Wairau are T20 champs

Wairau completely turned the tables on Celtic in the Marlborough senior grade Twenty20 cricket final at Horton Park.

Last season, Celtic scored a commanding victory in the T20 showpiece, on Friday night Wairau made amends in fine style, claiming the 2022-23 title by five wickets.

The defending champs won the toss and decided to bat on a pitch described as “wearing, but with no real demons in it”.

Hoping to register a formidable total, Celtic did themselves no favours with a succession of injudicious shots and poor choices, giving away their wickets far too readily.

After 11 runs were taken from Chris Turkington’s opening over, Wairau took control. Left arm paceman Nick Weaver produced an accurate maiden before Turkington stepped up. He bowled opener Tom Sloan for 13 from nine balls, then had the big-hitting Greg Knowles caught by Mike Hood before bagging his third when he enticed an edge from Joel Logan which was caught by keeper Colin Wood, who rolled back the years to pouch three catches and execute a smart stumping.

A messy run-out, which saw Josh Poole and Tom Sutherland stranded at the same end brought about the end of Sutherland then, when Weaver knocked over Ben Blackman’s poles Celtic were reeling at 19-5, a situation they never recovered from, Hunter Ruffell and Harrison Boyce cleaning up the lower order.

Doing his best to right the ship was Poole, who ended up unbeaten on 19 from 31 balls but his attempt to forge a substantial partnership was foiled by Wairau’s tight bowling, as the Green and Golds were dismissed for 57 in the 17th over.

All five Wairau bowlers employed produced startling figures. Turkington ended up with 3-19 from four, Weaver 1-3 from three, Ruffell, 2-16 from four, Boyce, 2-18 from four, and Andrew McCaa, 1-1 from just two balls.

Wairau’s run chase began in sedate fashion, openers Hood and Turkington adding 11 from four overs before Hood became the first wicket to fall, bowled by Matt McCormick.

Tarin Mason joined Turkington and pushed the score to 37 before Mason, 17 from 18, was bowled by Poole. Turkington, 17 from 25, had his stumps rearranged by Knowles with just 16 runs need for victory and although Wairau lost Boyce for eight and Weaver for a golden duck, both with the score on 55, there was no panic.

Alex Kennedy joined McCaa at the crease and when he edged the ball to the third man boundary the job was completed in the 13th over and Wairau were able to celebrate adding the T20 title to their one-day victory earlier in the season.

Skipper Nick Weaver said the first six overs in the field set the platform for his side’s victory.

“In our last few games we have gone for 40-50 runs in our first six but today we went for 19 … I think that was the difference. We tightened things up, tried to bowl full, in one area, and set a field to it. Everyone bowled well too, just stuck to the right lines. And, of course, getting five wickets in the first six overs certainly helped.

“In the run chase we had a plan to go out and attack the bowling, get it over with quickly, but when the guys got out there they felt it was probably not the right wicket to start throwing the bat at the ball. They concentrated on just scoring ones and knew the boundaries would come.”

Wairau were top qualifier for the final and have played consistently.

“This is another good day for the club … we were in a bit of a bad spot a few seasons ago but now, with this group and the way everyone has gelled together, we are getting results,” Nick added.

Round robin games

On Wednesday, the final night of round robin games was played. Wairau were assured of a final berth, but Celtic, who had a bye, Wairau Valley and Marlborough Boys’ College were all in with a chance of bagging the second position.

Valley and MBC met on the Oliver Park No 2 ground, with Valley needing a big victory over the students to lift their overall run rate high enough to ease past Celtic. They achieved a comprehensive victory, drawing level with Celtic, but ultimately fell short of the required run rate.

MBC batted first and were immediately under pressure, losing wickets rapidly.

A patient 22 from Luke Pannell was their best score as the students were dismissed for just 55 in the 17th over. Matthew Stretch, 3-10, Jethro Moran, 2-3, Sam Boyce, 2-9, and Caleb Speedy, 2-20, were the main wicket-takers.

Valley needed to chase their meagre target down quickly and did so, opener Sukh Aulakh scoring 17 as they reached 56-3 in just the fifth over. Pannell bagged a couple of wickets as the Valley batters hit out. Like Valley, Renwick made their last effort in the competition a winning one, romping past Wairau on the Oliver Park No 3 ground.

Wairau reached 137-8, Mike Hood scoring 44 from 33, Nick

Weaver 25 from 18 and Alex Kennedy 19 from 13. Cody Golding picked up 4-23 for the Green Machine, while Karlis Zvagulis grabbed 2-25.

Renwick lost a couple of early wickets but an unbroken 96 run partnership between Corey Bovey, 72* from 57, and Blair Timms, 48* from 37, saw them reach their target in the 18th over as they won by eight wickets.

Final round robin points: Wairau 20, Celtic 18, Wairau Valley 18, MBC 14, Renwick 10.

Second grade final

The final of the second grade T20 competition was contested at Horton Park on Thursday evening and Celtic Green emerged victorious, defeating United Country & Vineyard Cricket by three wickets.

UCVC batted first and, helped by 22 to former rep batsman Chris Bartholomeuz and 35 to Tarin Mason, reached 130-9 from their 20-over allotment. Wayne Young, with 2-27, and Luke Holdaway, a parsimonious 1-16 from four, were the pick of the steady Celtic attack.

Celtic’s successful run chase of 134-7 was anchored by opener Tom Sloan, 34 from 20, and Buller representative Greg Knowles, with 42 from just 26 balls. Mason, 2-37, and Simon Muir, 1-18 from four, were best with the ball.