By Gary Caffell
An aggressive 56 not out by Jackson Burling highlighted the five-wicket win secured by the Wairarapa College colts cricket team over their Kapiti College counterparts at Wairarapa College last Friday.
Burling’s big hitting was the catalyst to Wairarapa College reaching a healthy 249-5 at the end of their 40 overs.
He faced just 31 balls and hammered nine fours and one six, meaning 42 of his 56 runs actually came from boundaries.
Earlier the Wairarapa College innings had got off to a positive start through Sam Murray and Hugo Wakeling.
Murray was first to go, run out for 20 with the score at 34, and Wakeling advanced to 23 before being dismissed by a good catch at gully.
An 89-run fourth wicket partnership between Josh Nelson and Patrick Wootton ensured the scoreboard was kept ticking over at a reasonable rate and when Wootton was bowled for 24 Sam Silvester came to the crease and while he lasted only seven balls he managed to score 15 runs, thereby paving the way for Burling’s assault.
Burling, however, did not tip the list of individual scorers, that honour going to Nelson who was 71 not out when the Wairarapa College innings came to an end.
He faced 81 balls and struck 10 boundaries.
The last over faced by Nelson and Burling was especially lucrative for the home side with 21 runs coming off it.
The Kapiti College run chase got off to a rocky start with Eric Bargh making the initial breakthrough for Wairarapa College on the third ball of their innings.
Zac Vainu then bowled the other opener to make it 9-2 in the eighth over.
A third wicket partnership of 49 runs between Thomas Harris and Daniel Browne did steady the ship for Kapiti but they scored at a pedestrian rate and when Jake Young bowled Browne for 16 the Kapiti total stood at 53 and 27 overs had been bowled.
Harris, for his part, went on to make 41 from 124 balls and impressed with his patience but by the time their 40 overs were up Kapiti had made just 101 for the loss of five wickets.
The Wairarapa College bowlers all maintained a steady line and length with Young finishing with 2-12 from his six overs, Bargh 1-1 from four overs Vainu 1-9, also from four overs and Nelson 1-18 from seven overs.
