Waimate did not enjoy the recent rounds of Twenty20 matches after being the only team forced to travel for every match and then further compromised by twice having to play on inadequately prepared pitches on the Timaru ground which certainly did nothing for the batsmen’s confidence and in both games turned the matches into a lottery.
This weekend they again travelled to Timaru to take part in finals day. Playing off for 5th or 6th position is never much fun, and especially when it is a rerun of their last game the previous weekend against Temuka.
However a win would at least give the victors bragging rights and the opportunity to play Twenty20 cricket on a decent batting strip probably made the early morning start a bit better. After a southerly blast went through Sth Canterbury in the morning, the Waimate versus Temuka match turned out to be played in the best conditions of the day.
Beginning at 10.45am the cloud eventually disappeared and temperatures were in the high 20′s with no breeze to cool things as Waimate lost the toss and were asked to bat.
Naffa Sew Hoy lhad a slightly different approach as he looked to bat for quite a few overs, but unusually for him struggled to get the ball into the gaps and when he was second out joining Adam Polson in the pavilion the Waimate total was only 24.
Todd Bailey batting at No 3 continued his recent run of good form and in tandem with Glen Drake added 44 runs before Glen was out for an aggressive 26. Todd added a further 14 runs with Jason Sew Hoy before falling lbw for 37 which he scored from 31 deliveries.
Nathan Sheppard struggled to get bat on ball but helped Jason add another 15 runs, and young Findlay Keen was out lbw shortly later after getting one of those deliveries you dread early on.
Matt Devlin strode to the wicket with Waimate 102-7 in the 15th over to join his skipper and the pair immediately set about taking the attack back to Temuka.
Their 50 partnership came off only 25 deliveries and didn’t include any extras as all the scoring shots were off the bat. Jason almost matched the Aorangi Oval record for the fastest fifty as he scored his 50 from only 22 balls, one ball behind Chris Cairns who held the record at 21 balls until New Year’s Eve this season when Shannon Stewart set the new record off 19 deliveries.
Jason’s fifty came up at the same time as Waimate’s 150, but he was run out shortly after by a direct hit for 57 but his scoring rate in excess of 200 made sure Waimate would post a competitive total.. Matty D kept the attack going until the end with a lively rate just under 200 and entertained the supporters by displaying a couple of classic poses as he invented a new technique for the slog-sweep over cow corner. Unfortunately no cameras at the ground caught the pose, else we would be sending the photo to the ICC to put in their next coaching manual!
Matt ended 30 not out from 16 balls and Waimate posted 175-7 from their 20 overs.
Temuka began similarly to Waimate and were 74-2 at the 10 over mark similar to Waimate’s 68-2 at the same stage. Chris Opie (run out for 63) and Ritchie Preston (43) added 64 for the 3rd wicket and for a long while Waimate looked in danger of being overhauled, but then the pairing of Jason and Matty D struck again.
Jason caught Preston off Matt’s bowling and with Preston out for 43 after a 41 run partnership with Paul Coles the Temuka challenge wilted and they could only manage 156 which in the end gave Waimate the win comfortably.
Jason and brother Matt (Chucky) both took 2-21 and Murray Prattley with 2-32 and Glen Drake 1-28 as well as run out each chimed in to help the win.
Finishing just before 2.00pm meant the families had a chance to visit the Bay, while the rest of the team would have been safely ensconced in the sponsors bar at the Empire when the cold southerly hit.
Click to read score sheet
