Captain Gemma Sims was brilliant in the Korus’ win over Taranaki. PHOTO/FILE
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus coach Simon Roseingrave is happy to have egg on his face after the team thrashed Taranaki by nine wickets on Sunday.
The Korus went into the 40-over Shrimpton Trophy clash in Whanganui with four debutants, but the side belied their underdog status, restricting Taranaki to 147, and then chasing down the total with captain Gemma Sims [73no] and Emma McLeod [56no] producing a brilliant 146-run second-wicket partnership.
Roseingrave was over the moon with the upset result.
“I said to you last week that we’re going in as underdogs and I almost got egg on my face for saying that, and then to comprehensively beat them by nine wickets with 15 overs to go, does show the depth that we’ve got,” he said.
“It shows our systems underneath are working when you bring four debutants in and you still pull off a performance like that, then things are going well.”
St Matthew’s opening batter Jess Hollard set the early pace for Taranaki, scoring at six runs an over, and it took a piece of brilliance from the Korus’ youngest player to change the course of the game when Hollard was on 51.
Fourteen-year-old Vanessa Taylor, on debut, was on target from 30m, running out Hollard with a direct hit to the stumps.
From then the Korus’ bowlers took control, with another debutant Chichi Beck, with 2-12, catching Roseingrave’s eye.
“She was really impressive, and she was one who hadn’t had too much cricket. Her last cricket was for St Matt’s in mid-December, so there was a good month between games, and she was probably the most consistent with her line and length, and Elizabeth Cohr bowled fantastically taking two for nine.”
The second half of the game was all about Sims and McLeod, and Roseingrave was struggling to think of another partnership that would compare with it.
“They were chanceless, and there might have been one half-chance across the entire innings.
“They didn’t go looking for anything they didn’t need to. They just waited for the bowlers to put the ball in the poor areas and they capitalised.”
The win has the Korus well-placed to challenge for the Shrimpton Trophy, at the halfway stage of the competition.
The Korus are second behind Hawke’s Bay, with two wins and a loss. Victories in their remaining three games would be good enough to lift the trophy.
