Patels spin a web around Canterbury

BEN STRANG

Two Patels are better than one for the Wellington Firebirds in Twenty20 cricket.

Spin twins Jeetan and Samit Patel combined to restrict and tear Canterbury apart at the Basin Reserve, allowing their batsmen to fly home by five wickets.

The Patels both ended with figures of 2-24 from their respective four overs as the Kings could manage only 138-9 from their 20 overs, their middle order left to ponder what more they could have done against the spin duo.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Canterbury’s Kings made a fast start as Black Caps batsman Henry Nicholls went on the attack.

While former Wellington player Michael Pollard fell in just the second over, Nicholls was soon into the 20s and accessing all parts of the ground with his creative play.

But when he fell for 25 in the fifth over, the runs stopped flowing for Canterbury and the going got tough. The middle order contributed little of note as the Patels tore through the Kings lineup.

Of batsmen three to seven in the Kings line up, four fell to a Patel while scoring just

36 runs. Honorary Patel Luke Woodcock claimed the other middle order wicket, making sure spin was key for the Firebirds on a slow wicket.

Andrew Ellis helped the Kings edge to a respectable total, blasting 36 down the order, while Black Caps leg-spinner Todd Astle added 16.

Those runs saw the Kings through to

138-9 at the end of their 20 overs, but it never looked enough.

Luke Ronchi and Hamish Marshall came out aggressive for the Firebirds, with the former hitting two big sixes including one which pitched atop the Basin bank before exiting the ground on its way towards Mount Victoria.

On another day, Wellington could have been left frustrated as their batsmen made starts but didn’t kick on. Ronchi fell for 25, Marshall for 20 and Samit Patel for 21.

Blundell did kick on, however, with a well made 53 from 37 balls before he fell with the Firebirds needing one run to win.

It was a similar story in Alexandra as Auckland’s stellar bowling effort stifled their Otago.