Onslow 128/4, P Fernando 2-30, E Davies 1-27
Wildcats 129/3, A Eggleton 48 (28), T Newton 32* (21)
This New Zealand Day duel was fittingly hosted in the multi-cultural mecca of Nairnville Park, Khandallah. Onslow won the toss and decided to bat. That suited the Cats down to a tee. Nando and Troy opened up the bowling, and broke the stumps at the end of the first over, and again in the sixth over.
Thanks to great lines and lengths from Couper, Evan, and ring-in Tom had Onslow swinging, not-dinging, and generally idling away their afternoon. After 7 overs they were 2-38, and by the 13th over they’d reached 67. Evan was rewarded for darting spin with Alex taking a tight keepers catch. Their big man ‘6-and-out’ Adam finally got his eye in, and received his first life when Evan drew the big shot, and Nando cradled the catch with his foot on the boundary line. He ended up making 62. With 50 runs off the last 5 overs Onslow made their way to a respectable, but below-par, 128.
With 129 to chase Adam and Ben decided to go big early. They weren’t bringing sticks to a musket-fight. Onslow helped out with some disastrous catching attempts too. But dabbing boundaries backward of point, and hoisting it straight, they’d launched the Cats to 21 in 2 overs before Ben departed, caught at long off. Then the Queen’s representative Alex strode out to teach the locals a thing or two. He was all over it like blankets in 1840. He made 17 from 9, before being caught, which brought Troy to the crease.
Troy’s defence was solid as a wall…. it was speculated that you’d need Brad Pitt and a large wooden horse to get through it. Troy and Adam then had a productive session, full of sixes and fours, before Adam was caught just shy of his 50 with the Wildcats 3 for 79 in the 9th over.
That ceased his sovereignty at the crease. The last 50 runs were then accounted for with a multi-generational partnership between Evan and Troy, taking the score from 79 to 129 in under 5 overs, and a healthy Wildcats win.
Second place on the table retained for another week – with a top-of-the-table clash next week against the Northern Boom looming.
Khandallah Trading Company was the venue for drinks, with 2 jugs donated by the opposition player who owns the joint… a big man, GC move, indeed.