Korus’ Elizabeth Cohr [left] claiming her fourth wicket as skipper Gemma Sims [22] celebrates. PHOTO/LISA SIMS
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Ocean Bartlett and Elizabeth Cohr were the stars for the Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus in their 26-run win over Taranaki in their final Shrimpton Trophy match on Sunday.
Bartlett celebrated her selection in the New Zealand Maori Secondary Schoolgirls side with a powerful half-century in the Korus’ total of 186 off their 40 overs.
The St Matthew’s student came to the wicket with the score at 55-2, and added 75 with Emma McLeod [22] for the third wicket. When she was dismissed at 143-4, Bartlett had scored 56 off 61 balls, including six fours.
Emily Cunningham was the best of the Taranaki bowlers with four wickets for 34 runs in her eight overs.
The match threatened to become the Cunningham show, as the Central Hinds opening batter attacked the Korus bowling from the outset.
When she was caught by Emma McLeod off the bowling of Elizabeth Cohr at 132-2 in the 20th over, Cunningham had scored 71 off just 66 balls and hit 11 fours, and combined in a 91-run second-wicket partnership with Sarah Parker [40] – the only other Taranaki batter to reach double figures.
Chief destroyer for the Korus was Cohr, who claimed the first three wickets to fall and finished with 4-32 from her eight overs fine comeback after Cunningham took 24 runs off her first two overs.
After Cunningham’s wicket, there was little resistance and Taranaki were all out for 160.
But the drama didn’t stop there. Central Hinds all-rounder Melissa Hansen had claimed the eighth and ninth wickets off consecutive balls and was sitting on a hat-trick, only for the Taranaki players to come on to the field to shake hands, because the 11th batter had to depart early.
That has left Hansen stranded on a hat-trick until she next plays for the Korus next season.
Korus coach Simon Roseingrave was thrilled with the team’s resolve to turn around the previous weekend’s disappointing loss to Hawke’s Bay.
“Emily Cunningham was starting to take the game away from us and she was batting very well.
“But we hung in there and we knew that one wicket could become two wickets, and that’s exactly what happened,” he said.
“It was a great way to finish the season because it could have quite easily gone the same way as it did against Hawke’s Bay. They didn’t let it, and that’s brilliant.”
The loss of Hinds spinner Georgia Atkinson to Manawatu, seam bowler Kate Sims to Canterbury, medium-pacer Olivia Roseingrave for much of the season with a serious knee injury, and the limited availability of Hinds medium-pacer Monique Rees had a significant impact on the team and the need to rebuild.
“We blooded some new players, and that gives us some strength for the future, and there are others who really started to stand up,” Roseingrave said.
“Ocean towards the end of the of the season showed us what she is made of, Gemma [Sims] has had a great season, and Elizabeth Cohr worked hard all season and it was just reward for her to take four wickets.”
The Korus finished third in the Shrimpton Trophy after Manawatu beat Hawke’s Bay on Sunday.
Bartlett’s selection in the NZ Maori Schoolgirls’ team is the second consecutive year she has made the side.
She is joined by fellow Koru and St Matthew’s schoolmate Olivia Clark in the team who will play two matches against a Governor-General’s XI today and tomorrow in Wellington.
BRIEF SCORES
Wairarapa Korus 186 [Ocean Bartlett 56, Melissa Hansen 25; Emily Cunningham 4-34] beat Taranaki 160-9 [Cunningham 71, Sarah Parker 40; Elizabeth Cohr 4-32] by 26 runs.
