Defending Wellington club cricket One-Day champions Hutt District made a winning start to the opening day of the new Premier season with a comfortable victory over Taita, while Pearce Cup holders Eastern Suburbs, Karori and Naenae Old Boys also enjoyed convincing first-up wins.
Led by Wellington Firebirds Matthew Bell (87) and Chris Nevin (69), Hutt District were asked to bat first and amassed 306 for 7 from their 50 overs. They then made no contest of it with the ball in their hands by dismissing Taita for just 69 inside 20 overs.
Steve Gellatly (31) was the only Taita batsman to reach double figures, while new Firebirds leg spinner Robbie Schaw took 3 for 11 for Hutt.
Pearce Cup holders Easts recovered from a horror start to their innings to beat Onslow by 7 wickets, recovering from 10 for 3 to surpass Onslow’s total of 149 (Glyn Howell 39, Lance dry 3 for 11) without any further loss of wickets.
Josh Brodie (68 not out) and Scott Golder (65 not out) played leading hands with a decisive unbroken 140-run partnership for the fourth wicket to win the game for Easts.
Last season’s top run scorer Stephen Murdoch scored the first Premier century of the season with 126 for Karori in their 79-run win over North City.
Murdoch’s century and 56 from Harry Boam in the middle order propelled Karori to 284 for 9 from their 50 overs despite left-armer Fraser Qartermann taking 5 for 47 for North City.
In reply, North City reached 205 with Aaron McCash scoring 41 and Karori captain Simon Baker taking 3 for 44.
Premier newcomers University made 185 in their match against Naenae Old Boys but couldn’t prevent a 6-wicket loss with Naenae reaching 186 for 4. Naenae scored the runs in just 29.3 overs thanks to Paul Tunnicliffe getting an unbeaten 69 and forties from Shane Battock and BJ Crook.
In the Senior competition Johnsonville defeated Collegians by 139 runs. Johnsonville’s overseas player Barry Rhodes scored 112 as they made 216. Clinton Butler (3 for 32) and Steve Fairbrother (3 for 38) were the best of the Collegians bowlers.
Collegians could only manage 77 off 32.4 overs, Luke Woodcock doing the most damage with 4 for 4 off 6.4 overs.
Newly promoted Karori scored 206 against North City. Russell Pepperell and Matt Frew both took three wickets. In reply Norths were dismissed for 92, Matt van Kesteran taking 3 for 31.
Petone-Riverside scored 201 for 9 against Wellington College. Michael Goldsbury top scored with 58. Charlie McLean and Harry Wright took three wickets each. Wellington College made 176 with Chamika Gajanayaka scoring 75 and Shane Adair taking 4 for 24.
Relegated side from last years Premier competition Upper Hutt defeated Taita by four wickets.
In the women’s competition Collegians scored 158 against Hutt, Hannah Bedford top scoring with 31 and Louise Mahoney taking 5-35 . Hutt could only make 140 in reply. Mahoney top scoring with 34 and Elizabeth Scurr taking 3-10.
Johnsonville made just 76 against champions Onslow. Laura Webster took 3-18. Onslow lost four wickets getting their target.
Highlights aplenty in opening club cricket Twenty20 round
A convincing victory to defending Wellington Premier club cricket Twenty20 champions Karori, a second century of the weekend for Johnsonville’s Barry Rhodes and two noted instances of fair play in the Naenae OId Boys – Hutt District match all highlighted the first round of games last Sunday.
Wellington club cricket Twenty20 started with a bang after two previous false starts in the previous fortnight, and featured wins in the Premier grade for Karori over Taita, Naenae against Hutt District, Eastern Suburbs over University and Onslow over North City.
In the Senior grade, Johnsonville defeated Wellington College, Upper Hutt overcame Collegians, Petone-Riverside beat the North City second XI and the Taita second X1 pipped their Kaori counterparts.
In the premier grade, Karori, winners of the previous four Wellington club cricket Twenty20 competitions, started their title defence in positive vein with a smothering five-wicket win over Taita - coring 156 for 9 and restricting Taita to 88 for 8 after their 20 overs at the crease. Hugh Templeton was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 17 off four overs.
Newly promoted University scored exactly 100 against Eastern Suburbs after Easts had scored 153 with Jeremy Dean top scoring with 48.
Onslow batted first against North City and scored exactly 150 before restricting North City to 122 all out to win by 28 runs. Stewart Rhodes led the way for Onslow by scoring 36 with the bat and taking 4 for 12 with the ball.
The match between Naenae Old Boys and Hutt District was notable for two pieces of excellent sportsmanship. Naenae won by five wickets in the 18th overs by chasing down Hutt’s score of 98. BJ Crook took 3 for 30 for Naenae.
This encounter featured two pieces of outstanding sportsmanship.
First, Naenae wicket keeper Ash Russell recalled a batsman to the crease after a leg side catch was given out and everyone accepted the decision accept except Russell himself. Then with the result finely poised in the Naenae’s innings and following two consecutive sixes off the previous two balls, Hutt bowler Andrew Lamb took what appeared to be a legitimate catch on the long on boundary but questioned himself whether he was standing over the boundary line and allowed the batsman to stay at the wicket.
In first round Senior Twenty20 cricket, Johnsonville’s overseas players Barry Rhodes hit his second century of the weekend to carry his side to victory over Wellington College. Rhodes hit 112 after scoring 120 the day before in the opening round of 50-over matches.
Elsewhere in Senior action, Jacob Stirling smacked an unbeaten 62 for Petone-Riverside in their 8-wicket victory over North City, Ollie O’Leary scored 44 for Taita in their 5-wicket win over Karori and Upper Hutt beat Collegians by 5 wickets.