Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus saved their best for last in their Shrimpton Trophy triple-header played in Masterton over the weekend.
The Korus suffered heavy nine-wicket losses to Nelson on Friday and Hawke’s Bay on Saturday, but in both games the home side were below full strength.
Coach Simon Roseingrave acknowledged that the task for the young inexperienced players against a Nelson team which included three Central Hinds and a Scottish international, was too tough. The Korus were dismissed for 63, and Nelson cruised to a nine-wicket victory.
The batters also struggled in Saturday’s game against Hawke’s Bay, being dismissed for 54. Roseingrave felt it was another case of the batters not adjusting to the conditions and the opposition bowlers.
“We batted first on a pitch that was still a little bit damp, there was a little bit of movement, but also, the outfield was wet, so the ball wasn’t travelling anywhere. That was probably the strongest Bay team I’ve seen for a couple of years,” Roseingrave said.
“They bowled very accurately, and we didn’t cope with that, and rather than being patient and trying to play straight, we went across the line a few times, and when you come up against a quality bowling attack and make those mistakes, it leads to making the score that we did.”
The Korus had their two Central Hinds, Melissa Hansen and Ocean Bartlett, the latter for the first time this season, for the final game against Taranaki on Sunday, and their presence proved significant.
Bartlett top scored with 49no, at almost a run ball, but remarkably she hit only one four, while Hansen was next best with 29.
Usual opener Gemma Sims dropped down the order and relished the extra freedom compiling 24, as the Korus amassed 154-8 off their 40 overs.
Opening bowler Elizabeth made immediate inroads into the Taranaki batting lineup, taking the first two wickets with just seven runs on the board. She finished with 3-12 from her eight overs. Hansen, Bartlett, and Olivia Clark each nabbed two wickets.
The Korus have one game left in their Shrimpton Trophy campaign against Manawatu in Masterton on Waitangi Weekend.
BRIEF SCORES
Wairarapa Korus 63 lost to Nelson 64-1 by nine wickets
Wairarapa Korus 51 [Aniela Apperley 3-7, Emma Findlay 3-8] lost to Hawke’s Bay 54-1 [Sophie Pyott 24no] by nine wickets.
Wairarapa Korus 154-8 [Ocean Bartlett 49no, Melissa Hansen 29, Gemma Sims 24; Luch Mitchell 3-29] beat Taranaki 48 [Elizabeth Cohr 3-12] by 106 runs.
