Tough times at cup tournament

The Marlborough men’s cricket side found the going tough at the annual Chapple Cup tournament in Palmerston North.

Marlborough played three matches, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, losing all three.

First up they took on Wairarapa, who would go on to win the Chapple Cup final, losing on the Duckworth Lewis System after rain intervened in all four matches.

Wairarapa batted first scoring a formidable 311-6 in their 50 overs. Player/coach Andrew McCaa was the pick of the Marlborough bowlers, claiming 3-47 from nine overs, Griffin Carter taking 1-45 from 10.

Marlborough made a poor start with the bat, slipping to 5-56 after 13 overs, before McCaa, who finished with 73 from 61 balls, and Carter, 62 from 47, combined for a 116-run partnership, Carter notching his first rep half century. However, after a lengthy rain break, the new asking rate was prohibitive, and Marlborough ended on 179-7 after 29 overs.

Other day one winners on DLS were Taranaki (326-7) over Nelson (184-6), Manawatu (114-2) over Horowhenua Kapiti (205) and Hawke’s Bay (145-2) over Whanganui (226).

On Saturday Marlborough took on Horowhenua Kapiti in the Cave Cup section.

Losing wickets in bunches, Marlborough were only able to put 140 runs on the board, being bowled out in the 41st over. Corey Bovey, 24 from 38, loan player AB Jayasinghe, 40 from 58, and Jaden Adams, 18 not out from 35, were the main contributors. Grabbing three wickets for HK was former Marlborough player Prabodha Arthavidu.

HK cruised to victory in just 18 overs, finishing at 144-2. Rep debutant Piers Landon-Lane took both wickets.

In other games, Hawke’s Bay booked a Chapple Cup final berth with a 62-run win over Manawatu while Wairarapa did the same, beating Taranaki by four wickets. The other match saw Nelson beat Whanganui by a single wicket.

In their final game, Marlborough came up against Whanganui, battling to avoid the wooden spoon.

Again, Marlborough’s batting struggled early. After being 3-24, they recovered to put 258 on the board before being dismissed in the 49th over. Sam Young batted positively, notching 73 from 81 balls, his first senior rep half century.

Zariab Karkaria, 45 from 35, Joel Lavender, 33 from 47, Carter, 30 from 30, and Aiden Conroy, 23 from 45, all contributed.

However, their hard work at the crease was quickly overshadowed by the Whanganui openers, who took their score through to 222 before being parted. They finished the job in the 37th over, reaching 262-1.

Luke Holdaway took the one wicket to fall.

In the Chapple Cup final, Wairarapa, 237-2, beat Hawke’s Bay, 233, while Taranaki, 125, beat Manawatu, 114-9, in the third/fourth play-off, a T20 match.

In the Cave Cup final Horowhenua Kapiti, 270-4, beat Nelson, 267.