Motueka Cricket Lion Foundation

Motueka Vs Wakatu Gold 07/03/2020

Motueka were looking for revenge when they arrived at Victory Square to take on Wakatu Gold who pipped them for the 40-over final a couple of weeks earlier. They won the toss and elected to bowl first. The first ball went for a six but the next over Motueka took the first wicket. Laurence Kirdy was starting to build a score but was caught on the boundary for 28 off 22 balls and Wakatu were 42 for 2 off six overs. A few more of their batsmen got starts but

Motueka were bowling well, particularly Corey Pascoe who took 4 for 11 off 4 overs. Regular wickets in the latter half of the innings prevented Wakatu from achieving a threatening score and they finished with 122 for 8 off their 20 overs. Motueka started positively with the bat and but lost their first wicket for 23 in the third over. Wakatu’s bowlers were not as potent as they have been and Justin and Liam Hobbs took to them, sending the ball over the boundary multiple times. Liam was out in the seventh over with the score at 68 for 2, having scored 37 off just 15 balls. which were converted to make the score 32 - 18. Judging from the rapid arm gesturing from the Kahurangi coaching staff and grumbles from fans on the bank, hope for the match was at an alltime low. Just when hope seemed to have ebbed away entirely it was as if a switch had been flicked. Kahurangi lifted the intensity of everything they did and as a result found themselves in the right part of the field. Michael Wells hit the line at the perfect angle, broke through one attempted tackle and strolled otherwise untouched to dot down under the posts. A few minutes later and with the score now at 25 - 32, Wells received the ball just to the left of the uprights after a patient buildup. In heavy traffic this time and with four Marist players doing their best to hold him up Wells scored his second try right on full time. Brad Coulson calmly slotted the conversion to make the final score 32-all, brightening the mood among the Kahurangi supporters considerably. Kahurangi have a bye this coming weekend but will be back in action at Riwaka on Saturday, 28 March at 3pm against Waimea Old Boys.

Justin was eventually dismissed for 42 off 22 balls with the score at 117 for 3 in the 10th over and the job all but done, meanwhile Corey Pascoe had picked up where Liam left off scoring 26 not out off 12 balls. Motueka had scored 93 in six overs, taking just the 10 overs all up to overhaul Wakatu’s score in a dominant display that included 15 fours and 7 sixes.