Rep cricketers ahead on first innings

Marlborough's senior cricketers hold the upper hand after the first day’s play in the zone three Hawke Cup qualifying match in Westport.

After winning the toss at the Buller High School ground this morning, Marlborough inserted the home side and dominated immediately, bowling them out for 101 in 43 overs.

Marlborough’s batting reply was shaky at times, but they battled their way to a 98-run lead, and vital first innings points, before being dismissed in just 51 overs for 199.

At the close of play on day one Buller were 43-2 batting in their second innings, trailing by 55 runs with eight wickets in hand.

The home side made a promising start to both innings. In the first, their openers took the score to 34 before medium pacer Jaden Adams picked up the first of his two wickets on debut. Left arm paceman Nick Weaver dismissed the other opener soon after, then spinner Matthew Stretch claimed a third wicket to leave Buller perilously placed at 54-3.

The experienced Andrew Duncan and John Noble offered some solidarity but when Duncan fell with just 95 on the board, there was little resistance to follow.

Four of the later wickets went to medium pacer Joel Lavender who ended with the smart figures of 4-14 from eight overs. Adams took 2-38 from 11, Sam Boyce 2-15 from 11, Weaver 1-24 from 11 and Stretch 1-8 from just two overs.

Marlborough’s top order batting again failed to fire, openers Lavender and Joel Pannell gone with just four runs on the board.

Cooper Roberts, 24 from 38, Tom Sutherland, 20 from 29 and Stretch, 38 from 48, provided grit in the middle order, but the wickets continued to fall as likely partnerships began to form. However, as this side proved against Nelson recently, they bat deeply and this time it was No 9 Tim Petrie who came to the party. The youngster scored an unbeaten 49 from 72 balls, combining with Boyce, who amassed 23 from 31, for a frustrating 10^th wicket partnership of 62 runs.

Workhorse of the Buller bowling attack was medium pacer Sam Jope who was rewarded with the astonishing figures of 7-80 from 21 overs.