Marshall lays down law in Firebirds win
Neil Wagner may have tormented the West Indians, but he proved no match for Wellington’s Twenty20 captain Hamish Marshall.
Marshall, the 38-year-young part time Firebird, took a liking to the Black Caps test quick at the start of their Super Smash match in Wellington yesterday, clubbing 20 off his first over.
That was part of a fast start to Wellington’s chase during a seven-wicket win at the Basin Reserve. Set 160 for victory, Marshall and Luke Ronchi had the team total on 75 when Marshall fell at the end of the fifth over, bowled by Warren Barnes.
By then, though, the damage had been done. Wellington were in position to coast home, having made the most of the fielding restrictions.
Marshall was at his creative best in blasting a 17-ball 43, including 10 fours. Five of those came facing the bowling of Wagner, who was sent to all parts of the Basin Reserve.
Only a month earlier, Wagner was taking seven wickets in an innings against the West Indies on the same ground. The bouncer didn’t work against Marshall, who pulled hard to the fence.
As good as Marshall and Ronchi were at the start, Otago were equally bad.
The Firebirds reached a mammoth 94-1 at the end of the six-over power play. Ronchi accounted for 31 of those, while wides added up to 16.
Ronchi fell short of his half century, top-edging Wagner to fine leg for 49 with victory within sight, leaving English import Samit Patel to guide Wellington home with a quickfire 34.
Samit Patel was also pivotal earlier in the match.
He struck in the first over, removing Hamish Rutherford for a first ball duck, but Rob Nicol and Shawn Hicks found the pace of the wicket and moved to 51-1 at the end of the batting power play.
It took Samit Patel’s reintroduction to end the 73-run partnership in the ninth over, as Nicol attempted to hit deep with the wind but only found Jeetan Patel on the rope.
Hicks didn’t last much longer, skying one off Logan van Beek when captain Hamish Marshall brought back his strike bowler.
Otago then suffered a mini-collapse after Hicks fell, losing Derek de Boorder and Neil Broom.