Waimate Cricket Club

The two day match at home against Celtic turned into a poker school after day one was cancelled, and day two the ground was still too damp to get started.

Since a certain club member has been haranguing the columnist, I have decided to use this space for a quick questionaire. 

1. Which Waimate person understands so little about rugby, that he writes a column on grid-iron in the USA?

2. Which senior player when asked about strike rate, can truthfully say over 50%, but actually be talking about LBW dismissals?

3. Who is the only ‘ginga’ that isn’t a member of the ‘ginger club’  in Waimate?

There are not necessarily any correct answers to these questions, other than to prove I like to get the last word!

It is with great sadness that the Waimate Cricket Club extend their deepest regrets and condolences to the Tangiora family after the tragic loss of Wiremu last Friday.

Wiremu was a member of the Waimate Fourth Grade cricket team who are currently leading the competition, and I am sure he would be pleased to know that his team dedicated their win at the weekend to ‘Woody’.

Wiremu was also a participant in the twilight cricket competition, and had a relaxed approach to batting where he thought that all you had to do was lean back and ‘slap’ it.

This weekend the Waimate Cricket Club lost one of their long serving players, as Matt Devlin leaves Waimate to join his brother James (Jimmy D) in Aussie. He has played his cricket for Waimate for his whole life from Primary School JAB to his current rank as a first choice senior player.

My first involvement with Dev was when he was a precocious third former who couldn’t sit still but had that Devlin spirit of never lying down as he spent seemingly his whole life trying to beat older brother James (Jimmy) in any sport they played from the backyard cricket tests at home to touch and on field rugby.

Those that know Matt will know that schoolwork was never high on the agenda (although certain female teachers did gain favour), but if he could work out an angle to do something better in the sporting field, then he would give it a try. I remember being frustrated in the nets when trying to teach the kids to play straight and “through the V” when all he wanted to do was practice reverse sweeps or shots that he had seen Nathan Astle play in a one day game.

It is this determination that has been the hallmark of his contributions to Waimate cricket to date, as he has had to change through injury from a fiery left-arm quick to a wily left-arm spinner who is always keen to give the ball flight but can give it a ‘tweak’ when conditions suit. Many of us have seen him put his shoulder out before changing to spin, once when appealing as he threw his arms in the air, but although his efforts at the bowling crease have never waivered, it has been his batting which has improved the most in my time.

He capped off his school career with a century, a feat not many Waimate boys can boast, while since joining senior ranks he has managed at least one half century a season with 74 not out in 2006, 74 (out) in 2007 and 52 in 2008. You can read his stats and figures up until 2007 here and in due course these will be fully listed.

I wish Matt all the best on behalf of the club and hope that he keeps in contact with everyone whether by reading about our matches or via facebook, and to make sure whenever he is home visiting his Mum or Dad he brings his whites!

Mark Medlicott
Chief Cricket Reporter Timaru Herald
That bits to use on your CV in Aussie Dev, or skite to new found friends!

In the feature club game at Aorangi Oval in the latest round of the Daily Freightways One Day Competition, Waimate managed to chase down the target set by Star with two balls to spare and retain their position at the top of the table despite losing two overs because of a slow over rate.

Waimate won the toss and asked Star to bat and after an early breakthrough, the Star batsmen with the backbone provided by Captain Phil McGregor with a patient 50 began to build solid partnerships. Paul Arkinstall scored 48 before holing out trying to loft the ball into the wind as they added 66 runs for the second wicket. Chris Anders helped add another 61 in the next partnership, before the innings faltered somewhat. At 180-8 the score was looking a bit light on the Aorangi pitch, but Julian Blanchard then played a cameo innings of 25 including two huge sixes to help set Waimate a target of 210 for victory.

In reply Waimate was soon in trouble at 20-3 with Chris Hyde making the most of his chances in senior ranks as he bowled through to take 2-26.

However, Craig Booth with 30 and Hayden Matthews put their heads down as they got things back on track adding 65 runs. Rafferty Fox gained a quick but largely unproductive promotion after Jason Sewhoy went missing in the toilet, and with the score on 100 Waimate still needed a further 110 runs off 90 balls.

Matthews and Sewhoy added 45 in good time before Matthews was out for 46 trying to feed Sewhoy the strike. Matt Devlin joined Sewhoy and continued in the same role as Star set the field far and wide to try and restrict Waimate to less than the 9 an over required.

In the end it wasn’t the fielders who needed to worry, rather the neighbouring houses as Sewhoy launched his assault. Blanchard took a great catch only to realize he was over the boundary and that was the closest to a chance Sewhoy gave on his way to 72 not out off only 50 balls to see Waimate to victory.

