Saturday was pretty forgettable for MPCC, with the Championship, Div 1 and Div 3 sides having their games abandoned, while the Panthers, Geeks on Wheels and Pressies teams suffered losses. However, Sunday was a different story with the Championship team winning their one-day final at Edgar Mac. Read all about it below!

Congratulations to Samuel Medhurst, whose 10*, batting with a cast on his left hand, followed by 4-37 off 10 overs, earned him the umpires’ call for player of the day in the final.

Congratulations to Ben Gill, who played his 100^th 2B/Div 1 game for MPCC in a 2-day game vs Halswell on 18/25 February. Unfortunately, rain ended the game early. During his 2nds career to date, Ben has scored 1845 runs, and taken 100 catches and 27 stumpings. He’s still waiting for his first over with ball in hand, however!

Congratulations to Rory Hawes, whose 68* vs Sydenham on 18 February brought up 1000 2-day runs for the club’s Senior A/Championship side.

Upcoming club social events

The MPCC Curry Night has been tentatively set for Saturday 18 March. Ash Reddy has once again offered to put on a range of curries for our members and guests – thanks in advance, Ash, for your generosity. There will be a choice of curries and a free stubby in exchange for your $22, plus the chance to see some of MPCC’s self-described alphas fail to deal with a slightly spicy sauce.

For this event to go ahead, we need to confirm attendance from at least 20 people. Please email mpcricket@xtra.co.nz or sign up on the noticeboard in the clubrooms if you’re keen to come along.

Coach’s Corner

As I reflect on the weekend just past, I'm immensely proud and privileged to work with the Champs and Div 1 teams at MP.

The fighting qualities the Champs team showed on Sunday, is indicative of all the hard work and belief the players had in each other.

We've had high and lows for the past 5 months but the last month has showed the calibre of of fight we have developed.  Peaking for another month is imperative as the season squarely rests in our own hands! Our destiny is ours! We've hit a thousand balls. We've caught a thousand catches. Now let's perfect our performances for one more month!

Div 1... although our season’s been tough.... let's give our all in the next four weeks. Let's ensure we do all the basics well and find that enjoyment for the game again.

If anyone in the lower grades is interested in playing higher next season, please email or message me as I'm starting to do a development plan for the next two years. We have to build our local base of players!

I want to finish off by saying we need to be kind to each other. We are all members of the same club with cricket as our common goal. We won't all see eye to eye on everything, but respect for each other with understanding and kindness, is clearly important in these times!

Mario Williams

williams28@xtra.co.nz or 0272568828.

Match Reports from Saturday 18th February..

MP Sporting Edge Championship vs Sydenham @ Edgar Mac 1 (2DAY – day 2 - abandoned)

No play because of rain.

MP Sporting Edge Championship vs OBC @ Edgar Mac 1, Sunday (1DAY – Final)

Arriving to Edgar Mac all fresh with having Saturday off due to the weather. All looking forward to the day ahead. Dakesy doing a great job with the weather that we have had during the week.

Lingy lost the toss and we were inserted to bat. Rory and Lingy started us off. Unfortunately Rory went quickly without troubling the scorers. Ted came and went quickly as well. Luke came in and grinded out some tough batting conditions with Lingy for a period. Lingy then got lbw for 17. Aaron and Luke came together for a partnership of nudging it around and slowly building a score. The slow outfield mate it hard to get boundaries away so took singles and twos where they could. Aaron fell for 19. This unfortunately started a collapse losing 5 wickets for 10 runs. Being 92/9 with 20 overs to go wasn’t looking good. But big players stand up at big moments and Big Ben and big bird Sam stood up. Creating a partnership these two dug in. Ben with a promotion to 10 he worked hard and got his high score for the club of 22 off 79 balls. Sam somehow managed to work his way through the innings with one hand in a cast and finished on 10* off 45 balls.

Batting the 50 overs and ending up on 132.

After a lovely spread of subway the boys were fizzing to get stuck in. Knowing old boys had a few big wickets we thought get a few wickets early and put the pressure on them.  Sam and Jacob opened up. Scott playing freely got a few boundaries to start them off to a flier. Before Big Ben stood up and caught him at mid off. One became two when Sam trapped the other opener in front. Sam decided he wanted to try the other end with the wind at his back so Lingy brought on the man with the luscious locks. Ben bowled outstanding. 7 overs 0 for 9. This built pressure on them to score the runs. Sam Gillespie got into his work bowling tightly at the other end as well. 5 overs 0 for 3.  Bert came on and thought he had enough of cricket for the day so decided to take a few quick poles for us and ended up finishing the game for us with tight bowling and some absolute class. 4/6 off 4.3.

The scenes as the final wicket got taken was something special.

I’d like to thank Dakesy for his hard work that he does on the ground. It’s much appreciated. Also thanks to the crowd that turned up and supported.

