The victorious Dannevirke Sports Club Manawatu Premier Two Cricket Team.
The victorious Dannevirke Sports Club Manawatu Premier Two Cricket Team.
Dannevirke Sports Club Seniors, playing in the Manawatu Premier Two Cricket Competition, added another trophy to that of the 20/20 competition by sharing the One Day 50 Over Trophy with rivals Marist.
With the final of the competition cancelled because of coronavirus, Dannevirke missed out on taking the trophyon its own, sharing points with Marist after a loss and a win against them.
Still recovering from having won the 20/20 trophy in January by beating Marist in the final, Dannevirke played them in the very first match of the 50-over competition and lost. That was a temporary glitch in the team's progress as it went on to win all of its last five matches including against Marist and looked forward to the final in Palmerston North.
Key to the success of the team was its resilience in the face of temporary setbacks, there being a strong group of batsmen ready to assume the mantle should the regular openers fail.
This is well illustrated by the semifinal against Freyberg, Dannevirke being put in to bat on a seaming wicket. At 23-3 Dannevirke had lost its top batsmen but partnerships between Campbell Ingram (67) and George Larsen (27) then Ingram and George Collins (30) followed by a lusty 22 by Logan Augustine lifted the total to 214 for nine off the 50 overs.
A similar start to the second innings saw Freyberg race to 41-2 before Jason Thompson (3 wickets) broke through the partnership with Marcus Ingram also taking three wickets and Jamie Knightly two to dismiss Freyberg for 102. It was the best combined bowling performance of the season.
In the 50-Over competition wrap-up Dannevirke had the top wicket-taker in captain Andrew Galloway who took 28 scalps opening the innings and third-top wicket-taker in Marcus Ingram (21 wickets).
It also had the two top run-scorers in Campbell Ingram (469 runs at an average of 46) and Thomas Kuggeleijn (437 runs at an average of 30 runs), the latter boosting his total with his remarkable 207 several matches ago.
Thomas Kuggeleijn was also named Manawatu Premier Two Cricket Most Valuable Player.
Captain Andrew Galloway said it was "a sad way to finish not being able to play in the final after a great season" which was " by far our most successful ever".
