Gold team shine as they thrash rivals
Kaipaki impress with bat and ball in outstanding effort
On a beautiful Kaipaki afternoon, members of the Kaipaki Gold team arrived at the Kaipaki Oval for Saturday cricket, and with the outfield having been re-grassed in the offseason, it was a sight to behold.
Kaipaki Gold for the second week in a rowopened with the talented pair of Kieran West and Dom SmithHodgson. And for the second week in a row, they made a magnificent start for their team.
Smith-Hodgson, an international player for NewZealand Croatia, made his maiden Kaipaki 50. He was extremely strong square of the wicket through cover-point and through square leg, going on to make 55.
At the other end, West was similarly strong on both sides, square of the wicket. He also wasn’t afraid to lift the ball playing some beautiful lofted shots over mid-on and midwicket.
For the second week in a row, West passed 50 for Kaipaki, making 61.
West and Smith-Hodgson put on a partnership of more than 100 runs for the first wicket — but this wasn’t the only hundred-run pairing of the day.
The experienced Lance Lee played a key role for Kaipaki Gold, holding the innings together.
Lee is a typical left-handed batsman who loves to play behind point and whip the ball through midwicket.
He carried his bat to make 45 notout and at the other end, Trent Butler expressed himself by smashing 61 off just 32 balls.
Butler was strong through cover and played some magnificent shots down the ground.
Kaipaki Gold made 242 for eight off their 35 overs.
After the innings break, Kaipaki Gold followed their captain, Dylan Jeffries, out onto the postcard-looking Kaipaki Oval and opened their bowling account with the ever-impressive Dharmik Desai.
What a day Desai had at the bowling crease, testing the batsman with every ball and finishing with figures of 3-22 off seven overs.
At the other end, captain Jeffries opened up with his left arm seamers.
Jeffries was motivated to bounce back from last weekend, and that he did, consistently moving the ball into the batsmen during a great spell, taking 3-27, also off seven overs.
Gold were relentless at the bowling crease and next up it was Mark Dutton in his first game of the season for Kaipaki.
Dutton bowls little out swingers and followed Desai and Jeffries by taking three wickets. He finished with the figures of the day taking 3-8.
The other wicket-taker was Stu Giles who has moved full-time this year to Kaipaki.
In the field, Butler followed up his batting performance with two catches.
Lee and Smith-Hodgson also topped off great games with a catch each.
On debut, another player who has come across to play for Kaipaki this season, Simon White, took a great catch.
Others to impress in the field were Hiki Toroa and Barath Sampath, who supported their bowlers.
Eastlink Black were bowled out for just 87 — an outstanding performance by Kaipaki Gold.
Kaipaki Greencomeup short against Eastlink Blue
Kaipaki Green arrived at Innes Common full of enthusiasm and excitement at the thought of pulling on their baggy green and gold caps for Saturday cricket against Eastlink Blue.
Young captain Zach Mahaffey won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Conor Jacobsen was again impressive, he gives every delivery 100 per cent and on Saturday he bowled six overs, taking 1-22.
Rhys Duncan, who started playing for Kaipaki while still at school, is another one of those niggling little seamers and hard to get away.
Duncan bowled with a real spring in his step, finishing with 3-32.
He was supported by the ever reliable, captain fantastic Zach Mahaffey, who with his wobbly seamers picked up 3-23.
Sean Gutry snuck an extra over in
bowling and over the past two weeks has only gone for 39 runs.
Gutry again was captain Mahaffey’s go-to man, taking 1-29 off eight overs.
In the field, Gutry was also outstanding, effecting a run-out, while on debut young Hunter Warne took a blinder of a catch.
Eastlink Blue were eventually bowled out for 170.
After the innings break, Kaipaki legend Leith Schwass and Duncan rounded off a fine all-round game giving Kaipaki Green the solid start they were looking for, with both batsmen getting to double figures.
But once again it was that fine cricketer Gutry who put in a playerof-the-day performance.
Gutry has always been a great offspin bowler, but over the past two seasons his batting has really come on, and he has consistently got runs for his side — this time making a 41.
Gutry was backed up by the hardhitting Ben Woolerton.
Woolerton took on the East Link bowlers, striking five fours and a huge six. Woolerton’s innings gave Kaipaki Green a sniff of victory.
Another young cricketer who has become a Kaipaki regular in the past couple of seasons is Hannah Jacobsen and on Saturday, she made her top score at senior club level for Kaipaki.
Kaipaki Green came up short but put in a fighting performance to come close to victory.
Two great performances by the Saturday teams show that Kaipaki cricket is again live and well.