United allrounder Dominic Carroll dominated Saturday's Victoria Park-based Wanganui cricket semifinal, knocking the top off the Collegiate batting, taking a catch, and then smashing a rapid 58 not out to see his team home by nine wickets.
With United offie Tom Lance grabbing 4-7 in the Collegiate innings of 95, and
opening bat Gerard Hobbs getting a useful 23 in United's opening stand of 78, it was a game dominated by a few.
Carroll profited by United's winning the toss and insertion of Collegiate on a wicket that seamed early on.
"Yeah, it was nipping around a bit. There was a bit of swing into the wind," Carroll said.
Carroll suggested why skipper Andrew Cording liked bowling downwind.
"Cords always likes to take the wind. When I've been playing for 36 years I suppose I'll be allowed to control downwind. "
Carroll said he tried to obey the Cording's batting instructions.
"Cords said to go out and take the pressure off. I thought I picked the balls pretty good, but I still hit some pretty ugly shots."
Cording said: "It's always tricky when you're chasing a small total like that. I said, 'just go out and smash it.' Dom knows what I mean when I say that. He knows to block the good balls and smash the bad ones."
Cording was happy enough with his team's effort, except for a lapse that saw 22 wides bowled in a short innings. "That was rubbish, really. Usually we've been all right this season."
Collegiate coach Barry Touzel, while his team suffered a from losing the toss, said the boys were not quite "on to it today."
