CRICKET IN A BLENDER. A BIT OF EVERYTHING

February 7, 2019. It is said you never forget your first. A first win. A first love. A first heartbreak. Many of us would go a long way to see or do something we had not seen or done before. This weekend was a weekend of firsts for Three Wicket Drill.

Friday – White Ferns vs. India.

The Cricket Weekend started with a first solo road trip to Hamilton. The WhiteFerns came into the third ODI on the back of a pair of defeats and, although the series was gone, there were still crucial ICC ODI Championship points on offer. This was no dead-rubber.

I seem to remember watching the White Ferns play at the Outer Oval some time ago, but that is about all I can recall about that day. I can’t say I cared to remember so much back then. This match though, if not for the play itself, will live long in a corner of my mind; I was offered a fantastic opportunity to sit in an ODI Press Box for the first time.

After Trent Boult led the BlackCaps to a crushing defeat on Thursday, the White Ferns hoped to do the same. The WhiteFerns bowlers, led by Hearts’ offspinner Anna Peterson, rolled India for 149. After the first drinks break, I left the comfort of the Box and made my way around the ground.

During my lap, I came across some of the Hearts’ family – Nick, Tariel, Bella and Arlene – in Hamilton to support their friends and teammates. Nick shared his views on angles and bowling changes as I sat listening to over after over of cricket chat.

Anna Peterson mixed her lengths and speeds outfoxing, among three others, India’s batting superstar Harmanpreet Kaur. It was the big wicket as India had fought back from 39/3. Under additional pressure from Amelia Kerr and Lea Tahuhu, India then crumbled to be all out for 149. Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite both score played confident and classy knocks to complete a routine chase. It was great to be there to see some fight from the girls.

Saturday – Papatoetoe vs. Cornwall / Auckland Aces vs. Northern Knights.

Saturday morning started with a mad dash back to Lloyd Elsmore Park for the opening hour of another Pearl Dawson double-header day. I probably didn’t see enough action to fairly comment on that match, but it was nice to see four different competitions – Premier Men, Premier Women, School First XI and junior girls – all being played at the same ground.

Though I left after an hour, I am looking forward to the Pearl Dawson Final’s Day this Sunday at Colin Maiden Park. It should be a wonderful afternoon of club cricket with some more live stream commentary on the cards.

The Outer Oval called in the afternoon for the Aces and Knights – a crucial clash in the run in to the SuperSmash play-offs. The Aces bowled first and it was an old-school Outer Oval wicket. The State-Highway 16 of wickets. The proverbial pancake. Despite peppering the Sandringham Road side boundary, regular wickets kept the Knights to 196/8.

Colin Munro returned for the Aces and put on a show before Craig Cachopa and Robert O’Donnell stared a daunting chase of 11 an over dead in the eyes. The Aces should take a lot out of the win. This Knights side is no joke and the Auckland boys certainly stood up. Four wins on the bounce and now one win away from a home preliminary final. It’s all on this Saturday against fellow finalists Central Stags.

Sunday – Sessions: Auckland University vs. East Coast Bays / Ellerslie vs. North Shore.

To complete the weekend, it was back to ClubLand for Day Two of a Saturday / Sunday two-dayer.

I had planned on venturing out to Colin Maiden when I heard former teammate Nick White was going to be donning the whites of East Coast Bays. The man is a demon in the field – not half bad for a guy who will tell you he cannot see. Overnight, Jack Windler, another former teammate, was on 51* and there was the chance I may get to see a first Prem fifty turned into a first hundred.

Windler was caught at slip off the bowling of left-arm orthodox spinner Louis Delport. Finn Allen had never, to my surprise, scored a Premier Hundred for University. As the young man approached the milestone, the boundaries had been protected slowing down progress. East Coast Bays were going to make him earn it. Several teammates put extra pressure on him by picking out fielders with some rather ordinary strokeplay.

With a drive down the ground, Allen rushed through for a quick single. The pressure was off, the relief was visible and his teammates were up. Declaration speculation had begun. When Allen was out a short time later accelerating towards bonus points, University declared and lunch was taken. Delport finished his foxing of the University innings with an outstanding return of 7-82.

Forty minutes later, with a pie and wedges in hand, I arrived at Michaels Ave. Ellerslie’s top order had faltered to be 112/6 in a chase of 236. Ellerslie had faith in their tail, but Carl Brungar and Tendai Chitongo entinguished any first innings ambitions 11 overs after lunch.

Michael Olsen enforced the follow on and even in the heat, the Shore bowlers were fizzed about the proposition. The staple of Duncraft and Brungar kickstarted the hunt for outright points by nabbing both openers by the 7th over.

Ellerslie’s experience then went about blunting the attack. Though Alan Burton was unhappily run-out in the lead-up to tea, Aditya Edekar and Ryan Higgins worked away to get Ellerslie back in front. Tea came and went and Jock McKenzie reintroduced Higgins to the crease with a short-pitched barrage. He hooked a couple a six over two waiting leg-side fielders as I drove away from the game.