Bonus point wins dominate first round
Monday, Oct 18 2021
Travis Stewart
Four games and four bonus point wins were the order of the day from round one of the Alpha Sports Premier One Day Competition.
Last season’s beaten finalists New Plymouth Marist United (NPMU) got their season off to the perfect start with a seven wicket win over Woodleigh.
Having won the toss and electing to bat first Woodleigh were soon in trouble at 12 for 3. They were able to scratch their way to 96 all out, thanks mainly to Josh Quinney who was the only player to make double figures finishing on 42.
Captain Kurt Leuthart was the pick of the bowlers taking 4 for 14 off 10 overs while Ryan Watson chimed in with three. In reply the NPMU batsmen made light work of the run chase with Dean Robinson finishing 42 not out and Ryan Watson 34 not out.
Across town at Western Park, last season champions New Plymouth Old Boys (NPOB) took on Francis Douglas Memorial College (FDMC) in the only game played on grass.
NPOB won the toss and elected to bowl first, FDMC struggled to build any momentum losing wickets regularly, they were eventually dismissed for 86 with Jack Southern top scoring with 19. Kyle Pillay and Jordan Gard both picked up three wickets.
A 52 run opening stand between Josh Borrell (24) and Myles Simkin (21) soon put the game beyond doubt with NPOB securing a six-wicket win. Aaron Manning-Fleming picked up three wickets.
New Plymouth Boys High School (NPBHS) played host to Hawera at Webster Field, winning the toss and electing to bat first the school side got off to a steady and cautious start with Josh Gard (24) and Hirishi Bolar (35) putting on 45 for the first wicket.
However, once the breakthrough was made the wickets started to tumble with the Hawera bowlers starting to assert some pressure. Ethan Keller would wrap up the tail on his way to figures of 4 for 24 as NPBHS were bowled out for 107.
Hawera openers Nick Walker and Rob Northcott in his 200th premier game got the run chase off to a flyer, especially Northcott who was brutal against the school sides attack, Northcott would be dismissed for 42 off 25 balls, an innings that included five 4’s and three 6’s. Walker would remain unbeaten finishing on 34 to see his side through to a seven-wicket win.
Inglewood put on a morale boosting display defeating Stratford by 92 runs. Batting first Inglewood made 180, Brent Stevens top scored with 33 with Bailey Wisnewski, Tyla Judson and Sam Darth all making it past 20 but not able to kick on.
For Stratford Kale Jordan picked up three wickets with Liam Muggeridge and Tom Bruce picking up two each. Robert McLeod picked up the early wicket of Denis Mihalijevich before Tom Bruce showed he was in some good early season form scoring 30 off 28 balls.
Liam Muggeridge made 20 but after they had both departed Stratford lost their last six wickets for just 14 runs being dismissed for 88. Richard Clough was the pick of the Inglewood bowlers taking 4 for 15