White stars as Kaipaki coast home
Allrounder punishes Lions’ attack in whirlwind innings after making initial breakthrough as bowler
Kaipaki Cricket Club Gold took on the Hamilton-based Little Masters Cricket Club Lions on Saturday afternoon at Kaipaki Oval. Kaipaki captain Dylan Jeffries won the toss and elected to bowl.
Jeffries opened the bowling alongside Simon White.
After just four balls, it was White who got the first breakthrough for Gold when the Lions opener edged the ball to gully, where Zac Bratton took a comfortable catch.
From then on, the Lions batters toiled hard to see off Kaipaki’s opening pair before Erin Hunt was brought into the attack in just her second game of the season, and had immediate success.
The Lions batters had no answer to Hunt, who expertly changed her line and length, taking the best figures of the match with 3-48 off seven overs.
Charging in from the other end was young Mac Gilkison, who again was among the wickets, taking 2-32 off his seven overs, proving yet again he is one of the best bowlers in the C-grade competition.
Towards the end of the Lions’ innings, it was Kaipaki off-spinner Will Mitchell who took the crucial wicket of the Lions’ set batsmen before White and debutante Max McNamara each executed a run-out, leaving the innings wrapped up at 177/9 off 35 overs.
After lunch, it was Gold’s turn to bat. Kaipaki again opened with captain Jeffries and White.
These two started strongly, punishing the bad balls and seeing off the good ones before Jeffries was removed for 17.
From that point on, it was well and truly the Simon White show.
He punished the Lions’ attack to all areas of the oval, smashing seven fours and nine sixes on his way to a massive 103 off just 61 balls.
With the damage already done, it was up to the Kaipaki middle order to see the team home, with McNamara making 5 (not out) and Will Mitchell 18 (not out).
Kaipaki Gold chased the target down with four wickets in hand and 10 overs to spare.
It was a great win for Kaipaki Gold, who look forward to playing at the Oval again next week to finish the year on a high.
Player of the day points: 3 - Simon White; 2 - Erin Hunt; 1 - Will Mitchell. Little Masters Lions 177/9 (35 overs) Kaipaki Gold 178/6 (25.0 overs)
Kaipaki v Northern Districts Māori
Kaipaki Cricket Club faced Northern
Districts Māori at the Kihikihi Domain on Sunday.
Sean Bonenkamp received his Kaipaki 100-game badge.
Since his 2017 debut, he has become a run-scoring machine, winning the club’s batting cup three consecutive times. Sean Gutry played his 50th game on Saturday for Kaipaki Green and was presented with his badge. Gutry has been a consistent performer with both bat and ball, while recently taking on the role of media manager.
It was a day for the Seans, with Sean Crotty receiving his award from the 2022/23 season as Kaipaki’s Sunday Games Cricketer of the Year.
The match saw Jake Russ, Matt Butcher and Tony Biesiek all take the field for Kaipaki for the first time. Northern Districts Māori won the toss and decided to bat first. Kaipaki opened the bowling with Crotty and Butcher.
Mac Gilkison was next in line and made the first breakthrough. Gilkison found the edge and wicketkeeper Dominic SmithHodgson took a sharp catch. Gilkison finished with 1/35 off his eight overs. He also pulled off a sensational one-handed catch in the field. Coming on at the second change was Simon White, a shoulder-bowler who always puts in a big effort. He snuck one past the Northern Districts Māori batsman to hit the stumps and claim the second wicket. While Northern Districts Māori continued to lose wickets, their captain Leighton Parsons provided resolute defence as he went about his work. Parsons made a classy 95, including 12 fours, before he was yorked by the ever-impressive Matt Butcher, who charged in all day, finishing with 2-33 off his eight overs.
Other bowlers for Kaipaki were rightarm off spinner Gutry, who finished with 1-41 off eight overs, and captain Dylan Jeffries, who bowled four overs.
The bowler of the innings was Crotty, who finished with 2-32 off his eight. In the field, Smith-Hodgson was tidy behind the stumps. Northern Districts Māori made 194 off their 40 overs.
Kaipaki opened the batting with Biesiek and Bonenkamp. Biesiek looked in fine form before he was dismissed for 48 runs.
This brought Fraser Ward to the crease.
Ward hit the ball crisply, playing some beautiful cover drives, and he wasn’t afraid to go over the top, playing several attacking shots as he compiled 45 runs.
At the other end, Bonenkamp built his way into his innings, striking the ball with his normal intent and making 30. In the middle order, Russ caressed the ball into the gaps with ease, making 18.
David Fox and White made up the middle order, with Fox playing on the Kihikihi grass wicket for the first since 1994.
He deflected the ball when given width behind point during his innings of 15 until he got a beauty from Parsons, who seamed one away and hit the top of off-stump. White finished his weekend’s work off with a powerfully struck 25. Kaipaki needed 18 off the last over to pull off a victory, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
When Butcher was run out, Kaipaki came up short by 12 runs. Kaipaki will play Waipuna Valley on Sunday at the Stud Oval.