Any slim chance Post Office Hotel Wairarapa had of sneaking a Hawke Cup challenge disappeared when they were bowled out for 179 in their first innings on Saturday.
Wairarapa went into the Furlong Cup clash with Hawke Cup holders Hawke’s Bay needing at least 200 runs in their first innings to keep alive their outside chances, but after winning the toss and batting first on the Queen Elizabeth Park Oval, they struggled against the accurate visiting attack.
Medium-fast bowler Liam Dudding was the chief destroyer, taking four of the first five wickets to fall and then mopping up the tail to finish with the outstanding figures of six wickets for 35 runs off 15.2 overs.
Taylor Bettelheim [20] and Jake Jonas [23] showed some glimpses at the top of the order, but it was left to two former Wairarapa College schoolmates, Mark Steventon and Samuel Payne, to restore some pride.
The two youngsters, who produced some memorable partnerships for Waicol, came together with the home side teetering at 87–6, and the pair showed maturity beyond their years to rebuild the innings and give the team a chance of reaching 200, adding 59 runs for the eighth wicket.
Steventon backed up his good form from Horowhenua-Kapiti when he scored 77 with a well-compiled 41, while 17-year-old Payne hinted at a bright representative future with an excellent 52 not out from 103 balls, an innings featuring seven fours and one six.
The target was never likely to threaten the classy Hawkes’ Bay, although they lost the early wicket of Jonathan Wheatley, bowled by a beauty from Ethan Childs.
After that, Baylee Foote and experienced Central Stag Brad Schmulian took control and established a solid platform before Seth Rance had Foote trapped in front for 37.
The visitors were 110–3 overnight, and the early wicket of Dominic Thompson, bowled by Ethan Childs for three, gave Wairarapa some hope, only for run machine Schmulian to bring up an impressive century in the first session as Hawke’s Bay looked to establish a big lead.
Schmulian was joined by Sam Cassidy for a match-defining partnership, with the pair adding 90 runs for the sixth wicket before Cassidy was caught behind off the bowling of George Deans.
Hawke’s Bay went to lunch at 269–6 before declaring at 317–7 midway through yesterday’s second session, with the captains deciding enough was enough in the 30-degrees-plus heat and calling the game off.
Shrimpton Trophy
The Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus fell to an embarrassing 121-run loss to Manawatu in their Shrimpton Trophy women’s clash at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North yesterday.
After being sent into bat, Manawatu took an aggressive approach and finished with a daunting total of 208. Opener Sally Wenham with 56 and number five Jessica Ogden with 47 not out were the best of the home team batters.
Madison Brown picked up 3 for 28, while Melissa Hansen and Olivia Roseingrave each claimed two wickets.
Wairarapa’s response was on the backfoot early on, with the experienced Hansen out for one. Elizabeth Cohr and wicketkeeper Sally Booth got the chase back on track, adding 40 runs for the second wicket, but once Booth went, regular wickets fell, and the Korus tumbled to be all out for 87.
Cohr, with 34, was the only batter to reach double figures.
Brief scores
Post Office Hotel Wairarapa 179 [Samuel Payne 52no, Mark Steventon 41; Liam Dudding 6–35] drew with Hawke’s Bay [Brad Schmulian 119no, Sam Cassidy 60, Baylee Foote 37, Toby Findlay 30; Ethan Childs 3–60, Seth Rance 2–46]. Hawke’s Bay won on the first innings.
Manawatu 208 [Sally Wenham 56, Jessica Ogden 47no; Madison Brown 3–28, Olivia Roseingrave 2–58, Melissa Hansen 2–27] beat Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus 87 [Elizabeth Cohr 34; Molly Noema-Barnett 2-11, Penny Lovegrove 2-15, Abby Treder 2-5] by 121 runs.
