Cricket: ET tickles but HB prevail

Ewen "ET" Thompson made a statement despite Horowhenua-Kapiti losing the Hawke Cup match. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Thomohawk (Ewen "ET" Thompson) came to the fore for Horowhenua-Kapiti but it wasn't enough to stop the Hawke's Bay senior men's representative cricket team from securing a predictable outright victory in their Hawke Cup match yesterday.

"It was a good fun," No4 Thompson, a former Central Districts seamer, said yesterday after putting the predominantly young Pay Excellence-sponsored Bay bowlers to the sword with 126 runs from 69 balls, including 15 boundaries and seven sixes.

The 34-year-old's intent was understandable because the hosts had skittled Horowhenua-Kapiti for a paltry 77 runs in their first dig.

"I just think over your way it's more than a step up against these guys. Our club competition is pretty weak so we needed a bit of luck because the pitch hadn't changed," said Thompson, who helped boost the visitors' score to 268 yesterday after Bay captain Mathew Sinclair made them follow on.

No5 Sinclair, who carved a sedate 110 runs from 177 balls, including 10 fours and two sixes on Saturday, in the Bay's 284 all out, wasn't surprised that veteran teammate Thompson had stood up to be counted.

"You know what Thomo's like. I've watched ET do things like that for 15 years or so," he said of the player/coach, who scored a century two years ago against Taranaki and then followed it up with another a year ago against his old team, Wairarapa, a side Horowhenua have beaten in the cup this summer.

"We dropped ET three times so I told the players that's what'll happen if we do that in a game."

Sinclair wasn't happy with his team's bowling.

"It wasn't the best. It was far too short at times, I thought the spinners might come into it but they didn't."

Conversely, he was pleased with the batting as the Bay made 66 runs to eclipse the target of 62 in 8.4 overs in the second innings for the nine-wicket victory.

"Not-bad-for-an-old-fellah" Sinclair lauded No3 Graeme Tryon for adding 69 runs to the first dig. " I had a good partnership, about 100-odd, with Tryon but we need a lot more of that, especially against better opposition."

Overall, he felt most players hadn't picked up a bat or ball because of the Christmas break in the mentality shift to two-day cricket from the one-day white-ball format.

Blair Tickner took seven wickets, while Charlie Robson and Jayden Wiggins took four each in the match.

Captain Stevie Smidt wasn't allowed to play, suggesting CD coach Heinrich Malan will continue using him in the Ford Trophy campaign, with the match against Northern Districts tomorrow.

Sinclair was hoping the Bay's first-innings loss to Taranaki won't come back to bite them on the bum.

Cup holders Manawatu can do the Bay a favour if they beat Taranaki by at least an innings in Pukekura Park on January 24-25. Taranaki and Manawatu had comprehensive wins over Wanganui and Wairarapa, respectively, yesterday.