Mixed results for men’s teams

KKCC Singh X1 B Grade Men’s team recorded a solid win against the Mount Inanga on the Katikati Crickets grounds grass wicket. The older and slow wicket took plenty of turn for the bowlers and kept the scores low. The Singh X1 only made 107 off 30 overs with Prabh Dhillon 46 the biggest score of the day. Inanga’s reply was all over for 85 with Lawrence James making a solid 37.

Mandeep Singh with 3-18 was the pick of the home teams bowlers. Notable was the fact that the Singh X1 picked up three runouts as the result of sharp fielding.

They are two wins from two for 2022.

Katikati’s other B Grade Men’s side took on the Bay Blasters side at Waipuna Park.

While the game ending up being a close finish, the spirit of which cricket is played for, was not followed by the opposition. Katikati batted first and lost Jayden Fairweather for 8 after he edged to the keeper and chose to walk with the score at 16. Capt Colin Chase made a good 49 from only 39 balls and was well supported by Matt Kirkland with 23 and then followed up by Avi Sood with 35.

The middle order failed to fire but a good 21 from No 8 Rory McKay and a quickfire 23 from 13 balls by No 9 Flynn Warren took the score to 211 off 40 overs.

The Blasters innings reply was anchored by their keeper Arjun Bhaskar who ended up making 101. The next highest score was 28 and extras accounted for 53 runs. The match was marred by players not walking or being given out by their own umpire when obvious edges occurred.

The constant calling of wides to the benefit of the batting side, dubious no ball calls and obvious lbw appeals were being ignored.

Katikati officially filed a complaint about the umpiring. While Katikati played with determination in trying not to let the constant negatives put them off, they nearly achieved the impossible by having the Blasters at 208/9 in the 36th over. Two last minute wickets to Warren and Taurian McConnochie nearly stole the match back but an unfortunate edge to the boundary got the Blasters to the total with 2 overs to spare. A good effort by the Katikati team and they should be commended under the circumstances.

KKCC Men’s B grade 124/6 (C Chase 49, A Sood 35, M Kirkland 23, F Warren 23, F Warren 4-50, A Sood 2-33, T McConnochie 2-33) def Mount Inanga 120.

KKCC Singh B grade 107 (P Dhillion 46, M Singh 3-18, P Dhillion 2-11) def Mount Inanga 85 ..