New captain Sam Curtis led by example as Wairarapa secured maximum points in their Hawke Cup elimination cricket match with Horowhenua-Kapiti at Greytown over the weekend.
Knocks of 91 and 44 by Curtis set the standard as Wairarapa picked up their first points of the Cup series after earlier losses to
Nelson, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki through a three wicket victory.
But Curtis was playing down his own part in the success in his after-match comments.
He said his whole squad had gone into the game determined not to allow the furore caused by the shock resignation of former player-coach and selector Robin James to adversely affect their performance.
James's decision ostensibily came because of a lack of player commitment with his last couple of training runs attracting only a handful of players but Curtis was delighted with the application of his team on this occasion.
"Everything about it was positive. We went out there to focus entirely on the cricket and that's what we did.," he said.
Horowhenua-Kapiti batted first and after struggling to 75-6 some some stiff resistance from their tailenders saw them through to 203 before the last wicket fell.
Opener Dolden struck six boundaries in his 35, Rowney five fours in his 33 and Strydon four fours and a six in his 32.
Medium pacer Brock Price was the most prolific wicket taker for Wairarapa with 3-23 from his 15 overs but at least equally impressive was his new ball partner Seth Rance who had 24 overs and finished with 2-50.
Spearheading the spin attack was Simon Clinton-Baker who claimed 2-50 from his 16 overs.
Wairarapa's first innings of 207 was dominated by Curtis who was the sixth wicket to fall with his total at 91 and his team at 151-6, a graphic illustration of his controlling of the strike. He hit 10 fours but his patience is indicated by the fact his knock also included 20 singles and 14 twos.
Just three other Wairarapa batsmen made it into double figures, first drop Daniel Stonely striking three boundaries in his 23, No.7 batsmen Jeremy Anderson three fours in his unbeaten 39 and wicketkeeper Paul Lyttle coming in at No.9 and playing a big part in his side attaining a first innings lead by thumping five fours in his 21.
Horowhenua-Kapiti used just the five bowlers and it was Billmore who led the way, putting down a mammoth 35 overs and taking 7-88.
Quick runs were the obvious tactic for Horowhenua-Kapiti as they commenced their second innings intent on pushing for an outright win and they raced through to 163-3 before declaring. Leading the charge was first drop Murdock who hit five fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 76.
Sharing the wickets with one apiece for Wairarapa were Seth Rance, Sam Curtis and Adam Bennett.
Wairarapa now required 161 runs off 31 overs for maximum points themselves and again it was opener Curtis who took charge. He hit five fours in his 44 and when his wicket fell Wairarapa were well on the way at 75-3.
The situation threatened to change, however, as three more wickets tumbled to make it 96-6 but Seth Rance then entered the fray and his unbeaten 47 got Wairarapa home.At one stage of his knock his last five scoring shots had been five fours and one six and he hit seven fours in all.
Here too it was Billmore who did most of the damage with the ball for Horowhenua-Kapiti, finishing with 4-73 off his 14 overs.
HOROWHENUA-KAPITI
First innings
Simpson b Price?......................................?.4
Dolden b Burt?.............................................35
Murdock lbw b Jefferies?................................4
Paynter c Lyttle b Price..............................?.18
Trask c Anderson b Price?...........................11
Rowney c and b Rance?.............................33
Fox b Rance?................................................0
Strydon c and b Clinton-Baker?...................32
Graham c Stoneley b Clinton-Baker?...........24
Halliday not out.........................................?.26
Billmore c Lyttle b Curtis?..............................7
Extras?.........................................................10
Total?..........................................................203
Fall: 19, 28, 56, 74, 75, 75, 128, 151, 182, 203.
Bowling: Rance 24- 7-50-2, Price 15-3-23-3, Jefferies 10-2-30-1, Bennett 7-2-21-0, Burt 11-3-19-1, Clinton-Baker 16-5-50-2, Curtis 5-0-7-1
Second Innings
Halliday c Bennett b Rance.......................?.20
Strydon c Jefferies b Curtis?........................23
Murdock not out?..........................................76
Trask c Clinton-Baker b Bennett................?.26
Fox not out ....................................................12
Extras............................................................?5
Total for 3wkts dec?...............................? 164
Fall: 42, 48, 133.
Bowling: Rance 5-0-28-1, Price 2-0-17-0, Curtis 8-0-46-1, Clinton-Baker 3-0-17-0, Burt 4-0-33-0, Bennett 2-0-19-1.
WAIRARAPA
First Innings
Curtis stpd?.b Billmore?..............................91
Hannam b Murdock?......................................3
Stonely b Murdock.....................................?.23
Hull c?.b Murdock......................................?.6
Jefferies c?.b Billmore...............................?.0
Bennett b Billmore?........................................0
Anderson not out?........................................39
Rance c?.b Billmore?...................................5
Lyttle lbw b Billmore...................................?.21
Price c?..b Billmore?.....................................3
Burt b Billmore?..............................................2
Extras............................................................ 14
Total?..........................................................207
Fall: 20, 92, 102, 105, 105, 151, 157, 185, 196, 207.
Bowling: Murdock 15-6-39-3, Billmore 35-4-88-7, Reid 6-0-31-0,:Trask 14-4-40-0
Second Innings
Hannam c Fox b Billmore?.............................1
Curtis b Graham?........................................44
Stonely c Simpson b Murdock?...................10
Hull b Billmore?............................................14
Anderson run out?........................................11
Jefferies b Billmore?....................................10
Bennett lbw b Billmore...............................?.6
Rance not out?............................................47
Lyttle not out?..............................................14
Extras?.......................................................?5
Total for 7wkts.........................................?..163
Fall: 18, 53, 75, 79, 92, 96, 137.
Bowling: Halliday 2-0-17-0, Billmore 14-1-73-4, Murdock 7-2-29-1, Graham 4-1-30-1, Paynter 2-0-13-0.
New captain Sam Curtis led by example as Wairarapa secured maximum points in their Hawke Cup elimination cricket match with Horowhenua-Kapiti at Greytown over the weekend.
Knocks of 91 and 44 by Curtis set the standard as Wairarapa picked up their first points of the Cup series after earlier losses to
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