Cricket: Kaipaki Gold top C-Grade competition

Kaipaki Gold cricket players Simon White (left) and Lance Lee after a match winning partnership. Photos / Supplied

A home game saw Kaipaki Gold take on Melville in Saturday cricket, with Kaipaki captain Dylan Jeffries winning the toss and deciding to open the bowling.

Opening the bowling from the northern end, left-arm-seamer Jeffries finished with 3-45, taking his wicket tally to 31 for the season.

At the opposite end, Trent Butler was in fantastic form, going for less than 30 off his seven overs.

In the middle of the Melville Innings, bowlers Mac Gilkison and Kevin Morgan were outstanding.

Gilkison finished with 1-15 off his seven overs, while Morgan picked up two important wickets to finish with 2-26.

One of Morgan’s wickets came from a magnificent catch from Simon White, diving to his left on the eastern side of the Kaipaki Oval just in front of the picket fence.

Fizzing after his catch, White was then chucked the ball, finishing with 3-36, one of the highlights for Kaipaki Gold.

Graeme “Mintie” Mead also took a wicket and Ben Annan bowled handily at the back end of Melville’s innings.

In the field, Morgan rounded off a superb effort by making a great catch, as did Gilkison and David Fox.

Melville were dismissed for 173.

Kaipaki Gold's Mac Gilkison (left) receiving his baggy green and gold cap from Captain Dylan Jeffries.

Kaipaki didn’t get the start they wanted when batting, losing Dominic Smith-Hodgson and Jeffries early on.

When Fox was judged LBW, and Hiki Toroa went two balls later, Kaipaki was in a spot of bother.

This brought Lance Lee and Butler together, taking their team through to drinks at 69-4.

After drinks, Butler started to play some attacking shots, and Lee paced his innings early on.

Butler scored 35 and Lee continued on to pass 50.

At the other end, White, who was watchful early in his innings, pressed the on switch.

The 30th over went for 15 runs and the 31st went for 18 before Kaipaki got home in the 33rd, five wickets down.

It was a tremendous innings from Lee, who scored 73 not-out off 100 balls, and White rounded off his game with 38 not-out off 23 balls.

This victory took Kaipaki Gold to the top of the C-Grade competition.

Kaipaki Green vs Star University

Star University Cricket Club won the toss and decided to bowl first against Kaipaki Green on Saturday.

One of Kaipaki’s in-form cricketers, Sean Gutry, opened the batting with Leith Schwass.

Green lost Gutry early but Schwass knuckled down.

Schwass was involved in various small partnerships along the way as he brought up his 50.

Richard Jacobsen scored 27 not-out and debutant Logan Rush made 24.

Kaipaki Green finished their innings with 167/7 off their 35 overs.

Green charged into the field with Rhys Duncan and Scotty Jowsey opening the bowling. Both bowlers took wickets in their opening spell.

Jowsey trapped one of the openers in front LBW and Gutry took a sensational grab off Rhys Duncan in the gully.

Gutry then restricted the batsmen, bowling seven overs and taking 2-29.

He was supported by medium-fast-bowler Josh Rush, who finished with 2-36 off his seven overs.

Green steadily took wickets throughout the Star Uni innings.

But a great innings from Star Uni’s number three batsman, who went on to make 50, steered his team home to win by three wickets.