Brock Price … undone by a ball that kept low. PHOTO/FILE
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Highmark Homes Wairarapa coach Neil Perry was thrilled with the players’ efforts in their washed-out Furlong Cup match against Taranaki in New Plymouth over the weekend.
Wairarapa scored 227 on a Pukekura Park pitch that wasn’t easy to bat on and had the home team 99-4 approaching lunch on Sunday when the rain came and ended any prospect of a result.
Wairarapa were asked to bat first on a used pitch that Perry said was a “little up and down, a little bit slow and with seam movement”.
“It was very difficult early on and we lost three wickets. John McKenzie got a screamer and was caught at slip, and the others looked good and were undone by the inconsistency in the wicket.
“Brock Price [37] was looking good until he got one that kept low, and then Gordon Reisima [62] and Jaco Vorster [77] were very good in putting on a century partnership.
Reisima and Vorster rotated the strike well and found the gaps in the field with some good shots.
“In the end, 227 was a useful score on a tricky pitch which took turn and seam and had variable bounce.”
Perry was rapt with opening bowlers Ethan Childs and Stefan Hook, who picked up an early wicket each in Taranaki’s innings to have them struggling at 16-2.
“Stefan bowled really well. He rattled the batsmen on the gloves, had one dropped at slip, and both of them always looked likely to take wickets.
“Jack Forrester took three very good catches, and we had them in a trouble early on” Perry said.
“It wasn’t easy though as we had to bowl with a wet ball.”
Perry said the performance was a massive improvement on the first game of the season, which resulted in an innings defeat to Horowhenua-Kapiti.
“We were very, very happy. We were definitely in the game. There’s not a lot to quibble about. Everyone looked good.
“It’s a tough gig to go to Taranaki and come away with something. The last few times they’ve dealt to us. We were at least as good as them and there were massive positives we can take away.”
Wairarapa will now head to the Chapple Cup one-day tournament in Napier, where they will play Whanganui in the first round on Friday.
Wairarapa’s next Furlong Cup match is against Whanganui on Dec 7-8 at home.