Aaron Chapman

MP Sporting Edge Div.1 vs Halswell @ Halswell 1 (2DAY – day 2 - abandoned)

No play because of rain.

MP BBS Timbers Division 3 vs Riccarton @ Polo Grounds (Abandoned)

No play because of rain.

MP Frame'n'Copy Panthers vs Fitz Wanderers @ Walter Park (Loss)

The Panthers ended up on a rubber ducky this week at Walter Park, Mairehau (after 2 ground changes during the week) due to the wet weather mid-week forced ground cancellations. The outfield and pitch was still quite damp and slippery so skipper Sunnie won the toss and chose to bat. The team was excited to have the services back of Panthers hero Andy Richards this week due to the cancellation of the higher grades. Andy R and Dean both started well, Andy R playing a supporting role to Dean at times as Dean was displaying some clean hitting. Andy R was rotating the strike nicely, knocking the ball into gaps with plenty of singles and two's with boundaries hard to come by with the slow outfield.

Eventually Dean fell for a nicely played 38, this brought Panthers own James Bond to the crease, Roger Moore, who played his usual steady innings, cracking a few nice boundaries, ending up on 19. Skipper Sunnie was next in playing an interesting shot first ball trying to swing for the hills and failing to connect, his momentum bringing him behind the keeper! Sunnie knocked it round a bit and was bowled trying to up the ante for 6. This brought the two Andy's together, who both ran well between the wickets with plenty of one's two's. Andy A, with 3 overs to go, tried to launch and was out stumped on 16. Steve was next in and didn't muck around, dispatching his first ball to the point boundary. Andy R eventually fell in the second to last over for a brilliant 76, which could have been closer to a hundy had we been playing on a faster outfield. This wicket then brought about a collapse with Nick out for a golden duck LBW, then Harsha giving a gentle prod back to the bowler which he snaffled up giving him a hattrick. North West Youth player Thamo then came in with a single, Panthers ending up on 177.

The Wanderers came out aggressively to Andy A and Roger, Andy A having a spell after 3 overs, with Harsha then coming on who pegged it back a bit. After Roger had finished his spell Nick came on and got the breakthrough first ball, a nice catch at square-leg by Jack. Nick was bowling well, putting lots of pressure on the batting picking up another wicket next over, a catch at point by Steve. Jack and Ronnie were next bowlers on and bowled in some good areas. Ronnie picking up the wicket of their dangerous opener who then proceeded to throw his bat in a fit of anger. The Wanderers then consolidated and knocked the ball round into gaps. It was getting tight towards the end, Roger and Andy A were brought back on, Andy A broke the partnership in the 3rd to last over, a well judged catch to Thamo at cover. Roger then bowled an awesome 2nd to last over bowling the new batsmen with a yorker. The last over of the innings, the Wanderers required 5 to win. Andy A bowled a full ball which took a leading edge flying over the gully to the boundary, Wanderers then got a single off the third ball to win the match.

A disappointing end to the game which could have gone either way. If we'd pegged their scoring back a bit and took more regular wickets it could have been a different result.

A shout out to Panther dog-whisperer Adam (who's a bloody legend mending power lines up north at the moment), there were plenty of dogs at the park at one point more than 10 or so.            

It was also great to see ex-Panther Jono Abbott supporting us from the sidelines (with dog in tow). I'm sure we'll see his transfer form in the near future, fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Andy Anderson

MP Geeks on Wheels vs Ohoka @ Mandeville (Loss)

Saturday afternoon saw Geeks on Wheels out at Mandeville Sports Centre against top of the table Ohoka Weasels. Our only other game of the season had been rained off, so 1st vs 2nd promised to be a good matchup.

We had the prized services of Matty Wilcock for the match. We also had a change of captain for the day, with Alan stepping up due his inside knowledge of the locals. Unfortunately that didn't translate to being as one with the coin, with him losing the toss and Ohoka choosing to bat on a rubber ducky and good looking outfield.

We opened up the bowling with Nithissh and Matty, who almost immediately had Ohoka in trouble. Matty snared the first wicket in his first over, 1/5. Nithissh struck in his second, reducing them to 2/5. When Nithissh removed their 3rd, and Matty their 4th, with the score on 16, Ohoka were struggling with a poor run rate and losing wickets at a regular rate.

They then had somewhat of a revival, before the guile of Ash sent their #5 back to the hutch, 5/52. Ash struck again not long after, 6/59. Another burst of runs got Ohoka to 89 before Mr Monger got in on the action. Frosty finally got some reward for his toil, reducing Ohoka to 8/114, before Matty removed their top scorer, 9/144. Nithissh finally finished them off in the 33rd over, Ohoka all out for 145.

Considering where we had them after the first few overs, it was a bit disappointing where they ended up - probably 20-30 runs more than we would have liked. But still, we fielded well, held all our catches, and on a rubber ducky it wasn't too bad.

