Young guns put Taranaki to the sword

A magnificent century by skipper Sam Curtis inspired Wairarapa to an upset first innings win over Taranaki in their zone two Hawke Cup qualifying cricket match played at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval in Masterton on Friday and Saturday.
Taranaki, as befits the current Hawke Cup holders, went into the game as warm favourites but were put to the sword by a young and largely inexperienced Wairarapa side which outbatted and outbowled them.
It was Curtis and fellow opener Brad Edwards who provided the highlights of the Wairarapa first innings which produced a healthy 328 runs on a Park Oval pitch which generally provided an even bounce. Their partnership of 172 runs was one of the best Wairarapa opening stands in years with Curtis giving just the one chance in his knock of 132 and that came on 115 when the Taranaki 'keeper grassed a relatively simple catch.
The Wairarapa captain was understandably delighted with his effort although a little peeved at being given out lbw when he felt he had got bat on the ball.
"I'm bloody stoked & I was determined to go out there and bat sensibly for as long as I could and things worked out pretty well," he said.
Aware of being dismissed in previous innings this season both at rep and club level through loose shots Curtis concentrated on keeping the ball on the ground and his knock was studded with searing boundaries, many of them struck through the cover region.
"I always had it in mind that if I had tried for sixes I'd have to put the ball in the air and risk being caught out & I wanted to take that risk out of my game," he said.
Curtis said he had started to think about the possibility of a double hundred just before he was adjudged lbw, a thought fuelled by that dropped catch at 115.
"When an easy chance like that is put down it's hard not to feel it just might be your day but it wasn't to be," he said. "It's frustrating to get out like that but then again it's cricket, you have to take the good with the bad."
Edwards also looked set for three figures when he was run out for 76. He gave a couple of chances early on but was mostly solid in defence and quick to take toll of any loose delivery.
Coming in at No.4 Chad Yates managed just 18 runs but with Curtis keeping the runs ticking over at the other end his stint was worth much more than the runs he himself accumulated while Jeremy Anderson again looked a middle order batsman of promise in making 33. In the lower order there were useful contributions from Brock Price (16 not out) Seth Rance (13) and Dean van Deventer (16) and when the Wairarapa innings closed with their score at 328 it was obvious Taranaki, whose bowlers too often strayed in line and length, were fighting an uphill battle.
For the visitors to have any chance of attaining first innings points it was imperative their top order batting came to the party but that didn't happen against a fired up Wairarapa attack and at 90-5 they were actually in danger of not making the follow on mark. In the end though they made it through to 222, all of 107 short of what they required for a first innings lead. Only middle order batsmen Johnston (33), Watkins (46) and Stewart (44) showed any real resistance. It was spinner Yates who had the heaviest workload with the ball for Wairarapa and his 21.2 overs produced the excellent figures of 4-56. He showed clever variation in flight and superb control in length. Fellow spinner Edwards demonstrated his all-round capabilities by taking 2-35 from his 11 overs while opening bowlers Rance (1-44) and Hayden Spierling (1-32) and Rathkeale College's van Deventer (1-47) impressed with their pace and accuracy.
The Wairarapa second innings lasted just the 25 overs and realised 82-3 before stumps were drawn early because there was no chance of either team securing an outright win. That, however, did not dampen the enthusiasm of captain Curtis who labelled his team's effort to pick up first innings points against the Hawke Cup holders as "awesome &. absolutely awesome" and said the only disappointing factor was that it represented their last two-dayer of the season.
"Three matches is a very short season and with the way we've progressed it would be nice to have at least another couple of games to play," he said.
Scoreboard
(catchers not listed):-
n WAIRARAPA
n First Innings
Edwards run out&.......................&.76
Curtis lbw b Taylor.....................&..132
Tatham c&..b Watkins...................&.1
Yates c&..b Reynolds&....................18
R.Anderson c&................b Mason&.4
J.Anderson c&.b Good...............&.33
Hill lbw b Mason..............................&.-
Price not out&..................................16
Rance c&..b Mason.....................&.13
Didsbury b Mason&...........................1
van Deventer c&..b Bolstad.........&.16
Extras............................................&.18
Total&.............................................328
n Bowling: Bolstad 14.2-2-59-1, Reynolds 13-3-51-1. Johnson 6-1-11-0, Taylor 17-3-42-1, Watkins 17-3-61-1, Good 16-5-48-1, Mason 16-3-51-4.
n Second Innings
Price c&&b; Watkins..................&.22
Hull. lbw b Bolstad&.........................7
Tatham b Bolstad&............................4
Yates not out&.................................21
R.Anderson not out........................&15
Extras&.............................................13
Total for 3 wkts&.............................82
n Bowling: Bolstad 4-0-12-2, Reynolds 4-0-16-0, Watkins 6-1-15-1, Taylor 2-1-7-0, Good 5-2-6-0, Mason 2-0-9-0, Tai 1-0-6-0.
n TARANAKI
n First Innings
Broadmore b Rance......................&.12
Muller b Yates&................................14
Painter c and b Yates....................&25
Tai c&..b Spierling&..........................6
Johnston c&.b Edwards&...............33
Watkins c&..b Edwards...............&.46
Stewart run out&.............................27
Mason stpd Didsbury b Yates......&.27
Good c&.b van Deventer&.................1
Bolstad c&&b; Yates&..................&4
Taylor not out&...................................1
Extras&..............................................9
Total&........................................&.222
n Bowling: Rance 14-2-44-1, Spierling 9-2-32-1, Yates 21-.2-5-47-1, van Deventer 16-5-47-1, Edwards 11-3-35-2, Price 2-0-2-0.
Final points for the zone two qualifying competition have still to be confirmed but it is understood Wairarapa finished second behind Manawatu.