MCEWAN AND BROWN LEAD ALPACAS TO T20 GLORY

January 15, 2019. Every now and again a match – or more specifically the first ball of it – reminds me of Blair Webby’s theory about how winning the first ball goes a long way to winning the match. I have never truly bought into it, but Sunday’s Auckland Club T20 Final between Takapuna and Howick Pakuranga may yet change that. Eden Park Outer Oval played host to what promised to be a cracker of a final.

Howick Pakuranga won the toss and elected to bat. Captain Andrew Morrison was more than happy to make first use of the wicket and let the bowlers do the rest. Pirates’ skipper Will O’Donnell knows the Outer Oval isn’t easy to defend and was hopeful his bowlers could be at their best. Both the Alpaca Army and Pirate Ship were in the house and ready to support their clubs.

Left-arm spinner Matt Jones opened up to Matt McEwan. The man with the biggest guns in Auckland Cricket wasted no time in going all the way over extra cover. Jones would have been hoping to settle in the channel, but McEwan was having none of it. It was an extraordinary opening to the match and one that signalled some serious intent. Jones got out of the over conceding nine; Howick Pakuranga were on their way.

A pair of fortunate boundaries evaded third man in the second over before McEwan launched back-to-back sixes straight over the bowlers head. The Alpacas’ all-rounder was on fire and not in the mood for ceremony; if it was up, it was going. McEwan fetched a short ball over the deep mid-wicket boundary before leaning on a length delivery and driving through the covers.

All the while, Daniel Young had faced three balls in the first four overs. He had the best seat in the house as McEwan continued on his merry way. McEwan hit three fours in the sixth over – over cover, behind square and past short fine-leg – racing his score out to 49 in the powerplay.

O’Donnell slowed the scoring considerably bowling a tight leg-side line and constantly changing his pace. McEwan went past fifty from 34 balls before gracefully lifting O’Donnell for six over long-on. Just as Young flicked the switch – after strong flicks to and over the backward square-leg boundary – McEwan (56) tamely chipped a Jordan Sussex full-toss to a waiting cover. O’Donnell bowled a cheap third over that included the big caught and bowled of Brian Barnard.

Oddly, the skipper wouldn’t bowl a fourth after figures of 1-13. At 86/2, after ten overs, Morrison arrived at the crease with Howick Pakuranga in a strong position. He would hit 6 fours in adding 69 with Young. The pair both departed in a tight 17th over bowled by Jones with Young (37) picking out long-on and Morrison (45) skipping down the wicket and yorking himself.

Dale Phillips (20*) finished the innings strongly with 3 fours and some quick running. The impact of McEwan’s innings cannot be understated. While Young, Morrison and Phillips swept and scooped Howick Pakuranga to 179/6, no sixes were hit after McEwan departed.

Takapuna knew they would have to go some from the outset to be in with a chance of lifting their first T20 Championship. Guy Harley got the chase underway giving himself some room and hitting straight through McEwan, the bowler, for four.

With any sizeable chase, the biggest challenge is generating and maintaining a run-rate. Wickets hamper chases considerably and Takapuna were about to find out just how much. Jamie Brown was the first to strike for Howick Pakuranga when Harley went back in the box and swung somewhat wildly. The ball flew to McEwan who had just been brought into the ring from the third man boundary.

Max O’Dowd was the next to go. Danru Ferns got his first delivery to skid on into O'Dowd's back leg. It looked a little high, but the umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. It was a big moment in the game and O’Dowd certainly wasn’t happy to be on his way at 10/2.

Ferns started his second over with a wicket as well with Bill Walsh taking a remarkable running and diving catch at mid-off. O’Donnell advanced down the wicket and across to off-stump before attempting to hit over the top. He did just that, but Walsh ran out towards the boundary and took a stunning catch. Ferns had 2-0 from his first 9 deliveries, before Hendrik van Vuuren rattled off three consecutive boundaries through the off-side field.

32/3 became 52/5 by the end of the tenth over. Morrison nabbed the dangerous van Vuuren sharply behind the stumps before Adam Jones beautifully outfoxed Shane Setia. Daniel James came out with nothing to lose and a required run-rate that was going astronomical. He decided to send some rockets of his own hitting Kieran MacKenzie’s first two deliveries over the cow-corner boundary. The lusty blows made for the biggest over of the match – 19 from it.

Takapuna needed a few more overs like it, but with overs left in McEwan, Ferns and Brown, there was no visible panic out of the Howick Pakuranga camp. Brown (4-26) took three wickets in his second spell to get the Alpaca party started. McEwan came on for the final say, but it was Young whose sharp return to Morrison from deep-square caught Jones’ attempt for a second short and ended Takapuna’s innings at 112. The Alpaca Army were loud and proud as Howick Pakuranga lifted the first trophy of the summer by 67 runs.