Manawatu¯ U14s struggle against Hawke’s Bay
Manawatu¯ Under 14s started the day batting its 40 overs with high anticipation and expectation but a pitch which had yielded over 400 runs the day before in a men’s Premier Two game was not really suitable for youngsters. Manawatu¯ Under 14s played Hawke’s Bay Year Nines at the Dannevirke Domain.
With a watering ban in place the pitch could not be prepared and rolled properly and the uneven bounce caught out many a youngster who otherwise had good technique.
Playing on a full-sized pitch also tricked some Manawatu¯ batsmen, the extra two metres meaning two players were run out short of their ground in the first three overs.
Manawatu¯ also faced a Hawke’s Bay Year Nine team which had just won a regional tournament against Taranaki, Wellington and other teams and were pretty skilled.
Showing true kiwi grit the Manawatu¯ batsmen stuck to their guns. Ryan Harrison and Eden Chapman-Peters of Tararua steadied the innings with a 27-run partnership before both being dismissed. The team was all out for 45 and despite some very accurate bowling from the likes of Tararua’s William Allomes (who had played in Kicks4Kevin the night before) and Eden Chapman-Peters, Hawke’s Bay passed the total for three wickets.
With the afternoon still young it was decided to play a 20/20 match Hawke’s Bay batting first. It made 148 with Eden ChapmanPeters taking two wickets.
In reply Manawatu¯ batted much better, falling shy of the Hawke’s Bay total by 22 but Tararua’s Thomas Inder whacked 51 off 30 balls and
William Allomes also scored a patient 24.
It was a very good learning curve for the boys, all of whom acquitted themselves responsibly. The five Tararua players were Taj and Eden Chapman Peters, Thomas Inder, William Allomes and Kaiden Ball.