TPL Round 4 – review

One sided Fixtures Dominate Round Four

Nelson College and the Dolphins had similar comfortable victories in Nelson to maintain their unblemished records in the TPL on Saturday.  In Blenheim the Falcons inflicted the second defeat in a row on Stoke Nayland.

 

Nelson College v WTTU

In a result that would not have been predicted by the cognoscenti, Nelson College comfortably chased down a meagre total at Ngawhatu. Voluble College skipper Fergus Hughes won the toss and opted to bowl first on a green track.  This appeared to have backfired when WTTU raced out to 52 without loss after just five overs.  Tom Ingham the big basketballer, bludgeoned the schoolboy attack and with solid support from Joe O’Connor the visitors appeared to be heading towards a significant total.  Lanky opening bowler Jarrod McKay had other ideas.  He removed both openers and in fact took the first four wickets to fall.  If the College slip fielding had have been to a higher standard the carnage inflicted by McKay may have been greater.  As it was he also came back to clean up the tail to finish with an outstanding six wicket haul.  He bowled with hostility as well as maintaining great control to dominate the innings.  Jack Aldridge was the only other batsman to offer any real resistance.

Based on College’s batting display of previous rounds the 121 run total may have been niggly.  As it transpired a gritty knock from flamboyant opener Damian Aitken put paid to any aspirations WTTU may have had.  Although Sam Baxendine picked up an early wicket and came back to claim two more, the chase reached its inevitable conclusion in the 38^th over.  Aitken enjoyed a profitable partnership with young Finn Raxworthy who cut and drove well in a nice fourth wicket partnership which took College to within a handful of victory as the pitch became placid the more it dried out.

 

WTTU                   120                         Tom Ingham 45, Joe O’Connor 20, Jarrod McKay 6/35

Nelson College 121/5                     Damian Aitken 44, Finn Raxworthy 27, Sam Baxendine 3/12

Nelson College won by 5 wickets

 

ACOB v Dolphins

 A wet outfield resulted in a delayed start and a reduction to a 34 over encounter at the Botanics.  The Dolphins did not need that many overs to chase down the sub-par total posted by ACOB.  The Blenheim visitors took wickets steadily as Ben Blackman begun the demise and then Jerrym Lamb and Josh Poole continued to make things difficult for ACOB.  No batsman was really able to dominate on the sticky surface with only a pugnacious Josh Simpson able to assert any semblance of creditability. While BJ Barnett smashed sixes off consecutive deliveries he was not able to push on.  The 100 run total was always going to be difficult to defend.

Prabodha Arthadivu took the Dolphins to within touch of their chase as he displayed some imperious drives in a classy innings. Lamb produced a tidy all round performance as his controlled innings took the visitors home in just the seventeenth over to complete a comprehensive victory.  Matthew Eden was the pick of the ACOB bowlers but their total was never really going to worry a polished Dolphins unit.

 ACOB                    100                         Josh Simpson 35, Jerrym Lamb 4/13, Ben Blackman 3/16, Josh Poole 2/19

Dolphins              101/4                     Prabodha Arthadivu26, Jerrym Lamb 23*, Matthew Eden 2/25

Dolphins won by 6 wickets

 

Falcons v StokeNayland

 The Marlborough Labour Hire Falcons got their Tasman Premier League cricket title challenge back on track with a four-wicket win over Stoke Nayland at Horton Park. In a match abbreviated to 35-overs due to a belated 1.15pm start which allowed the ground to dry out after heavy rain yesterday, the home side bowled Stoke Nayland out for 104 in the 35^th over, then eased their way to the target for the loss of six wickets in the 32^nd over. The visitors got off to a good start with the bat, thanks to elderly opener Kurt Pahl who top scored with a patient 34 before being third out with the total at 62. From there the innings folded, some rash shot-making coupled with accurate spin bowling from Alex Kennedy and Matthew Stretch, both of whom claimed 3-14 off seven, ensuring Stoke Nayland were unable to forge any partnerships of note. Ben Homan with 22 and Symon Carr with a 24-ball 20 down the order were the only other contributions of note. Apart from the outstanding Kennedy and Stretch, the Falcons attack was consistent and made the most of any help to gained from the slow deck, Nick Weaver taking 2-10 and Joel Lavender 1-24 from seven.

Openers Kennedy and Ben Ivory-McCullum patiently saw the Falcons reply through to 27 before Kennedy departed. The dismissal of experienced batsman Andrew McCaa and Aidan Lavender in quick succession at the same score sent a few shudders through the home side’s dressing room but Daniel Allen and Ivory-McCullum steadied the ship. When they both fell with the total at 36 the result was in the balance but the arrival of Harrison Boyce to join skipper Stretch at the wicket turned the tide. They put their heads down to blunt the Stoke attack, picking up well-judged singles and the occasional boundary to take the score through to 71 before Boyce departed with his side still needing 34 from six overs. However, this brought pinch-hitter Tarin Mason to the crease and the left-hander wasted no time in taking the attack to the men in red. His unbeaten 21 off 10 balls ensured there would be no tight finish, with Stretch also not out on a well-judged 26 from 38 deliveries.  Carr with 4-15 off seven was the pick of the visiting attack while left-armer Ben Stark, opener Ili Tugaga and Dylan Eginton bowled economically and kept the pressure on through the middle stages.    

Stoke Nayland                  104        Kurt Pahl 34, Ben Homan 22, Symon Carr 20, Matthew Stretch 3/14,

                                                                Alex Kennedy 3/14, Nick Weaver 2/10

 

Falcons                 105/6                     Stretch 26*, Tarin Mason 21*Carr 4/15  

Falcons won by 4 wickets