568 DAYS: SUBURBS RETURN TO THE KEN

October 21, 2018. It had been 568 long days since Suburbs New Lynn last meaningfully stepped onto their home ground, affectionately known by locals as The Ken. Yesterday, the proud West Auckland club returned home to take on Howick Pakuranga in what shaped to be the match of Round One Jeff Crowe Cup action.

For those that love quirks of coincidence, Howick Pakuranga were the last side to visit Ken Maunder Park. On that occasion, Suburbs New Lynn’s Hedley Howarth relegation fate of 2016/17 was confirmed by a slim eight-run defeat and results elsewhere.

A season is a long time in club cricket, however, and Suburbs New Lynn are back where they belong in the top flight of two-day cricket and ready to again challenge for limited overs supremacy. Howick Pakuranga, reigning champions of the Hedley Howarth, again look strong with no less than six Auckland Aces representatives unavailable for week one of club competition.

Howick Pakuranga won the toss and decided to bowl first. The wicket looked to have some pace and carry when Donovan Grobbelaar opened up from the clubhouse end. Several overs in, he described it as a bit tacky. Perception is a real mind-game. From there on out, deliveries that affirmed that description stuck in the mind more than those that had carried through.

Grobbelaar struck in the third over. Raj Majithia will consider himself unlucky to have been adjudged leg-before as he attempted to tuck a single away through mid-wicket. Skipper Bill Walsh must have been pleased with his side’s start. Michael Barry then joined fellow Aces all-rounder, Sean Solia, at the crease. It was a circumspect start with most of the scoring behind the wicket including a first boundary pulled fine past a diving fine leg.

Solia survived an edge dropping short of second slip in Rutvik Botadra’s second over and Barry was somehow not given out when he was trapped plum in front. He all but turned to walk off the field, but the umpire remained unmoved. The Howick Pakuranga players stood in disbelief. The Power of the (Aces) Badge, one onlooker remarked.

After the early rebuild, Suburbs New Lynn were setting a stable platform to keep any coach happy. Solia played himself in, driving handsomely, and his fifty came off 80 balls – a fairly subdued effort from the tall left-hander. Barry, too, wasn’t at his freeflowing best and it spoke of the job Howick Pakuranga’s bowlers did to reduce genuine boundary balls.

Solia had thrice taken on long-on for sixes – once clearing the fence and into the Whau. Barry ticked the strike over hitting just two boundaries in his 78-ball stay. Just as the pair looked to accelerate, having taken the partnership past the century mark, Adam Jones struck; Michael Barry (47) advanced only to pick out Botadra at mid-off with a hard-hit drive lacking the necessary elevation. Solia (65) followed soon after watching one from Jones onto his off-stump. He held the pose in shock before turning and returning to appreciative applause.

Suburbs needed another partnership and, in James Parslow and Victor Davies, they had the experience to soak up the pressure. Howick Pakuranga had other ideas and after the second drinks break wrested the momentum and all but shut the Suburbs innings down. Parslow was his calm self finding gaps and keeping the score moving. He needed a partner. Daniel Young took a spectacular catch diving forward on the deep square-leg boundary to remove Davies as Botadra changed his pace.

Joe Cracknell showed he will be tough to bowl to this summer playing an audacious pin-point reverse-paddle, but his dismissal – expertly caught just inside the long-on boundary by Brian Barnard – with five overs to go left Parslow considerable work to do. Strike was at a premium and the death bowling of Grobbelaar and Phillips kept Parslow away from it as best they could.

Parslow (47) was also caught on the boundary cutting short his cameo. The tail saw out the overs, but not before a comical run-out. The ball flew out to deep cover. Taine Jolley dropped the chance before swiftly returning it to Phillips. The batsman inexplicably wandered out of his crease and Phillips removed the bails.

The hosts limped to 237/9 from their 50 overs. Howick Pakuranga well and truly controlled the second half of the innings. While the threat of Parslow lurked until late, Howick Pakuranga’s fielders backed up some proficient death bowling. Lines. Lengths. Plans. Changes of pace. Grobbelaar finished with fine figures of 3-51, while Jones, the standout, took 2-39 off his impressive set of ten.

With a slow outfield and decent-sized boundaries, a score of 260 was probably par. Unfortunately for Suburbs, and ultimately the contest, Howick Pakuranga were gifted a start. There were three no-balls and seven wides in the first ten overs. In between times, Young got himself a start by picking off three fours and a six. Walsh was then bowled in the eighth over and Young trapped in front by a returning Dane Watson soon after. At 58/2, Suburbs had found a way back in the game.

Howick Pakuranga’s newest recruit Brian Barnard entered with great expectation. He clubbed his sixth ball, a free-hit, over the bowler’s head and onto the bank near the clubhouse. The scary thing about it, he probably didn’t connect as well as he could have. The action quietened down as Davies and Watson tied Phillips down somewhat.

Watson was again rewarded for his constant pressure. Barnard advanced. Watson beat him in flight and keeper Cracknell did the rest. It was a big wicket for Suburbs, but they needed another. Grobbelaar strode out and never looked back. He took his time to access conditions. The run-rate was manageable and allowed him to do so. Phillips seemed to grow with a familiar companion at the wicket and he took the field on driving confidently over the top of mid-off on several occasions. The pair battled their way through to the second drinks break keeping the chase in control.

After drinks, it was a different story. Both players went four then six to kickstart the run home. 28 runs came in the two overs immediately after refreshments ending any hope the hosts had of revival. Phillips (61*) went to fifty first. Grobbelaar (85*) followed an over later and then peppered the mid-wicket fence hitting eight sixes in all – three in four balls to finish the job. It was a classy and professional partnership (147*) from the brothers-in-law.

It was a complete performance from Howick Pakuranga. Suburbs will rue the ten overs either side of the lunch break. There isn’t much margin for error when the top sides clash. They were slightly off and Howick Pakuranga ran away with the advantage.