Hendrie puts Broncos to the sword

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

The Master Blasted.

Smash Palace Bail-breakers stand-in captain Nick Hendrie last night played a hand regular franchise captain Jak Rowe would have been proud of — 111 not out off 54 balls with five sixes and nine fours — as the Breakers avenged their one-run loss of round 3 to the Eastland Broncos with victory by 54 runs in the T20 Blast rematch.

Having won the toss at Harry Barker Reserve, it was a very good thing for Hendrie’s crew that he did fire.

Their only other score in double figures was 10 by first-drop Vaughan Thompson. None of the other five batsmen made more than six as Bail-breakers posted 177-5.

Broncos spearhead Graham Hudson took 2-31 off three overs, Robbie Tallott 1-24 off three and Amit Vyas 1-18 off one.

Tallott’s wicket was a massive one — Hendrie’s opening partner Thorn Parkes (6) caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeping debutant Daniel Torrie with the score at 33.

The Craig Christophers-led Broncos fought hard to reach 123-4, Tallott top-scoring with 45, including four boundaries, off 39 balls at No.2.

Second-drop Graham Hudson also struck four fours in his 15-ball 28.

Hendrie and Josiah Turner had the same figures of 1-14 off two overs, Ben Phelps picked up 1-23 off two and Isaac Hughes got Tallott in his 1-10 off one.

Hughes is an enjoyable slow bowler, capable of “buying” wickets in much the same way former Pirates stalwart Mike Edwards once did.

n What constitutes a winning score?

Last night it was 129.

The Bollywood Stars recovered from 4-25 to post 129-5 against Auto Tyre Eagles, thanks largely to Drew Scott’s 26 and Ajay Kumar’s 25 not out.

It gave the Glen Udall-led side a total to defend and they did that comfortably in a 75-run win, dismissing the Eagles for 54 in 10 overs.

Eagles captain and left-arm spinner Matt Crampton (2-10 off three) and Tayla Hollis (2-17 off three) bowled superbly.

But the bowling performance of the game came from seamer Paul Stewart, with 4-2 off two in a man-of-the-match display for the Stars,

Eagles pinch hitter and man-of-the-match Sam Keogh, at No.5, batted with maturity in his 31 to go along with his 1-18 off three.

The next highest score for the Eagles was four.

“We were thrilled with the outcome after being under pressure early on,” said Udall.

“Paul tore the heart out of the Eagles, Ajay picked up the key wicket of Baxter McKay to put us in a commanding position and Brett Armour, a wily campaigner, chipped in with two wickets.

“It was a satisfying victory.”