Jared van Deventer scored a valuable 27. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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The weather was the only winner as Highmark Homes Wairarapa’s Furlong Cup match against Taranaki was washed out on Sunday.
Heavy rain overnight on Saturday and frequent showers throughout Sunrday morning meant that conditions at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval were not suitable for play.
The game was evenly poised when the game was called off at about 1.30pm on Sunday, with Taranaki 47-3 in reply to Wairarapa’s first innings of 176-7 declared.
The first day’s play was also disrupted because of a damp pitch from the covers sweating overnight on Friday.
Once play did get under way at 1pm, batting was always going to be tricky on the slow soft pitch, and the Wairarapa batsmen struggled to score freely, only managing a run rate of 2.67 throughout their 66-over innings.
Opener Robbie Anderson led the way for the home side with a patient half-century. The left hander’s 51 came from 121 balls, and he hit six fours.
Anderson and Jared van Deventer [27] combined in a 62-run second-wicket partnership after the early loss of John McKenzie.
Anderson and Andy Dodd [15] added 35 for the third wicket, before Anderson was caught by Ben Frewin off the bowling of medium-pacer Davis Mills.
The only other partnership of substance was a fifth-wicket stand of 51 between Jaco Vorster [18] and Brock Price, who was left 44 not out in his last match for the province before he headed to Australia this week.
Price’s innings was a mix of patience and his usual aggression, hitting seven fours in the 86 balls he faced.
Captain Gordon Reisima’s bold declaration paid off almost immediately with debutant Sebastian Lauderdale caught behind for three in the second over off the bowling of medium-fast bowler Ethan Childs.
Fellow quick Stefan Hook then had former Central Stag Dean Robinson caught at first slip by Reisima.
That was followed by some slick work by wicketkeeper Jack Forrester, who took a superb leg side catch standing up to medium pacer Peter Sigvertsen to dismiss Shaun Sullivan without scoring and to have Taranaki struggling at 36-3.
Lefthander Liam Muggeridge was the only shining light for the visitors, ending on 36 not out.
Both teams take three points for the abandoned game, while Wairarapa earned two bonus points and Taranaki picked up three bonus points.
BRIEF SCORES
Highmark Homes Wairarapa 176-7 declared [Robbie Anderson 51, Brock Price 44no; Ben Frewin 2-36] drew with Taranaki 47-3 [Liam Muggeridge 34no]
