PRASAD SPELL PULLS UNI/WAITAK PAST PONIES

October 23, 2017. On my way to Orakei Domain for Pearl Dawson Trophy action – Auckland Cricket’s Premier 20 Over club competition, I realised that I had never watched a women’s match in its entirety. I had caught the odd over while playing nearby, but never enough to truly notice what was going on. Chris Reid, coach of last season’s all conquering Takapuna Ponies, had told me that the women’s game was different. No more, no less as if to say – come by and check it out for yourself.

I went along with a few questions and left with a few insights. When I first decided on going to Orakei, two games had been scheduled side-by-side. One match had been moved to Shore Road and it was probably for the best, because the match between the Ponies and the combined Auckland University and Waitakere side provided more than enough ups and downs.

An hour before the start, the Ponies were polling whether to bat or bowl first on social media. This is the kind of thing they do in hope of engaging people and promoting the game; they did win the toss and bravely decided to get out and field in the cold.

White Fern Anna Peterson and young star Katie Gurrey opened up for UniWaitak. Peterson was quick to test out the sandy outfield as she charged down the wicket and launched Lauren Heaps’ left arm orthodox over long off for four. To start the fifth over, just as both sides were feeling their way into the match, Arlene Kelly snuck a perfect yorker underneath the bat of Peterson.

Another international joined the fray with Holly Huddleston replacing Peterson at the wicket. The next eight overs went by quickly as the Ponies rang the changes looking for a second breakthrough. Gurrey was dropped on the deep mid-wicket boundary and Huddleston was ticking the strike over nicely.

It was during this period of the match that I asked Reid whether some of the Ponies’ field sets were indicative of women’s cricket as a whole. I cannot remember exactly how I posed the question, but he spoke of angles before again remarking that the women’s game was different.

There was no fine leg and sparing use of a cover sweeper – two somewhat standard limited overs fielding positions. The odd ball was hit through the covers, but if it wasn’t for counting the amount of fielders outside of the circle the vacant fine-leg area may have gone unnoticed. As someone who relied on a fine leg, I was impressed by the confidence and consistency shown to warrant such plans.

Carla Wood bowled tight lines and clever lengths to keep UniWaitak in check. She charged in and was rewarded with the wickets of Huddleston and Brianna Perry in her second and third overs. Gurrey batted with great tempo to control the innings finishing with 57* from 55 balls. The final three overs went for 28 runs to boost UniWaitak to something defendable.

Despite a slow outfield, sizeable boundaries and one of the sides blasting Shalala Lala by the Vengaboys during the innings break, the Win Predictor gave Takapuna an 80% chance of chasing UniWaitak’s 115/3. UniWaitak needed a bright start and the duo of Huddleston – fast medium – and Peterson – off spin – delivered again with six tight, yet wicketless overs between them. It was a lot of experienced overs to use up front, but required to send the run-rate up.

Alex Eastwood struck in the tenth over to end Toni Baldwin’s 28-ball struggle. The big hitting right-hander found the spin of Peterson especially difficult to get away as Lauren Down did the majority of the early scoring. With 75 runs required off 60 balls, the game was there for the taking.

It had all been rather circumspect until Down and Anlo van Deventer strung a few solid overs together. For the first time in the match, the batting side found the boundary regularly. Just as the Ponies were running away with it, Jesse Prasad’s spell turned the game in UniWaitak’s favour. Down picked out deep midwicket and van Deventer, having hit the only six of the match, skewed one to short third man.

14 runs off 16 balls. The strategy changed. It was now time to bowl at Wood and keep Kelly off strike. Bat on ball was the name of the game, but Wood struggled to find the gaps. Prasad completed the 18th over conceding just four before Huddleston bowled a superb 19th over giving up just two singles. Inconceivably Takapuna had stumbled and now needed 11 from the final over to be bowled by Peterson.

Two. One. Dot. Dot (Wicket). Two. Dot (Wicket). UniWaitak stole the match by 5 runs. Their bowling plans were spot on and they removed key players at crucial times. Over the winter, I read a lot about the women’s game – the state of it, the nature of it and, above all, the perspective of it. This particular game was competitive, unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining. If that makes it different, TWD will be back for more.