Reynolds stars with bat for Pirates

OUCH: Pirates vice-captain and stand-in opener Brad Reynolds winces after being hit in the head while facing the bowling of Horouta’s Sukhi Karpania. Reynolds was on 46 at the time and, after a brief stoppage, went on to score 76 before being run out within three overs of his batting through the innings. Pirates’ win secured them a Doleman Cup final berth against OBR.Picture by Paul Rickard

PIRATES vice-captain Brad Reynolds stole the show as the holders of local cricket’s Doleman Cup booked their place in Saturday’s final against OBR.

Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates, sent in to bat after losing the toss, posted 222-7 from their 35 overs aganst Horouta.

Reynolds opened the batting with Andrew Ashton and they put on 77 runs before Ashton was stumped by Horouta skipper Bryan Forde for 38.

Dan Thompson followed 10 runs later when he was caught by Suki Karpania. But from 87-2, Reynolds and Tom Needham shared what proved to be a match-winning partnership of 99 for the third wicket, before Needham was bowled by Clarence Campbell for 59.

Reynolds, who scored 76 off 90 balls and hit eight fours, was eventually run out but by then he had steered his side into a strong position.

“Those two partnerships (Reynolds and Ashton and Reynolds and Needham) set us up,” said seasoned campaigner Aku Smith, who admitted he was surprised to be sent in after Horouta won the toss.

“We would have batted first if we’d won the toss,” Smith said.

“In semifinals or a final, I think it’s better to bat first, post a bit of a defendable score and then put pressure on the opposition.”

Horouta started the chase with purpose, and were 107-2 in the 20th over.

Highlight of the innings was a maiden club 50 from Keegan Martin (57), which included two of the biggest sixes of the day.

However, a middle-order collapse, with Martin, Quintin Mill and Blake Taylor all dismissed for the addition of two runs, turned the game Pirates’ way.

Luke Hayes and Smith did the damage during this spell, Hayes claiming two wickets and Smith, one.

Landmark Homes Bains Construction OBR booked their spot in the final when they beat Tamarind High School Old Boys, who staged a late rally but fell 32 runs short of their target.

OBM in troubleOBM were in trouble at 127-6 before skipper Jonathan Purcell (59) and Zane Boyle (30) bolstered the innings with a 58-run seventh-wicket partnership as OBR posted 201-8.

Carl Carmody made a valuable contribution of 44. He and Ian Loffler put on 45 for the second wicket after Craig Christophers was dismissed for one with three runs on the board.

Ryan Majstrovic was the chief wicket-taker, claiming three victims for 53 runs off seven overs.

HSOB were in the box seat at 69-1 with Rowan Smith (10) and in-form Sam Singh (58) at the crease.

Matt Cook broke the partnership when he bowled Smith, and then Boyle struck a major blow when he knocked over Singh’s stumps with no addition to the scoreboard.

Boyle was getting plenty of swing and continued to trouble the batsmen, and 69-3 became 72-4 when Boyle removed another dangerman, Ajay Kumar, for two.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals before Gary Singh and Aman Kamboj took the score to 149 before Kamboj was bowled by Christophers.

Singh and Majstrovic then went on the attack. With five overs remaining, HSOB required 49 to win. Eleven runs off the 30th over brought the target down to 38 off 24 balls. With Singh at the crease, it was game on.

Cook returned to the attack and restricted the batsmen to three runs, to put the pressure back on the batsmen.

After conceding four runs off his first ball, Timoti Weir then bowled five dot balls, leaving Cook to come back and have Singh magnificently caught by Pratik Jethwa, who claimed the catch just millimetres from the ground.

Pirates 222-7 (Brad Reynolds 76, Tom Needham 59, Andrew Ashton 38; Quintin Mill 2-36) def Horouta 140 (Keegan Martin 57; Mitchell Turner 2-23, Luke Hayes 2-27).

OBR 201-8 (Jonathan Purcell 59, Carl Carmody 44, Zane Boyle 30; Ryan Majstrovic 3-53, Sam Singh 2-39) def HSOB 170 (Sam Singh 58, Gary Singh 55; Zane Boyle 3-27, Matt Cook 2-27, Craig Christophers 2-32).

Fifth/sixth place match: GBHS 180 (Robbie Tallott 48, Drew Scott, 28, Paul Stewart 28, Robert Schwass 25 not out; Caleb Greaves 3-26) def Campion College 43 (Ben McNeil 4-13, Robbie Tallott 3-7).