Balat takes a hat-trick on way to tie

THREE OUT IN THREE BALLS: Horouta seam bowler Tushar Balat took a hat-trick against Ngatapa Green Caps to finish with three wickets for seven runs in a Hope Cup match that ended in a tie. Picture by Liam Clayton

A hat-trick and a tie in one game — Ngatapa Green Caps and Horouta could hardly have crammed more drama into their cricket on Saturday.

Horouta seam bowler Tushar Balat took a hat-trick off the third, fourth and fifth balls of the 18th over of Ngatapa’s innings.

Balat took three wickets for seven runs off six overs, two of them maidens, and his hat-trick accounted for Daryl Hudson, James Maher and Simon Hickey.

Balat’s feat was the standout performance of a fired-up Horouta response to their modest batting effort.

Horouta were all out for 103 in 26.5 of the 30 overs available in this Hope Cup Round 11 game at Harry Barker Reserve.

Ngatapa, down to their last two batsmen and needing 11 runs off the last over to win, scored 10 to finish on 103-9.

“It was exciting stuff and showed just how close the competition is,” Ngatapa captain Matt Raleigh said.

Both sides bowled well but Ngatapa could have batted better, he said.

Raleigh won the toss and put Coastal Ultrasound Horouta in to bat.

Stirling Logging Ngatapa medium-pacers Philip Cook (3-16 off 4.5 overs), Chris Richardson (2-14 off four) and Mike Gibson (2-21 off six) were crafty and accurate.

Horouta opening batsman Franco Colucci’s hard-hit 18 off 13 balls included three boundaries, and the next-best score was second-drop David Situ’s 16 from 22.

The Horouta bowling attack then hit Ngatapa like the proverbial Mack truck.

Balat, his new-ball partner Billy Morse (3-15 off six) and left-armer Keegan Martin (1-9 off six) all hit a good length in defence of a low total.

Ngatapa batsmen Simon Wilson (30) and Gibson (29) applied themselves to give their crew a fighting chance . . . five batsmen failed to score.

PJ Dagg (0-47 off six overs), in his first season of club cricket, bowled the last over of the match for Horouta. No.10 Raleigh (5) and No.11 Cook (8) were not out as the Green Caps reached 103-9 by the end of the game.

“We dodged a bullet on Saturday,” said Situ, who has taken over as Horouta captain from left-arm spinner Clarence Campbell (0-30 off three).

“We fielded our strongest team all season, yet struggled with the bat — it was our bowling and fielding that saved us.”

His nickname is T-Bird and he hits the ball like a hammer.

Tyla Rickard came back to cricket with a bang against High School Old Boys Presidents on Saturday — he closed the match out for Campion College.

Campion beat Presidents by six wickets. Rickard hit a six and four fours during a nine-ball innings of 26 not out in 12 minutes to decide the contest. He hit off-spinner Brett Armour for six straight down the ground off the fifth ball of the 26th over to win the game.

Presidents captain Isaac Hughes won the toss and decided to bat. Presidents scored 122-8, first-drop Ollie Needham top-scoring in the match with 50 off 41 balls and No.5 Ben Phelps making 16.

Slow bowler Luke Hurlstone (2-20 off five overs) and leg-spinner Liam Barbier (2-23 off five) benefited from the pace and accuracy of seamer Blake Marshall (1-11 off five). Year 9 medium-pacer Sam Briant (1-16 off three) also impressed.

Campion second-drop Max Briant ran hard between the wickets for 30 off 24 balls, his uncle Richard Briant (30 off 45) having once again proved the value of left-handed batsmen. The more experienced Briant dealt harshly with any bowling into the pads.

Campion old boy and teacher Daryl Dunn said the students showed good cricket intelligence.

“One batsman would roll strike over, with his partner free to play strokes,” he said.

“Our bowlers continue to develop. Keeping it simple is the key.”

Hughes said it was a good game.

“Ollie and Ben had a 39-run partnership for the fourth wicket. We just needed another 30 runs to be really competitive.”