Cricket: Slow season start for prem cricketers

Indika Senarathne. Photo / Paul Taylor

None of the premier men's club teams were over the moon with their performances but the cricketers will regardless take the spoils of victory.

Ruahine Motors Ford Central Hawke's Bay, The Station Napier Old Boys Marist and Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys registered wins on Saturday in the 55-over competition.

It was the season-opening round of the Property Brokers-sponsored competition at Nelson Park, Napier, with defending champions CHB beating Havelock North CC by 32 runs.

"We let ourselves down with batting with a couple of stupid shots," CHB captain Scott Schaw said after No8 Blair Tickner stopped the rot with 61 runs from 89 balls after No3 Angus Schaw scored 28 (50) to be all out for 180 in 52.5 overs.

Sam Prescott took 4-28 from 15.5 overs, including six maidens while Casey Rangi backed up with 3-32 from 13 overs, including five maidens.

In reply, the villagers were 148 all out in 42 overs with No4 Rokon Al-Sahariar scoring 39 (56) and No9 Prescott 21 not out.

Charlie Robson took 5-48 from 14 overs, including two maidens while Tickner took 4-26 from seven overs, including two maidens.

"It's the first game with the red ball, so you can't expect everything to go right on the field," Schaw said.

NOBM beat Sharpies Driving Range Taradale CC by 55 runs in a game where the teams' total didn't look safe even for a Twenty20 match.

The victors were 123 all out in 46.5 overs, with opener Jaspeet Singh scoring 39 (46) before a collapse.

Veteran Daniel Drepaul at No6 dug his toes in for an unbeaten 20 from 66 balls to save a few blushes.

NOBM captain Bevin Pollock said the total wasn't enough but hailed Drepaul for hanging tough with little support. "Droopy came in and was awesome but the rest didn't last around him," said opener Pollock, who added 18 (25) with Singh.

CD Stag Ajaz Patel claimed 4-25 from 16 overs, including five maidens, while spinner Tushan Sharma took 4-26 from 11 overs, including three maidens.

The Luke Kenworthy-skippered Taradale were skittled for a paltry 68 in 26.1 overs, with opener Tevita Mpofu scoring 17 (45) and No10 Scott Bayliss 22 not out from 29 balls.

Marist seamer Anoop Renuka-Prajad took 5-13 from 10 overs, including three maidens.

"It was Anoop's birthday today as well," Pollock said.

CD squad member Andrew Mathieson and left-arm medium pacer Ravi Singh took two wickets each.

NTOB set the pace with 273-3 in 49.2 overs declared in a higher-scoring affair in their 102-run victory over Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC.

No4 Indika Senarathne scored an unbeaten 144 from 105 balls, including 13 boundaries and eight sixes.

No3 and Stag Greg Hay had provided the platform with 74 (90) as Cornwall bowlers struggled to make inroads.

Cornwall did put up some resistance through No3 Jayden Wiggins 37 (59) and No6 Jono Hall 37 (44) but ran out of legs to be all out for 171 in 58 overs.

Right-arm slow-medium pacer Tom Watson took 3-20 from 11 overs, including four maidens, while Stevie Smidt claimed 3-33 from nine overs.

Senarathne and Christian Leopard claimed two scalps each.

"My boys really stood up yesterday with the ball but Indy [Senarathne] was just all class, mate," a delighted NTOB captain George Diack said of the Sri Lankan-born all-rounder.