Two teams unbeaten in club T20
Stoke-Nayland and Wanderers seized the early initiative to remain the only unbeaten teams after Saturday’s opening two rounds of the Nelson Twenty20 club cricket competition.
Both teams made best use of Victory Square’s short boundaries and quick outfield to each record two wins. Host team Randles Cafe and Bar Wakatu gained no advantage from their familiar surroundings, failing to defend a competitive 188 total against Taylor’s Contracting Wanderers in round one before also falling well short of their 171-run target against Car Company Stoke-Nayland in round two.
Meanwhile, Harringtons Beer Cafe Waimea Toi Toi United and Athletic College Old Boys each ended the day with honours even. Ricky Edwards completed the day’s only century, hitting four runs off the final ball to finish 103 not out and help WTTU to an absorbing three-wicket victory over ACOB at the Botanics before ACOB recovered to secure an 85-run second round win over Sprig and Fern Tavern Motueka, also at the Botanics.
WTTU couldn’t contain Wanderers’ batsmen in their second round clash at Victory Square though, Wanderers eventually winning by four wickets.
Motueka and Wakatu ended the day winless.
A magnificent 163-run second wicket stand between Tom Cross and Dan Cooper lifted Wanderers to their commanding eight wicket first round win over Wakatu.
Wakatu’s batsmen appeared to have left the home team solidly placed after amassing a healthy 188 for 7 as a 28-ball 51 by Matt Macquet (five fours and three sixes), 31 from Giles Black, 42 off 25 balls by Campbell McLean (four sixes) and 23 from Oscar Barkle pointed to a defendable total.
Four wickets by Englishman Jack White (4-22), including three off five balls, provided the feature of Wanderers’ bowling effort before Cross and Cooper joined forces to plunder Wakatu’s attack.
Cross hit 70 runs off 49 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, while Cooper was 88 not out,
both having faced just 46 balls and hitting seven fours and five sixes. Cross eventually holed out to longon with Wanderers just six runs short of their target, with five wides eventually sealing the issue off the first ball of the 18th over.
Cross and Fisher were also among the runs in Wanderers’ four wicket second round win over WTTU at Victory Square with scores of 34 and 22 respectively as Wanderers’ eventually chased down their 161-run target with seven balls to spare.
A 23-ball 55-run innings by first round century-maker Edwards and support from opener Tom Ingham (28), Jon Routhan (16) and Chris Fisher (37 not out) provided the bulk of WTTU’s 160-run total as their final wicket fell in the last over.
Edwards’ four sixes and five fours provided the entertainment before he began to cramp up. Adam Leonard’s impressive 3 for 12 off four overs, Jack White’s 2 for 28 and Greg Field’s 2 for 19 helped put the squeeze on WTTU’s lower order as they ultimately fell short of a defendable total.
With Cross and Cooper again in fine nick, allrounders White (29) and Jesse Pitman (32 not out) helped steer Wanderers towards their target, although it was Greg Field who finally hoisted Routhan over square leg for six to secure the win at 163 for 6 in the penultimate over.
A decisive 83-run innings by opener Jake Beleski, including eight fours and three sixes, provided the foundation for StokeNayland’s total of 186 for 6 against Motueka in round one as late contributions from Todd Marwick (30) and Dylan Eginton (23 not out) helped set a demanding run chase.
Motueka never got close as a concerted Stoke-Nayland bowling effort saw wickets fall regularly. No 7 batsman Liam Rowling was the only Motueka batsman to reach double figures with 21 runs, Mitchell Ross claiming his third wicket off the match’s penultimate ball to dismiss Motueka for just 90 runs and hand Stoke-Nayland a decisive 96-run victory.
Ross (3-6), Marty King (2-12) and Eginton (2-12) highlighted the impressive bowling effort.
Darius Skeaping provided Stoke-Nayland’s anchoring role in their 45-run second round win over Wakatu, Skeaping scoring an unbeaten 66 runs off 40 balls in Stoke-Nayland’s total of 170 for 7. Beleski (20), Alex Coles (21) and Mo Taylor (19) provided crucial support as Stoke-Nayland piled on 50 runs off the last four overs. Left arm spinner Bud Jackson earned Wakatu’s bowling plaudits with 3 for 23.
Despite a useful 47-run opening stand between Giles Black (34) and Mason Robinson (19), Wakatu also finally succumbed to another tight Stoke-Nayland bowling performance in which Josh Sansom (4-24) took the honours. Skeaping (2-29), Ross (2-19) and a miserly King (0-19) helped restrict Wakatu to 125 for 9.
Batting at No 3, Ricky Edwards produced the day’s top innings after hammering ACOB’s Ollie Jones through the midwicket boundary off the last ball of the match to not only post an unbeaten century but also help secure WTTU a dramatic victory at the Botanics.
There had been contributions throughout ACOB’s batting order as Greg Chitty (28), Joel Harden (22), Simon McGowan (49), Luke Toynbee (23) and Dan Grimes (26) combined to leave the home wellplaced at 183 for 5 after their 20 overs, Symon Carr finishing with 3 for 28 as WTTU’s best bowler.
But with Edwards dominating WTTU’s reply, the right-hander’s perfectly timed innings eventually saw the visitors home with two runs required off the final ball for victory. Edwards ended the match on 103, hitting his 14th four to secure the win, as skipper Jon Routhan (27) and Dan Wightman (22) offered the best support. Edwards also collected three sixes.
ACOB made amends later in the day with a convincing 85-run second round win over Motueka.
Harden (31), McGowan (43) and Toynbee (39) were again among the principal providers in ACOB’s score of 162 for 5. But it was ACOB’s new seam bowler, Dan Hamilton, who eventually stole the show, taking 4 for 12, including a wicket with his first delivery, to help rout Motueka for just 77 runs in their reply with two overs to spare. Duncan Cederman provided Motueka’s only resistance with 30 runs.