Gleeson stars with hat-trick
Bowl fast and at the stumps was all Manawatu¯ seamer Jack Gleeson was thinking as he ran in to deliver the third ball of his hattrick.
And it worked for the 22-yearold paceman. He took a hat-trick against Taranaki on his way to career-best figures of 4-20 and set up Manawatu¯ ’s first-innings win over Taranaki in New Plymouth at the weekend.
Gleeson ripped through Taranaki’s middle order on Saturday and they were bowled out for 109, then Manawatu¯ overhauled that with 146 to secure first-innings points.
Taranaki scored 252-9 declared in their second innings thanks to a century from Dean Robinson, then Manawatu¯ were 125-4 when play was called off with seven overs remaining on Sunday.
Gleeson got rid of Liam Muggeridge and Matt Allen for his first two wickets, both caught in the slips, on the last two balls of his over, then on the first ball of the next over he trapped Ryan Watson lbw.
‘‘I was pretty happy with that. The ball was doing a little bit,’’ Gleeson said. ‘‘The slippers helped me out as well with some good grabs there.’’
Gleeson had thought Watson hit it and appealed for caught behind, but he didn’t mind as long as it was out.
He was thinking only one thing when running in to bowl the hat-trick ball.
‘‘Try and bowl it quick and at the stumps. It came out right.’’
Marist bowler Gleeson, who works at Rangitı¯kei Meat Distributors, also had a hat-trick when he was playing for the Palmerston North Boys’ High School second XI five years ago.
Opening bowlers Ray Toole and Carlos Jensen took two wickets apiece in the first innings on Saturday, when the pitch offered something for the bowlers.
In Manawatu¯ ’s innings, opener Mason Hughes got them off to a good start with 37, then Logan Mchardy came in at No 5 and ground out an impressive 50, getting them past Taranaki’s score and giving them a lead of 37.
Conditions were better for batting on the second day and Robinson set up Taranaki’s solid second-innings total, scoring 137 from 192 balls, his 10th century for Taranaki.
He survived a big lbw shout in his 70s, then teed off, reaching his century in a further eight balls.
Gleeson backed up his firstinnings effort with 3-47 in the second innings and Bevan Small took 3-67.
Set 216 to win, there were thoughts in the Manawatu¯ camp about chasing the score down, but they ran out of time.
Whetu na Nagara and Trent Mcgrath added 67 for the second wicket, with 44 and 41 not out, respectively.
Mcgrath was in with Mchardy (12 not out) when stumps were called.
In other matches, Wairarapa (281 and 47-2) beat Horowhenua Ka¯ piti (142) on first innings and Hawke’s Bay (302-7 declared and 2-1) beat Wanganui (84 and 236) on first innings.
The Chapple Cup, the Central Districts one-day championships, are in Napier this weekend.