tournament, and finding batting form during the upcoming Coastal Challenge at club level will be crucial.
“Their job now is to get some white ball cricket and get some time in the middle,” said Marr.
Smith agreed the side’s attitude about wanting to compete was “night and day” different to the start of the campaign.
But in the end, individuals have not had enough practice in the application of the willow in their hand.
“Things that can’t happen at rep cricket level,” Smith said. “We just need to score runs, quite frankly.
“Strange game. Both teams admitted it was a pretty good pitch.
“In the end, they showed us how to do it.”
Combined Twenty20 comp
With the weather playing ball, the action is heating up in the Combined Twenty20 competition as all five matches in the fifth round were completed at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park on Saturday.
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens continued their march on top of the table with an eight-wicket win over the Hunterville Hackers, who rebounded by winning their second game later in the afternoon against the Wanganui Renegades.
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd
XI gave Whanganui Old Boys-Tech the speed wobbles in their race to the top four with a 38-run defeat.
Scoreboards
Wicket Warriors Whanganui 100-9 (A Coelho 40, A Pillai 19; M Slade 4-11, M Tongotea 3-13) def Kaitoke Knight Riders 66 ( R Belliss 17; S Tom 2-8, S Sreekumar 2-10, A Paulose 2-11) by 34 runs.
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI 163-8 (K Watkin 40, J Baldwin 37, Z O’Keefe 27) def Wanganui Old BoysTech 125 (K Watkin 4-24, J Baldwin 2-21) by 38 runs.
Hunterville Hackers 87 lost to Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 89-2 by eight wickets.
Wanganui Renegades 116-5 def Property Brokers Whanganui United White 102-7 by 14 runs.
Hunterville Hackers 122-4 def Wanganui Renegades 101-9 by 21 runs.