Stratford suffer loss on home turf
Premiers fail to capitalise on strong start
Stratford Premier’s effort in the round-robin earned them the home semifinal match against New Plymouth Marist United (NPMU) on Tuesday, January 30. Stratford won the coin toss and decided to bowl first. NPMU got off to a great start and only lost their first wicket, making the score 112.
NPMU continued to build solid partnerships throughout, ending their 20 overs on 208/3. Each of the team’s top three batsmen scored halfcenturies, with Ryan Watson 51 from 28 balls, Robson Chapman 64 from 38 and Michael Blanks ending up on 55 not-out from 30 balls.
Stratford will be disappointed with their fielding effort, with three dropped catches — the story could have been very different if these were taken. For Stratford, the best bowler was captain Liam Muggeridge with 2/27 from his four overs, with Corey Bailey taking the other wicket.
Stratford batsmen were never in the game, with several players getting a start but no one able to push on to get any major score of note. With run rate pressure, the team was dismissed for 89 in the 18th over.
It was a disappointing result for Stratford after the team performed so well early on in the T20 competition.
On a positive note, it has been great to see the team back out on its home ground of Victoria Park. Thanks to Tony (Baz) Gordon and Chris Askew, the team had a great pitch to play on, and the council, which after a rough start to the season, has been able to get the outfield in a good condition for cricket.
Patsy Commerford has ensured the team has been well-fed, cooking over 90 burgers and large amounts of fish, chips and nuggets in the past two weeks.
The Stratford side now continues with the two-day competition. The team currently sit in fourth and hopes to push and secure another semifinal spot.