Hawke Cup hopes ended in Rangiora

Marlborough’s flickering hopes of featuring in the Hawke Cup cricket zone three qualifying final were firmly extinguished in Rangiora on Sunday.

Needing at least a first innings win over Canterbury Country in their final match to have a chance of qualifying in the top two from their zone, Marlborough slipped to a first innings loss at Mainpower Oval.

Put in by the home side on Saturday morning, Marlborough stuttered their way to 182 in the 77^th over. The home side withstood some early pressure but went on to amass 259 in 62.2 overs then, with Marlborough 3-31 in their second innings, the match was called off at tea time on Sunday, Country having established hosting rights for the forthcoming final. They will take on Nelson, who beat Buller in Westport.

Batting first Marlborough were in early trouble against a lively Country pace quartet, Fraser Sheat, Will Williams, Edward Nuttall and Cameron Paul all having represented Canterbury this season.

After the loss of opener Lachie Munro with just five on the board, youngster Aiden Conroy showed grit to take the score through to 30, facing 55 balls for 13 before he was dismissed.

Then, when the experienced trio of Josh Poole, Sam Boyce and Corey Bovey also perished with just 53 on the board, Marlborough were in serious trouble.

However, player/coach Andrew McCaa showed his liking for challenging bowling, digging in for a gritty 52 from 112 balls. He established a 50-run partnership with highly-promising youngster Luke Holdaway, who scored 25 from 70, then combined in a 38-run collaboration with Joel Lavender, who ended with 19 from 43.

When those three were dismissed, Marlborough were still battling at 141-7, before a late 24 from Luke Pannell saw them through to 182.

Williams, with 5-27 from 15.3 overs was the chief destroyer.

At stumps on day one Country were 42-1, Marlborough having created several chances with some accurate bowling, especially from openers Pannell and Zariab Karkaria.

The duo continued to bowl well early on day two, picking up a brace apiece to put the home side under slight pressure at 4-89.

The visitors’ hopes were quickly extinguished by a 55-run partnership between Mackenzie Smith, who top scored with 87 from 114, and Brayden Hill, 21. When Hill departed, a rapid 35 from Sheat saw Country cruise past Marlborough’s total and into a 77-run first innings advantage.

Pannell, who claimed 3-58 from 15, and Karkaria, 2-49 from 15, shouldered the bulk of the bowling attack, which was missing the injured Jaden Adams. Sam Boyce bowled economically while spinner Griffin Carter chipped in with three wickets late in the piece.

Marlborough began their second innings dramatically, Conroy, Boyce and Munro dismissed with just five runs to show, before McCaa and Poole stopped the rot and defied the Country attack, the game called off with the visitors 31-3 after 18 overs.

Marlborough player/coach Andrew McCaa was impressed by his side’s effort, despite the loss, noting that they scored more first innings runs than both Nelson and Buller against Country and were the only side to bowl them out.

“It was probably one of the better Marlborough batting displays for some time … the guys up the top like Sam [Boyce] and Aiden [Conroy], against that quality of bowling, were exceptional. They left [the ball] really well and made Country change to a short-pitched attack really early, so that was a credit to them.

“The boys also bowled well … we had them 4-89 and dropped Smith who went on to score 87, at that stage we were right in it and among the bowlers. To get that sort of line-up in trouble is a great outing to be fair. I know the scoreboard says we lost, but the boys really fronted up.”

Next up for the senior reps is February’s Chapple Cup tournament, followed by the return Newman Shield match with Nelson.

The Marlborough team: Aiden Conroy, Josh Poole, Andrew McCaa, Sam Boyce, Zariab Karkaria (non-batting), Baxter Croad, Griffin Carter, Luke Holdaway, Luke Pannell, Joel Lavender, Corey Bovey, Lachie Munro.