Star
P McGregor c&b b Allan 50
C Fraser c J Sewhoy b Reid 0
P Arkinstall c Allan b Ford 48
C Anders b M Sewhoy 24
D Reid c J Sewhoy b M Devlin 3
T Butler b M Devlin 2
R Phillips lbw b Allan 7
M Evans c Fox b M Devlin 7
J Blanchard not out 25
P Henshaw not out 5
Extras (3b, 5lb, 29w, 2nb) 39
Total (for 8 wkts) 209
Fall: 12, 78, 139, 152, 156, 163, 177, 180.
Bowling: A Reid 4-0-14-1, M Devlin 9-1-41-3, C Booth 3-1-18-0, S Devlin 3-0-18-0, R Fox 7-0-28-0, R Ford 7-0-16-1, R Allan 9-0-40-2, M Sewhoy 4-0-20-1.

Waimate
A Reid c D Reid b Butler 13
R Allan b Hyde 1
N Sew Hoy c Anders b Hyde 2
H Matthews c Henshaw b McGregor 46
C Booth c&b b Henshaw 30
R Fox b Henshaw 1
J Sew Hoy not out 72
M Devlin not out 15
Extras (5lb, 17w 2nb) 24
Total (for 6 wkts) 212
Fall: 7, 19, 20, 85, 100, 145.
Bowling: T Butler 8-1-29-1, C Hyde 9-0-26-2, M Evans 8.4-0-46-0, P Henshaw 9-1-43-2, P McGregor 9-0-64-1.
Result: Waimate win by 4 wickets

The team display their inauspicious or outstanding efforts for Movember 2008. A great team effort which would lead to a rare victory over Celtic on this day.

The guys put their razors away for the month of November to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Foundation. There were some great top-lip caterpillars and some not so.  Well done boys for raising $500 and thank you to all who donated.

Special mention has to go to one Senior Men’s player who also shaved his head to raise funds. Good on ya’ Chucky!

While watching cricket on Saturday a certain gentleman mentioned that he didn’t want his score or any record of his involvement in the match being shown. I have therefore deliberately not mentioned his name in this article.

However while watching the cricket I was able to study some of the attempts for “Movember”, and must congratulate those involved for helping a good cause.

BUT, I did notice that one member seems to be outshining the others and it wasn’t until researching my records while updating the new website that I realised he was five years ahead of the others as this photo from 2003 clearly shows. All that was needed was to finish off the start!

It may have taken nearly 30 years but Murray (Muzza) Prattley is celebrating after scoring his first century (107) ever this weekend playing for Second Grade against Mackenzie/Geraldine in the annual match at Fairlie which has become full of notoriety (mainly due to the trip home), and I’m sure that after this effort nothing will have changed.

 Match Story:

 Murray Prattley and Connor Farrell opened the batting on a hot afternoon in the Fairlie sunny, muggy day. It was a slow and steady start and by drinks at 20 overs we were 87 without loss and Murray close to his fifty. The signs looked good for a big score as Murray was starting to dominate the bowling smashing 4′s at will.

After drinks Connor tried to lift his tempo to match and was out for 21. While Murray continued to smack boundary after boundary as well as push the single, he now was clearing the fence with some big 6′s.

Ruha Davis scored a good 14 before being caught, and Todd Bailey entered for a rapid 25 off 9 balls. This after captain Pete Wallace told him to take it easy and play himself in!

John Dyer saw Murray through to his 100 before going out for 6. With little time left in the innings Justin Thompson pushed and guided the score up over 200, while Murray finally holed out for 107 trying to save himself running he went once to often to be caught well, after a marathon 36 overs batting effort. He offered few chances and played extremely well for his century, his first for the club. Great effort Murray!

The innings continued and Brodie Devine tried hard to hit out but with little time was undone for 1. Zac Aikman batted well to push around in the last over for 3 not out, carrying his bat along with Justin 13*. To give Waimate a score of 211 for 6.

The bowling effort started well with Kerry Weir bowling tidily and taking two good wickets in his opening spell. Justin on the other hand, would like to use the heat as a factor but was a little more wayward than normal to only take 2 wickets for 15 runs from 4 overs.

Enter Brodie and Zac kept things tidy and tight as the both bowled very well. Zac bowling 5 overs 30-1, and Brodie 6 overs 21-1 both controlled the game well. At drinks Murray had recovered enough to get 3 overs in and took the valuable wicket of Bevan Guthrey for 28. Sam Newman got the other valuable wicket of Chris Galwey for 28 also with some interesting accuracy in his 2 overs.

The master Pete Wallace came in to bowl at the end along with Kerry to finish McKenzie/Geraldine off. Pete claimed both of the last wickets finishing 2-7 from 1.5 overs and Kerry 2-13 from 6 overs.

This was a good team effort and the trip home was made sweet by Murray’s ton, and our win. Good luck this week boys as you play the last game of the round at Knottingley Park versus Roncalli.