IN FORM: Matt Golding hit out in making 46 as Mount Maunganui lost to Wellington's Eastern Suburbs. PHOTO: FILE
IN FORM: Matt Golding hit out in making 46 as Mount Maunganui lost to Wellington's Eastern Suburbs. PHOTO: FILE
Mount Maunganui's hopes of winning the 2017 NZCT National Cricket Club Championships have been dented somewhat after losing their first match after rain washed out the opening two days of the tournament.
Dunedin's Albion, Auckland's Takapuna and defending champions Eastern Suburbs from Wellington all won on the first day ofaction.
The championships finally got off to a rain-delayed start on day three, and further rain interruptions saw DLS calculations invoked in all three shortened matches.
On the small boundaries of Cornwall Park 3, Eastern Suburbs were up against Mount Maunganui, who qualified to represent Northern Districts.
Mount Maunganui have fielded a strong side with several Bay of Plenty players who successfully defended the Hawke Cup this season, including captain Peter Drysdale, Brenton Thompson, Ben Musgrave and Northern Districts pace bowler Tony Goodin.
Mount captain Dale Swan spun his way to 4-27 with his left-arm spinners to put Mount in a good position, but a solid performance from Easts' top order saw them reach a formidable 249 in 25.3 overs.
Drysdale and Thompson put on 45 for the first wicket, and Dan Hill and Matt Golding provided the major impetus to the innings with a partnership of 72 to get the Mounties close.
But an economical 3-24 on the small number three ground from three-cap Wellington Firebird Jamie Gibson eventually proved enough to give the defending champions a first-up win with the Mount reaching 216-9 in their allotted 26 overs.
Gibson crucially stopped Drysdale who had blasted a quick 46 off 24 balls at the top. Hill made 49 not out with three sixes and four boundaries while keeper Golding hit four sixes in his 46 but the Mount middle order was unable to fire on this occasion.
Otago Volts all-rounder Sam Wells top-scored with 60 off just 42 balls on Cornwall Park's number one ground to help set up Albion's 60-run win over United, the southern representatives bowling out the Manawatu club with 2.1 overs to spare.
Auckland reps Takapuna were able to restrict Old Boys Collegians to 167/7, the Cantabrians trying to get up to a revised target of 189. Dan ter Braak had earlier anchored Takapuna's innings with his 76, with support from Netherlands international Max O'Dowd (46).
Old Boys Collegians opener Tom Taylor came out firing in return, blasting 81 from just 36 balls and smashing 10 sixes, but his dismissal proved his side's undoing - wickets quickly began to tumble, Takapuna captain Will O'Donnell leading the way with 3-15, including the big wicket of Taylor.
