This year’s Pearce Cup Premier competition is a two-horse race, while the Senior Hazlett competition is still wide open.
With three rounds to play, Wellington club cricket fans can pencil in defending champions Eastern Suburbs and newly crowned One-Day champions Karori as likely Premier finalists at the end of March, but the contenders for the Senior final can still come from any of the leading five sides.
Easts were the only Premier team to earn an outright win in weekend against University, in a rain-affected two-day round on Saturday and Sunday. Easts’ victory sees them lead the table ahead ahead of second placed Karori with a chasm between this pair and the chasing pack.
In other Premier matches, Taita won on the first innings against North City and Hutt District and Naenae Old Boys didn’t bowl a ball in their match.
Premier points table:
Eastern Suburbs 85.85
Karori 73.71
Onslow 48.92
Taita 47.67
Naenae Old Boys 41.00
North City 40.76
Hutt District 30.87
University 27.99
Meanwhile the Senior competition is intensifying, with five teams still in the race for the two final spots and the right to play for Premier promotion next season.
With three rounds to play, 17 points are currently separating first placed Collegians and fifth placed Taita and just 12 points between second placed Petone-Riverside and Taita.
In the latest Senior two-day round played on Saturday and Sunday, leaders Collegians won on the first innings over the North City second XI, as did Johnsonville over Petone-Riverside and Upper Hutt over the Karori second XI.
The Taita second XI were the Senior round’s outright winners, overwhelming Wellington College by an innings and 23 runs.
Senior points table:
Wellington Collegians 72.09
Petone-Riverside 67.07
Upper Hutt 65.06
Johnsonville 59.67
Taita 55.95
Karori 49.36
North City 39.79
Wellington College 33.08
A well-compiled 118 off 196 by Wellington Firebirds Plunket Shield opener Josh Brodie and a run a ball 75 by captain Lance Dry down the order pushed the Easts Premier team’s score past 300 and paved the way for an innings and 13 run win over University.
Easts made 308 and then dismissed University for 131 and 164. Easts’ wickets were shared around. For University Colin Owens (50), Ben Orton (63) and Michael Burns (51 off 19 balls, batting at 10) reached half centuries.
Captain Simon Baker made 56 and Tom Blundell 42 for Karori in their first innings of 227 against Onslow who could only muster 140 (Lee Edwards 4 for 35). Following on Onslow were 128 for 7 at the close (Sunnie Chan 4 for 51).
The Taita – North City match became a one innings affair on Sunday after Saturday was washed out. Steve Gellatly made 63 not out off 54 balls as Taita reached 180 for 4 declared inside 30 overs. Andrew Sturt then took 5 for 37 off 13 overs to help dismiss Norths for 138 and take the first innings points.
The Taita Senior side’s outright win over Wellington College was comprehensive. Losing the toss and batting, Taita reached 289 with Green (67) and Crothers (62) amongst the runs and Corey Larsen taking 5 for 72 for the students.
But in reply, Wellington College could manage just 66 and 100 to lose by an innings and 23 runs. Andrew Pennell took 6 for 28 for Taita in the first innings and Dave Little 4 for 18 in the second.
Senior leaders Collegians bowled the Norths seconds out for 149 (Clinton Butler 4 for 37) and then took first innings points when they reached 151 for 6 (Deepak Joon 64).
Johnsonville were left rueing missed chances in their first innings win over Petone. Scott Mudgway compiled 82 in Johnsonville’s first up score of 272 and the bowlers all combined to dismiss Petone for 103 for a first innings lead of 169. However Petone’s second innings held up and they finished on 65 for 4.
The Upper Hutt – Karori Senior match also didn’t start until Sunday, with Upper Hutt taking the first innings points by bowling out Karori for 131 and then scoring 168 in reply.