Hendrie scores a ton on debut

Poverty Bay cricketers yesterday celebrated their first win since 2016. They beat Bay of Plenty by 25 runs in a Basil McBurney 50-over game at Harry Barker Reserve. That 2016 victory was also against Bay of Plenty, in a Fergus Hickey Rosebowl two-day fixture. Celebrating yesterday’s success are, back (from left): Chris Tupaea, Sam Patterson, Andrew Gibbs (captain), Pip Thickpenny, Jimmy Holden, Nick Hendrie and Jake Rowe. Front: Paul Stewart, Glen Udall, Craig Christophers, Baxter Mackay and Scott Tallott. Match report on back page. Picture by Josh Adams

FORMER South African first-class cricketer Nick Hendrie was in a class of his own yesterday, scoring 108 to lead Poverty Bay to a 25-run win against Bay of Plenty in a Basil McBurney 50-over game at Harry Barker Reserve.

It was the home side’s first win since 2016 when their opponents were Bay of Plenty in a Fergus Hickey Rosebowl two-day game.

Hendrie, one of four loan players in the Poverty Bay 13-man squad, faced 116 balls in his 158 minutes at the crease and hit three sixes and nine fours as the home side posted 232-7.

Jake Rowe and Chris Tupaea (also loan players) then starred with the ball, taking seven wickets between them as Bay of Plenty were dismissed for 207. The last wicket fell four balls into the 48th over.

Left-arm spinner Rowe took 4-37 and was unlucky not to have grabbed a fifth wicket. Right-arm medium-pacer Tupaea took 3-31.

But it was local bowler Jimmy Holden who took the all-important last wicket — that of Brody Gilroy.

Holden produced a pearler to knock over the stumps, and his teammates rushed to embrace him.

'You beauty, Jimmy'Poverty Bay coach Lance Cairns was jubilant: “You beauty, Jimmy . . . just what we needed. Job done.”

Holden had also had Bay of Plenty’s top-scorer and No.3 batsman Marcel Collett caught by OBR teammate Craig Christophers for 53, to have the visitors at 164-7.

Bay keeper Glen Udall, making his return to rep cricket after “a long time”, took two catches and effected one snappy stumping.

He said it was great to be back and to get the win.

“Nick’s innings gave us the confidence and belief that we could win.”

Bay captain Andrew Gibbs also paid tribute to the 26-year-old South African.

“He batted superbly and we also had valuable contributions from Craig Christophers (32) and Jake Rowe (23),” said Gibbs, who chipped in with 15 runs himself before being run out.

Hendrie and Sam Patterson shared an opening stand of 21 before Patterson was bowled by Gurwinder Singh.

Pip Thickpenny followed seven runs later, trapped leg before wicket by Cameron Riley.

Scott Tallott and Hendrie put on 31 runs before Tallott was caught on the boundary by Gilroy off Dominic Crombie for 10, and Poverty Bay were 59-3.

Hendrie and Rowe revived the innings with a 69-run partnership before Rowe was bowled by Iman Singh.

Christophers and Hendrie then added 45 runs before Hendrie departed, having taken the score to 173-5.

Pirates all-rounder Dane Thompson, batting at No.9, added an unbeaten 14.

“Having won the toss, we wanted to bat first to try to put runs-on-the-board pressure on them and in the end it worked,” Gibbs said.

“It was always going to be a 200-to-240-plus wicket, so 232 wasn’t too bad.

“We put a bit of pressure on their fielders towards the end of our innings but we knew they would do the same to us in the chase and, even though I always felt our bowlers were in control, I was glad to see Jimmy get that last wicket.

“Lance has always talked about learning to win and hopefully now that we’ve done that we can finish the season with another victory, against Bay of Planty Lakelands in two weeks.”

Poverty Bay 232-7 (N Hendrie 108, C Christophers 32, Jake Rowe 23; C Riley 2-40, G Singh 2-43) def Bay of Plenty 207 (M Collett 53, R Clinton 34, F Lellman 28, I Singh 23; J Rowe 4-37, C Tupaea 3-31, J Holden 2-47) by 25 runs.