United wicket keeper Matthew Simes preparing to take a catch, watched by skipper Gerard Hobbs in the NCC game against New Plymouth Old Boys on Saturday.
United wicket keeper Matthew Simes preparing to take a catch, watched by skipper Gerard Hobbs in the NCC game against New Plymouth Old Boys on Saturday.
An undermanned Property Brokers United were further hamstrung by injuries in the space of four key overs that cost them dearly in a 98 run loss to New Plymouth Old Boys on Saturday.
NPOB got revenge for their shock defeat two summers ago in the National Club Championship (NCC) qualifier on the same Victoria Park pitch, after the two Mills boys – Davis and Quinn – put together a crucial 51 run partnership for the eighth wicket.
They got their team out of real trouble at 142-7 with the top order all gone, to ultimately kicking on in the final overs for a decent recovery at 223, with the last wicket a runout from the final ball.
Missed catches and then misfields leading to boundaries off the bowling of an increasingly frustrated Simon Badger (2-51) helped NPOB turn the momentum back their way, and worse was to come for the United allrounder.
Only a couple of overs after fellow key veteran Brendon Walker pulled his calf and limped off, Badger reached for a smoking delivery that was smashed back at him by Davis Mills and the ball split his left hand open, right to the bone.
Badger immediately came off holding his hand high with blood streaming from it, with Harpreet Binning finishing off his ninth over against a Mills still hunting the boundary rope, ultimately hitting a six and five boundaries in his 49.
Quinn Mills (21) and two sixes from No 10 batsman Dean Stewart (15 from eight balls) also hurt United, who missed having Badger for another over while Ryan Slight (2-33) had previously bowled out.
Already facing a challenge with the bat without Tom Lance (attending wedding) and Chris Sharrock (in Tahiti coaching badminton), the home side came off knowing they had given away probably 25 runs more than they should have done, with one recognised batsman in Walker strapping up his calf to come in at the bottom of the order, and another in Badger sitting in the emergency room.
Having missed out with the bat, talented allrounder Kaylum Boshier (4-22) led a solid NPOB attack who did not miss their absent strike bowler Ross Bryans, with Kyle Pillay (2-24) helping Boshier chip out the United top order and then the red-hot Davis Mills (3-23) got amongst a re-jigged and vulnerable middle order.
Only Matthew Simes (51 not out) was able to carry his bat and survived 88 deliveries while hitting six boundaries, but NPOB set smart fields around him and executed well across the park.
Ben Mitchell followed up his 44 with two very good catches, while his team mates made repeated direct hits on the stumps which didn't yield run outs but created doubt in the United batsmen's minds before attempting quick singles or two's.
United spinner Dylan Martin, who took an excellent 2-31 from his 10 overs, had been debating before the match with Slight over who would get to avoid batting under the NCC rules which allow 12 players, but the squad injuries meant he ended up going in the bowling-allrounder spot of No 9 with United struggling at 92-7.
Martin (10) like Robbie Power (15) before him tried to hang with Simes for as long as they could, each getting one boundary, but NPOB bowled good lines and even United's solidly-struck drives and cut shots often went unrewarded in the well-placed field.
Opener Matthew Boswell (14) started well enough but lost concentration, while experienced players like skipper Gerard Hobbs, Josh Goleby and Ritesh Verma needed a good innings without Badger and with Walker being hamstrung, yet they fell without scoring.
"It's just one of those days for us," said Hobbs.
"Bit disappointed, potentially a side to beat them, but they got the better of us.
United started well with Slight nicking NPOB skipper Mattie Thomas out behind in the fourth over while both he and Badger beat the bat many times, with Badger having a couple of decent LBW shouts turned down.
Only Josh Borrell (55) survived amongst the top order, while Boshier looked to set the tone with two authoritative boundaries, before Slight hit him in front and despite a more straggled LBW shout than they mustered for Badger, United got the big wicket to have the visitors 39-3.
United bowler Ryan Slight fires in a delivery during his good spell against New Plymouth Old Boys on Saturday.
That brought Mitchell in and he and Borrell saw off the pace bowlers and were slowly repairing the innings with 61 runs from nearly 13 overs, until the United spinners ran them out of patience as Martin and Power (2-31) picked up well taken-stumpings.
The spinners also dismissed Jamie Watkins and Chad Quinney cheaply, with Boswell taking a brilliant diving catch to get Quinney, but then others weren't so successful in the field.
Zeb Small dropped a skied shot by Davis Mills right when he was getting going, and later lost control of a simple recovery to turn a single into a boundary, earning death stares from Badger.
Simes went back for another top edge from one of the Mills boys, but lost sight of it over his head, then missed a dirt-tracking ball for four byes, with an angry Badger getting hit for six by both of the batsmen in between the mishaps.
It was only fair after his bad luck that Badger finally got Quinn Mills after another good Boswell catch, but the damage was done at 193-8, and the bowler suffered his horrible injury in his next over.
Verma (1-37) copped punishment at the death, although he did get the satisfaction of denying Davis Mills his half century with a nick behind.
In reply, Boswell, Small, Hobbs and Goleby were gone in the first 11 overs, and unlike NPOB their depleted side lacked firepower in the tail.
Opening batsman Matthew Boswell squares up to a tight delivery.
Simes and Power did their best with a 48-run partnership, recognising there was little in behind them, but then Mills stepped up to get Power and Verma in the same over, followed by a swinging Binning shortly after.
Martin's innings was entertaining, as his whippet batting action meant NPOB's bowlers ended up conceeding several byes and wides trying to figure out how to get him, but then Boshier came back and just bowled a fast yorker.
Walker gritted his teeth to bat a gutsy three overs, but just didn't have the mobility to run or swing with full strength, and eventually missed a Thomas delivery on the stumps, while Slight was Boshier's fourth victim in the next over.
New Plymouth Old Boys M Thomas ct M Simes b R Slight 3 J Borrell st M Simes b D Martin 55 J Braddock-Pajo b S Badger 5 K Boshier lbw b R Slight 9 B Mitchell st M Simes b R Power 44 J Watkins lbw b D Martin 9 D Mills ct M Simes b R Verma 49 C Quinney ct M Boswell b R Power 0 Q Mills ct M Boswell b S Badger 21 D Stewart run out (M Simes) 15 T Jury not out 1 Extras: 12 Total: 223 all out (50 overs). Bowling: S Badger 9 overs, 0 maidens, 51 runs, 2 wickets; R Slight 10-3-33-2; B Walker 4-1-13-0; D Martin 10-2-31-2; R Verma 5-0-37-1; R Power 9-1-31-2; Unsure 3-0-21-0.
Wanganui United M Boswell ct WK b K Pillay 12 Z Small ct fielder b K Boshier 3 M Simes not out 51 G Hobbs ct WK b K Boshier 0 J Goleby b K Pillay 0 R Power ct B Mitchell b D Mills 15 R Verma lbw b D Mills 0 H Binning ct B Mitchell b D Mills 3 D Martin b K Boshier 10 B Walker b M Thomas 5 R Slight b K Boshier 0 Extras: 26 Total: 125 all out (38.4 overs) Bowling: K Pillay 7-0-34-2; K Boshier 8.4-0-22-4; M Thomas 6-2-9-1; J Watkins 6-0-20-0; D Mills 7-1-23-3; T Jury 4-0-8-0.
