Hay smacks ton on first day
MThelin c Harden b Williams ...... 36 P Howes c Harden b Williams......... 6 G Hay c Harden b Williams...........104 MKain c Laffey b Benton..................31 MMacquet b Stewart...........................13 A Leonard not out................................ 60 J O’Connor c Harden b Williams....0 N Clark not out............................................11 Extras (4b, 10lb, 4w) ...................... 18 Total (for 6 wkts, 96 overs). 279 Fall: 24, 79, 119, 153, 248, 256 Bowling: K Jamieson 15-4-41-0 (1w), WWilliams 23-8-56-4, F Sheat 14-1-37-0, MJeffery 13-1-45-0 (3w), S Stewart 11-2-25-1, J Benton 19-2-57-1, T Gruijters 1-0-4-0. Adam Leonard wasn’t about to upstage his skipper although his unbeaten half-century was proving every bit as critical as Greg Hay’s hundred after the opening day of their three-day zone 3 Hawke Cup cricket final against Canterbury Country at Saxton Oval.
Having won the toss, Hay contributed a dogged 104 runs to Nelson’s effort, ended when he finally edged seamer Will Williams through to wicketkeeper Joel Harden at 248-5 in yesterday’s final session.
But he’d found an able lieutenant in young allrounder Leonard, their fifth-wicket stand realising 95 runs as Nelson eventually ended the day at 279-6 off 96 overs.
Leonard was also poised to head into day two unbeaten on 60 having survived a straight forward chance at square leg on 55 just before stumps. Leonard faced 135 balls and hit eight fours.
Opening batsman Paddy Howes had been the only casualty of the morning session.
Called in to replace an injured Tom Ingham, Howes also edged Williams through to Harden for six at 24-1 in the 10th over, having faced 26 balls.
Fellow opener Mason Thelin and Greg Hay then began the steady process of seeing off the new ball as they attempted to reprise their superb unbeaten second innings century stand against Country in their previous zone three elimination match in Nelson.
The pair carefully steered Nelson comfortably through to 69-1 at lunch against a disciplined Country bowling attack that ensured both batsmen had to work hard for their runs on a good bat- ting track.
However, all their hard work was undone in just the fourth over after lunch when Williams again found the edge of Thelin’s bat and the left-hander was gone for a patient 36 runs off 99 balls at 79-2 to end their 55-run partnership.
Marty Kain showed plenty of positive intent, hitting 31 off 41 balls, including five fours, before he went to a superb reflex catch by Matt Laffey at slip off left-arm spinner Jeremy Benton at 119-3.
With Hay by now ensconced in the anchoring role, he eventually clipped seamer Morgan Jeffery off his pads through backward square leg for four to post his 50 off 138 balls.
Matt Macquet looked to up the tempo at the other end, hitting three quick boundaries before he was bowled by Shanan Stewart for 13 at a now precarious 153-4.
Hay and Leonard progressed Nelson through to 167-4 at tea, with Hay unbeaten on 60, although Kyle Jamieson and Williams applied some genuine heat with the new ball to keep both Hay and Leonard in check.
A four to backward point off Jamieson finally saw Hay to three figures off 230 balls having offered two sharp chances on 85 and 93. He lasted only five more balls, leaving Leonard and Nic Clark to bat through to stumps following Joe O’Connor’s brief stay for an eightball duck.
Hay’s innings included boundaries.
Williams finished the day with a well-deserved 4-56 as part of a demanding Country attack, with an economical Stewart and Benton the other wicket-takers. 11