Cricket: Taranaki back to winning ways

Ian Snook

Taranaki displayed some of their best form of the season in disposing of a talented Manawatu side at a windy Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North during the weekend.

Led by the left arms of the little magician Liam Carr, pictured, and the astute Mattie Thomas with his Derek Underwood accuracy, and the classy batting of another lefty Josh Borrell, Taranaki wrapped up the outright win late on Sunday afternoon.

Manawatu won the toss and batted and would have hoped for more than their 170 runs on a good wicket.

Jerome Robinson was the only batsman to test the bowling, but he crucially fell victim to the guile of Carr when a big score beckoned, and with Carr and Thomas grabbing three wickets each Manawatu never managed a decent partnership.

Unlike the batting, the bowling partnerships, manipulated cleverly by Taranaki skipper Jordy Gard, were able to maintain the pressure, whether it was the accuracy of Davis Mills upwind or the pace of Ryan Watson downwind.

Following the change of innings there was a flurry of runs against the Manawatu quicks with Robson Chapman, another left-hander, and Borrell quickly moving through to 76 before Chapman departed on 38.

The initiative had been seized by the openers and the plan must have been to keep things positive and move along at a good clip.

However, apart from Borrell’s polished 70 at a run-a-ball, those around him managed to find ways to get out. It then took yet another left-hander Liam Muggeridge, and the recalled Mills, to settle into a steady partnership (53), which took Taranaki past Manawatu with only five wickets down at stumps on Saturday.

The spark was back. Three sessions and it was 3-0. Each time Manawatu had looked like gaining a grip on things someone in a Taranaki shirt stood up.

The plan for Sunday would have no doubt been to bat big – 350 must have been the target.

Of course, in cricket the best of plans quite often don’t materialize, and that is exactly what happened.

In a flash, four wickets are lost to Manawatu quick men Jack Gleeson and Jack Harris as they charge in and pose some real problems for the Taranaki batsmen. These boys are as quick as you’ll get at this level.

Thomas again proved his value with a composed 22 not out and he added a crucial 20 runs with his little lefty mate Carr, for the 10th wicket.

It wasn’t what Taranaki had wanted, but with 229 on the board they were starting 59 runs ahead.

Half-a-dozen overs in and Manawatu are rollicking along. Could they manage a decent total and set up a difficult run chase. There must have been a glimmer of hope in these early exchanges.

Then boom! Skipper Gard finds an edge and the safe hands of Rupert Young pouches the ball. It was just one of Young’s eight dismissals across the two innings, yet another display of high-class wicket-keeping. This boy is good.

From then on Manawatu never got away. Gard was all accuracy and power for his two wickets, Thomas was as clever and accurate as ever for two to go with his three in the first innings, and of course the little magician Carr mesmerized the men in green, proving once again that he must be only inches away from Central Districts Stags selection.

His five wickets gave him eight for the match and a total of 11 in the Furlong Cup games at a measly average of 14.72. And, he picked up another seven wickets at the Chapple Cup recently.

With Manawatu clawing their way to 156, Taranaki would need 98 runs for the outright win.

Chapman and Borrell were quickly into their work, Bailey Wisnewski hit a polished 27, and Young’s 33 not out, took Taranaki past the required total with three wickets down.

This was a comprehensive performance, and should provide plenty of confidence leading into next weeks clash in Napier against Hawkes Bay.

Taranaki captain Jordan Gard said: “Our boys are trending in the right direction. We are getting better and better as each game goes on.

Winning outright against Manawatu is a great confidence booster for the boys and we are all excited for the game next week leading into the first challenge”.

Full match scorecard available at the Cricket Central app or here at Play HQ: https://www.playhq.com/.../furlong-cup/game-centre/ca3d589c

Taranaki’s points for this game takes them to 35 but with Whanganui already finished their schedule sitting on 54, and Hawkes Bay with two games left and already on 39, it will be either Whanganui or Hawkes Bay who lift the Furlong Cup in 2025/26.

Taranaki’s goal will be to get the majority of points available in the game against Hawkes Bay before heading into the Hawke Cup defences at the end of the month.

Top performers for Taranaki in this season’s Furlong Cup with one game left:
Josh Borrell 331 runs @ 66.20
Rupert Young 236 runs @ 59
Liam Carr 11 wickets @ 14.92
Ben Frewin 9 wickets @ 18.88
Jordan Gard 9 wickets @ 28.88