No luck for local TPL sides

Both Marlborough teams in the Tasman Premier League cricket competition came up short on Saturday.

JT Contracting Falcons took on the accomplished Stoke Nayland side at Marsden Rec and were beaten by 21 runs, while Dolphins, playing at home against Wakatu, lost by three wickets.

Falcons did well with the ball, holding their Nelson-based rivals to a moderate total of 212-6 from their 50 overs.

Openers Chris Dittmer, 54 from 67, and Josh Smith, 49 from 105, opened with a 93-run partnership, setting the platform for what would prove a winning score.

Nick Weaver and Matthew Stretch, fresh from their heroics in the previous weekend’s rep fixture, grabbed a couple of wickets each, Josh Alexander and the parsimonious Tim Petrie grabbing the other.

Falcons lost Joel Lavender, Cooper Roberts and Luke Pannell with just 50 on the board, before a 109-run partnership between Stretch and Petrie threatened to wrest the initiative from the home side. When Stretch was dismissed in the 42^nd over for a hard-hit 53 from 56 balls Falcons were well placed, requiring 54 runs from 50 balls, with six wickets in hand and Petrie well set at the crease.

However, Stoke Nayland upped the ante and Falcons slipped behind the asking rate, hitting just one boundary and losing four more wickets in the final eight overs.

Through it all Petrie batted on, anchoring the innings with a composed 74 not out from 114 balls as his side ended up on 191-8 when the final ball was bowled.

Dylan Eginton, Matt Deaker and Cameron Neame all snared a brace of wickets for the home side.

In the other match, played at Oliver Park, Dolphins made a horror start, being 22-5 before Liam Young, 45 from 61, and Karl Fitzpatrick, 41 from 91, steadied the ship.

They managed to get through to 138 before being dismissed in the 44^th over, then saw their hopes rise as they knocked over both Wakatu openers without a run on the board.

However the visitors recovered and, guided by a patient 63 not out from Campbell McLean, ran down Dolphins’ total for the loss of seven wickets in the 42^nd over.

Hunter Ruffell’s 3-14 from 10 overs was the pick of the bowling figures, with Fitzpatrick bagging a brace.