First senior 50 for Kayley Knight

BIG DAY OUT: Kayley Knight had a break from her opening-bowling duties on Sunday after she batted most of the innings on her way to her first senior half-century. She joined the bowling attack late and took 3-14 off six overs in Gisborne’s Supercity victory over Palmerston North. Picture by Paul Rickard

CRICKET

KAYLEY Knight scored her first half-century in senior cricket, then took three wickets to spearhead Gisborne’s victory effort over Palmerston North in Supercity women’s cricket at Cornwall Park, Hastings, on Sunday.

Knight opened the batting and was there until the last few balls, guiding Gisborne to a total of 156.

Having been at the wicket most of the game, Knight was rested from her normal opening-bowling duties.

But when she did come into the attack, Palmerston North couldn’t cope with the extra pace and bounce she generated.

Field settings that include three slips, a short cover and a short midwicket are not common in the women’s game, but such was Knight’s spell that these field placements were applied in her last three overs.

She had them hopping around with a couple of short-pitched deliveries that got up around eye level, and finished with three wickets for 14 runs from six overs.

Palmerston North were all out for 122.

Poverty Bay women — competing as Gisborne because of the inter-city format of the Central Districts-run competition — won the toss and batted first.

The pitch appeared to offer a little more bounce and pace than the week before, when Hastings overhauled the Gisborne total with nine balls to spare.

Opener Grace Levy was out for nought in the fourth over, which brought Mel Knight to the crease.

She and her daughter Kayley slowly laid a platform for the innings.

Their 90-run partnership ended with the total at 99, when Mel Knight, on 45 and looking to get the run rate moving, tried to loft the ball over mid-on. She did not strike it well enough and Ashtuti Kumar, Palmerston North captain and Central Districts under-18 representative, took the catch.

Kayley Knight assumed responsibility for building a defendable total, and showed great patience and maturity in hot conditions as she accumulated the runs for her first 50 at senior level.

With Kayley rested from bowling duties for the opening overs, Jayxena Piwari stepped up to continue the excellent form she showed against Hastings.

Again she was tight with line and length and finished the day with figures of 2-13 off eight overs.

It was a day to bowl full and straight, and when the girls got it right they were rewarded. Maddie Ashworth got the vital wicket of Kumar for 30, leg before wicket. Ashworth’s late-hooping outswingers were unplayable when she was on target.

Sisters Courtney and Emma Hayes — 1-15 off five overs and 1-18 off three respectively — bowled well at key times and set an example for the younger players in the team. They were heading back to the University of Otago this week, and their teammates were grateful they had made themselves available for this match.

Alessandra Evans (1-12) showed that being able to get the ball to turn at this level will bring wickets . . . Ashworth held on to the catch at cover.

Alyssah Swann was consistent in her first bowl for the team this season.

It was a good win for a Gisborne team with 10 players under 20 years old.

The Supercity competition next season will be worth following to see the progress these girls make.