Cricketers beaten, but take positives from Country clash

The result may say otherwise, but Marlborough’s rep cricketers were highly competitive for a large part of their clash with Canterbury Country at the weekend.

Marlborough were beaten outright in the Hawke Cup zone three qualifier at Horton Park, although bare statistics do not sum up this two-day encounter.

The home side battled their way to 189, then put Country under pressure before they ground their way to 253 and a 64-run lead on the first innings. Unfortunately, Marlborough’s batting failed to fire in the second innings, all out for 112, leaving the visitors an outright target of 49 runs in a minimum of 26 overs, a total they knocked off in six overs.

Marlborough started the match in a positive vein, winning the toss and deciding to bat first.

Openers Joel Lavender and Aidan Conroy weathered an early storm from the accomplished Country seam attack, a combination of dogged defence and judicious attacking stroke play allowing them to put together a 51-run first wicket partnership.

However, when Conroy was bowled for 22 runs from 33 balls in the 15^th over the visitors upped the ante and after medium pacer George Gunn claimed the wickets of Lavender, 27 from 70, and number four batsman Luke Holdaway in consecutive balls the home side’s innings was teetering.

However the arrival of Max Armstrong brought some solidarity to proceedings, the lefthander leaving well and hitting hard when required.

Although Griffin Carter departed with the score at 66, Armstrong found an ally in Kirk Nicholas, the pair pushing the score to 104 before Nicholas was dismissed for 10 from 35.

Armstrong found another willing partner in Sam Boyce, who batted patiently as the pair kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Eventually Armstrong was dismissed for an invaluable 58 from 101, with the score on 136.

Will Anderson joined Boyce but the home side were soon in more trouble, spinner Raunaq Kapur picking up both batsmen in the 55^th over, leaving Marlborough on the ropes at 151-8.

Ben Stewart and Luke Pannell combined briefly, eking out more valuable runs, but Pannell departed in the 62^nd over for eight and it was left to Stewart and number 11 batsman Piers Landon-Lane to push the total to 189 from 71 overs before Stewart perished for a handy 26 from 46.

Kapur’s 4-29 was the best return for the visitors.

Country’s reply began sedately against the local opening duo of Will Anderson and Zariab Karkaria, the duo untroubled until the introduction of veteran seamer Boyce.

In a superb spell, he turned the match on its head, snaring the wickets of opener Archie Redfern and number three Mackenzie Smith with consecutive lbw shouts in the eighth over.

Four over later Boyce was at it again, a smart slips catch from Lavender accounting for the dangerous Robbie Foulkes, leaving the visitors precariously placed at 3-34.

Former Marlborough player Tim Petrie entered the fray and produced some promising strokeplay, but when Boyce yorked him in the 20^th over the home side were firmly in control.

A 51-run partnership between Jesse Frew and Brayden Hill threatened to turn things around but again Marlborough struck, a superb piece of fielding from Holdaway running out Frew, meaning half the visiting line-up were back in the sheds with 88 runs required.

When stumps were drawn on day one, Country were 120-5 from 37 overs, requiring 70 runs for a first innings win, the match firmly in the balance.

Marlborough needed to strike early on day two but were unable to do so, Hill and Will Williams, 48 from 64, pushing the score to 151 before Hill, who made 51 from 85, was dismissed.

Country eased their way towards a first innings advantage, losing their seventh wicket with the scores tied, then pushing on to 253 as they upped the scoring rate through Sam Chamberlain, 30 from 28, and Jordy Frew, 26* from 31.

Boyce picked up the final wicket to finish with the superb figures of 5-48 from 18 overs, while Luke Pannell and Anderson were economical, both taking 1-31 from 10 and nine overs respectively.

Marlborough’s second innings began badly, quickly reduced to 3-16, and never really recovered. Dogged opener Lavender was a shining light, scoring 34 from 154 balls as wickets tumbled around him. Armstrong completed a fine double with 30 from 63, Anderson chipped in with 18 from 13, but no hefty partnerships eventuated, leaving Country with a comfortable run chase for maximum points.

Doing most of the second innings damage were Kapur, 4-13 from 14.1 overs, and Foulkes, 4-27 from 14.

Marlborough coach James Bell said the result was hardly a fair representation of the match and looked at the positives.

“Overnight we were right in the game … couple of quick wickets today and we could have been on the other side of it.

“It was a great effort yesterday, that spell from Sam [Boyce] was game-changing. Max [Armstrong] batted well in the first innings, he took some responsibility on himself, and the openers got us off to a good start with a half century stand. I was pretty happy with how it ended up with the bat.

“It doesn’t really feel fair on the lads to end up with this result after yesterday’s efforts.

“We have had a tough couple of games in the Hawke Cup but our efforts yesterday showed that we can compete, it is encouraging that a lot of the younger players stood up and contributed,” said James.

Next up for Marlborough is an away match against Buller.