Masters too strong for Kaipaki
Leith Schwass stand out player for Kaipaki Green team
Kaipaki Cricket Club Green returned to Kaipaki Oval to continue their season against Hamilton-based Little Masters Cricket Club on Saturday.
Green captain Zach Mahaffey lost the toss and Green were sent into the field.
The sun was beating down on the ground with Kaipaki’s opening bowlers Mark Hazelton and Leith Schwass having to work hard.
After some hard luck with multiple edges running away to the boundary, both bowlers were able to make breakthroughs to keep Green in the battle.
Hazelton (2/36 off seven overs) was magnificent once again while he was supported by Leith (3/20 off 4.5).
Captain Mahaffey and all-rounder Jarrod McDonald then came on to follow up the good starts by the openers.
Mahaffey was deceptive, bowling a fantastic yorker that completely confused the opposition batsman. He finished with 2/57.
At the other end, McDonald was excellent at bowling a probing line that troubled the Little Masters’ middle-order batsmen.
McDonald finished with figures of 2-33 off his seven overs.
The Kaipaki spinners struggled but Jamie Simmons picked up a wicket in a tough spell with the batsmen going hard.
Simmons also collected four catches at point during the match which is more than most of the team has taken all season.
After the spinners, Hazelton and Schwass were back to finish off the innings.
This included a magnificent catch by Kaipaki’s Thomas Duncan, catching a pull shot at deep square leg.
Little Masters were bowled out for 232.
Kaipaki opened with all-rounder Schwass and Duncan.
They got Kaipaki Green off to a solid start before Little Masters struck.
The top six batters for Green all managed to get starts but could not convert.
This was before Connor Cooke came to the crease to get Green’s chase back on track.
Cooke, partnered with Hazelton (21 off 20) and Conrad Addison (19 off 22) to frustrate the opposition.
It was hot and Little Masters clearly wanted to go home which Cooke capitalised on before being dismissed
for a promising 40 off 61.
Ultimately Green were bowled out for 150. Leith Schwass was player of the day for the home side.
Kaipaki Green 150 all-out (33.2 overs)
Little Masters 232 all-out (31.5 overs)
Hamilton Lions Cricket Club v Kaipaki Cricket Club Gold
Kaipaki Cricket Club Gold arrived
at a very hot Steele Park on Saturday to try to get the second half of the season off to the best possible start against Hamilton Lions Cricket Club.
Gold lost the toss and were sent in to bat.
They opened with stand-in captain Dominic Hodgson and vice-captain Mac Gilkison to set a standard for the day.
Gilkison and Hodgson had a cautious approach but still put the bad balls away.
Hodgson fell for 13 with the score at 24. This brought Sam Musty to the crease who built a very patient partnership with Gilkison.
Being a very hot day, the teams agreed to two drinks breaks which didn’t work well for Gold and became a pattern for the day.
Gold got to drinks (12th over) 57/1 with two set batters.
The first over after drinks claimed Gilkison for a well-made 33 and also Dale Hopkins.
Enter Simon White. Musty and White then set about ticking the scoreboard over again, putting on a 46-run partnership before Musty departed for 29.
Unfortunately, Dave Jury departed in the same over.
Murdoch Bech then came to the crease and tried to rotate the strike with White.
When White was bowled for 45 (including one rather large 6 and five 4s), Murdoch tried to keep going big and with Max McNamara rotating strike, Murdoch finished on 15 very valuable runs.
McNamara was bowled trying to hold up an end with William Mitchell and Kevin Morgan getting through singles to ensure they batted the allotted overs.
As the second innings got underway, Gilkison was thrown the new ball and four balls into the first over, took a wicket.
Unfortunately, for Gilkison, that was the only joy he had at the bowling crease, struggling to find his usual flowing rhythm, finishing with figures of 1/26 off of his three overs.
Opening down the other end, White, bowled one of his best spells in a Kaipaki uniform.
Not to be outdone by his bowling partner, White also struck in his first over.
White continued to bowl stump to stump through his first set, building pressure, taking wickets and also being on a hat trick at one point.
White finished with the figures of 4/36 off of his seven overs.
Kevin Morgan was the only other bowler to take a wicket and also struggled with rhythm.
Mitchell and Musty also had a go at the bowling crease but were without reward.
Overall, too many loose deliveries and questionable fielding handed the Lions a victory. Gold now have a couple of weeks off with a bye this weekend and Auckland Anniversary Weekend after.
Hamilton Lions 164/6 (21 overs) Kaipaki Gold 159/8 (35 overs)