Cricket: Milestone for villager as he nails blue baggy

Todd Astill

Havelock North are the 55-over modified format champions this summer.

"[Ruan] Markram's the man of the match in my eyes but it was all about Todd Astill today," the Bayleys Real Estate-sponsored team coach Derek Stirling said on Saturday night after the villagers beat defending champions Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) by seven wickets in the final five-match round at Anderson Park, Havelock North.

Markram took 3-12 off 10 overs, including five maidens, from his right-arm medium/fast deliveries before padding up to score an unbeaten 51 runs as an opener.

"I'm very proud of our guys for a complete performance," Stirling said.

However, Astill, the wicketkeeper/batsman who was next in line to bat was playing his 200th game and received his blue baggy cap to become the first villager in the 100-year history of the club to achieve that feat.

The 36-year-old, who helps wife Rachel run a garden centre in Waipawa, was proud as punch but mindful fellow stalwart and friend Jared Priest wasn't far off with 187 appearances.

"It's pretty special. It's been a long time since I played my first prem game in 1997," Astill said, indebted to his wife but aware while his body was fit their three children and the business would be a priority.

He felt it was a nice touch for new-generation captain Graeme Tryon to hand over the baggy-cap ceremony to Priest.

NTOB were missing batsmen Indika Senarathne, Bronson Meehan and Stevie Smidt but Havelock could only play "what's in front of us".

Astill said the goal was to defend their one-day title from this Saturday and clinch the T20 one on Fridays when the Bay senior men's rep team were away on Hawke Cup duties to claim the overall crown.

United Travel Taradale finished second and NTOB third on Saturday.