Rowe out to make an impact with the ball

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

Talk about a point to prove: Jak Rowe hasn’t bowled since mid-December.

But what a game for the Smash Palace Bail-Breakers captain to come back from . . . left-arm seamer Rowe took 1-29 off four overs in Poverty Bay’s nine-wicket annihilation of Northland in their last match at Northern Districts’ Brian Dunning T20 Tournament in Taupo on December 18.

Tonight at 5.45pm, the Bail-Breakers play the Glen Udall-led Bollywood Stars on Harry Barker Reserve No.1 under umpire Tony Lee, whose colleague Jason Trowill will stand in the Auto Tyre Eagles clash with the Eastland Broncos on No.2.

Broncos captain Craig Christophers’ side needs a show of strength because although they didn’t play badly in a 54-run loss last Friday night (rather they fell victim to a thumping 111 not out by the Breakers’ Nic Hendrie), the long-term effects of such an experience can be profound.

Hendrie did the same thing to the Eagles on November 10. His 95 not out in Round 3 included six sixes and nine fours. The competition leaders’ margin of victory then was 92 runs. Rowe’s outfit will again be without David Salmon but the likes of young all-rounder Josiah Turner and hard-hitting wicketkeeper Thom Berry can score runs quickly.

Poverty Bay Cricket operations manager Hendrie sees his fellow South African and top-order batsman Bruce Kerr’s duel with Rowe as the key contest within a contest on Ground 1.

Kerr top-scored for the Bay with 71 not out in the game against Northland, and the focused wicketkeeper/batsman is now due to score runs.

Christophers said his side needed to go from scoring 120 to scoring 150.

“We also need to stop conceding 40 extras,” he said.

“Graham Hudson, Robbie Tallott and I have to perform.”

Pace bowling all-rounders Tallott and Hudson are potential match-winners and Hudson — coming off a DJ Barry Cup century for Old Boys’ Rugby against High School Old Boys last Saturday — showed true grit for the draw.

Udall’s Bollywood have the firepower to match the Bail-Breakers if all of their big guns fire.

Drew Scott fought hard for 26 last Friday night and harder still for 46 the next day in High School Old Boys’ cause. That 26 — coupled with AJ Kumar’s 25 — got the Stars through to 129-5 against the Eagles, and victory by 75 runs.

Matt Crampton, now the Eagles’ skipper, is a great young cricketer but his team needs the complete package from him this evening, because he has significant potential with the bat. His younger teammates — Adam Whibley and Travis Mitchell — have the ability to help their captain with that.