Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s edition of “Top Six”
1. CD starring role for Tom Bruce
Tom Bruce
It was a big day for Tom Bruce (BWU Premiers and 2As, 2010 – 14) on Wednesday. Tom, now back in his home base, and captaining Taranaki and Central Districts A this season, made his debut for the top Central Districts side in the Ford Trophy major semi-final against Otago. He top-scored with 88 off 65 balls (6 sixes, 5 fours) as CD went on to win the game and make Sunday’s final against Auckland. Congratulations Tom!
Interestingly, there were four players in the CD side who have played for BWU Premiers over the past few seasons – skipper Kruger van Wyk, Will Young, George Worker and Tom.
2. Successful Presidents Day at Burnside
Congratulations to our Presidents Foxes, co-ordinated by captain David Robertson (assisted by chief supporter Megan Roberston) and Shane Young, for their very successful hosting of the Presidents grade day on Saturday. It was tremendous to have eight teams on Burnside Oval, another two just down the road at Ilam Fields, and the clubrooms packed for a long time afterwards as friendships were renewed and tales grew bigger as the night wore on.
If the aim to market the Presidents grade as the league to join, the day certainly did that. And the BWU Foxes has a win too.
High fives and smiles for the Presidents Foxes’ Rhys Barron after a spectacular caught and bowled
The BWU clubrooms humming afterwards
3. Win for Premiers; Great start to Top Six Competitions for Cannons and Dubai Diamond Traders
Our Premiers finished off the one day competition in style with an eight wicket win over Old Boys Collegians. Firstly Scott Inglis (3/3), Matt Farrant and David Sewell with two wickets apiece, and leg-spinner Harry Wilson in only his second game with figures of 9/2/14/2, restricted OBC to 176 all out. Then the batsmen chased down the runs in only 33.2 overs – see the Honours Board section below for more.
The 2As finished the T20 competition with two losses to St Albans and Lancaster Park Woolston, both by four wickets. That ended them in sixth place and they now look ahead to their one day semi-final, again against LPW, on Burnside Oval #1 tomorrow.
The 2Bs had two nailbiting T20 results, both unfortunately ending in the wrong way. Against Riccarton they scored 150 (Captain Alex McKenzie 47, Abhaya Paudel 29) and the opposition scored the winning run off the last ball of their 20 overs. Off-spinner Aaden Mikaera shone with the ball, taking 4/14 off his 4 overs. In the second match, Merivale-Papanui scored 130 (Aaden Mikaera 2/9, Geoff Fosbender 2/17), but BWU fell short by 8 runs (Brett Taylor 35).
As mentioned above, the Presidents Foxes had a 54 run win over Hornby in the sunshine on our #1 pitch. Ben Allan scored 49, Jeff Roy 33, Grant Dickson 30 and Chris Kennedy 24 in the Foxes’ total of 178/9. Hornby were then dismissed for 124, with Steve Twaddell taking 3/21, Gareth Gibson 3/32, and Mike Wheeler and Rhys Barron two wickets each.
The Brawlers and the Mariners both had losses in their 3B bottom eight clashes, but one team will be a winner tomorrow as they meet in a local derby at home. In the first round of the top six 3B competition, the Cannons were out of the blocks fast with a 72 run win over Marist Harewood. Mike Thorpe (42) and Caleb Smith (41* at no. 9) saw the Cannons to 189/8 before Will Otte (3/21), and Al Brown leader Rob Gillespie and skipper Chris Peters with two scalps each, led the dismissal of M-H.
The Dubai Diamond Diamond Traders also had a great start to their Top Six competition in the Cavaliers T20 competition. They beat Upper Riccarton by 89 runs. Star performers with the bat were Tom Stevens and George Wheelans, both with 48*, while Brooke Skates and Luke Moore took two wickets each.
4. Only two onto Honours Board
There were heaps of near misses, but in the end only two players made the weekly Honours Board, both Premier team batsmen. See who they were here.
5. Will Otte big mover on Al Brown leaderboard
Again not much change at the head of the Al Brown leaderboard, although Will Otte of the Cannons shoots into third. However, as we head into the last ten weeks of the season, we reckon we should watch out for a couple of dark horses further down the top ten list…….
Check out the current leaderboard here.
6. Did you know……
that, this week in 1998, there was the shortest test match in history? It was between the West Indies and England at Sabina Park in Jamaica and lasted 62 balls – bowled by, of all people, Courtney Walsh and and Curtly Ambrose. England were 17/3 and their physio had already been on the ground six times when the match was abandoned. The offender was this hour-old pitch:
The Sabina Park pitch, first day, first session
Have a great cricketing weekend
Regards
Burnside Cricket