Gelebrating in style

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

PIRATES tail-ender Aku Smith celebrated his 200th game for the club with a match-winning unbeaten 13 not out against High School Old Boys in a third-round DJ Barry Cup 40-over cricket game at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Thirteen runs may not seem a lot but 46-year-old Smith, who batted at No.10 with last man, 75-year-old Gary Coutts, helped Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates pull off “the great escape” to give their side a one-wicket win against Tamarind HSOB.

The victory put Pirates on top of the competition on 75 points, seven points ahead of Bollywood Stars, with two games remaining before the playoffs.

Chasing the HSOB total of 188-4, Pirates lost three wickets for 65 runs in 14 overs.

Dane Thompson and Richie Needham set about rebuilding the innings with a 44-run partnership. But after Thompson was run out for 36 with the score at 109-4, Pirates lost their next four batsmen for the addition of 51 runs. That left Ryan Nepe, Smith and Coutts to score the 29 runs needed for victory, with eight overs remaining.

Nepe and Smith, who was suffering from cramp, reduced the target to 10 before Nepe was bowled by Mike Francis for 13 in the 36th over.

High School Old Boys skipper Scott Tallott turned to younger brother Robbie to mop up the tail, but somehow Smith survived Tallott’s first five deliveries then scored a single. Nine were needed off three overs and Smith was on strike.

Francis charged in with three dot balls as the tension mounted.

“We’re going to run out of overs,” a Pirates player said.

“No, they can do it,” another said.

“Come on Chewy (Smith) you can do it.”

Smith answered the call with a single, leaving Coutts to see off Francis’s last two deliveries.

Eight runs were now required.

Easing tensionSmith eased the tension and brought his teammates to their feet with a four off Beau Harrison-Minogue’s first ball. He followed that with a two off the next delivery.

Harrison-Minogue responded with a dot ball, before Smith got bat on ball and set off for the two runs required.

While Smith had no trouble scampering through, all eyes were on Coutts as he turned to complete the run as the ball was thrown to wicketkeeper Glen Udall.

“Run, Couttsy, run” yelled the Pirates players.

“Take the bails off Pat (Udall),” screamed the HSOB players, and when the bails were sent flying all eyes turned to umpire Tony Lee, who ruled Coutts had made it home.

“Talk about the great escape — that was it,” said Pirates skipper Mitchell Turner, who played his part in the win, conceding only 20 runs from his 10 overs.

“I’m just glad it wasn’t Robbie bowling that last over,” Smith said.

“I don’t know how I survived some of his deliveries but it’s a great win for the boys. I hope I don’t have to go through that again. It’s really intense batting down the order.”

Coutts did not score any runs but his contribution was invaluable.

“I enjoyed it,” he said with a smile.

“It was good to help the boys out. They were a player short but I never expected to be involved in a game as tight as this one. To be honest, when I walked out to join Chewy I didn’t really know what we needed to win.

“Young Ryan and Chewy were doing a good job and I didn’t think I would be needed.”

After HSOB lost three wickets for 33 runs, Robbie Tallott and David Salmon put on 92 runs before Tallott was caught by Turner off Smith for 35 runs off 67 balls.

Salmon (77, including nine fours, off 93 balls) and Ollie Needham (31 off 32 balls) then shared an unbeaten 65-run stand to take HSOB to 188-4.

Pirates 189-9 (R Needham 27, D Thompson 26, A Ashton 20; R Tallott 3-34, M Francis 2-34) def HSOB 188-4 (D Salmon 77 not out, R Tallott 33, O Needham 31 no) by one wicket.