Nithissh was the pick of the bowlers with 3/22 from 6.5, with Matty not far behind with 3/20 from 5. Ash returned 2/42 from 7, while Monger chipped in with 1/18 from 4.5 (fun fact - not a single delivery bounced more than once!!!), and Frosty produced 1/31 from 6. Sanith bowled well with no luck for 0/11 from his 4.

So 146 to win on an arty - it would be tough against the top team, but very gettable.

Or so you would have thought - we decided to completely screw the pooch instead.

Against what was accurate, but hardly lethal, bowling we completely collapsed, as the top 4 batsmen's scorecards would show. Pav 0 (who also threw a bit of a sulk and went home not long after being dismissed), Alan 0, Thomas 0, Harry 0. We were, in fact, 4 wickets down with 0 runs on the board after 9 deliveries. And it never recovered from there.

Monger was out for 3, 5/7, Nithissh for 2, 6/9, Frosty for 1, 7/19, myself for 13, 8/21, and Sanath for 3, 9/26. It took some swings of the bat for us to get any kind of respectability. Although, to be completely honest, there still wasn't any. Matty was the last to depart in the 18th over after getting us through to 45, leaving Ash 9*.

So a loss by 100 runs, and by far our worst batting performance all season.

Just a really disappointing way to finish the regular season. Not much more to say really!

Cheers, Richard

MP Bombay Tandoor Presidents vs Ohoka @ Sheldon Park (Loss)

MPCC Tandoor Bombay Presidents had the pleasure of "hosting" Ohoka Presidents at the reassigned Sheldon Park artificial pitch after weather curtailed any chance of a grass pitch encounter. Knowing my feelings about artificial surface play, I had to curb the disappointment with the knowledge at least there was a game on offer and a Saturday would be spent playing the game we love. Hume set about the toss which Chook correctly called, designating us to the field first up which, considering the conditions, was neither here nor there. Usual suspects Pickle and Mendis to open with the ball, Ohoka sending out Scott and Loffhagen. A cautious start from Ohoka started to blossom as the pair adapted to the nature of the pitch and some hard running kept the score ticking over. That was until Scott picked out Steve in the field and the tight run posed a little too tight for Loffhagen when Bell collected the throw and removed the bails batter just short of the crease, Michael going back for 11 with the score at 27 in the eighth. This bought Archer to the middle who picked up the mantle with Andy to see out Pickle's first spell and road block first change Frankie. Next wicket to fall was that of Eugene bowled neck and crop by Mendis trying to accelerate the rate, another 11 in a partnership with Scott of 26, the only other breakthrough prior to the drinks interval, Ohoka paused at 75/2. The partnership between Thompson and Scott, while not huge in number (31), defined the momentum with multiple attempts at run outs being missed by not very much, countered by aggressive intent. The wicket, when it did come, was on the back of some excellent fielding in the deep from Kokiri, some confusion in the batters calling and a strong arm from Bell from the strikers end to throw down the stumps at the non-strikers end via a deflection off Kapralos (will have to be defined as where the credit for the run out is placed), Scott eventually dismissed for an excellent 48. Anyway 84/3 at 22 a progression of hitters were lined up to take the crease, first of which was Chook himself who deftly set himself up as the accumulator, picking off singles and a couple of doubles as Marty started to take the long handle being especially brutal on P.K. and Millar who in the greater scheme of things didn't bowl badly at all.  Searching for the breakthrough Hume bought himself to the crease with almost immediate success bowling the hard hitting Thompson for 59. 146/4 turned into 173/6 as Hume also accounted for Williams (bowled for 13) and then Johnson (Stumped by Bell for 22) in consecutive overs. This meant we were still contending with DeVillers and M. Cherry in the mood to finish off the game with as much gusto as possible. Pickle bought back for the end played right into DeVillers hands found himself pumped into the blackberry bushes and the unlucky Zwies blundering through the undergrowth enduring many puncture wounds extracting the orb.  The late wicket of Cherry bowled by Steve for 18 in the 39th gave Harris a bat swing,  finished with a flourish, 14* off 7 balls to end the Ohoka innings at 219/7, DeVillers 19*, Hume the only multiwicket hauler 5/0/37/3, but economical bowling from Mendis and Kokiri.

In pursuit of 220, and injury dictating the decision about batting setup. We tried a new combination of Steeman and Kapralos, which didn't pay dividends, Jase (0) taken down with a good catch behind the stumps by Archer in the first over from Prebble, then P.K. (0) eventually caught behind by Harris off the bowling of Williams after a multitude of juggles culminating in the use of the stumps to get the ball to settle in the gloves. At 4/2 after three we had the experienced pair of Hume and Bell digging in but still providing entertainment with some of the running and the odd fantastic shot (especially from Hume). Unfortunately for us the partnership was not a long standing one, lasting only until the sixth over when Bell paddles Williams round the corner to Johnson dismissed for 2 (14). Zwies in and the entertainment continued as the stumps were acting like a protected species untouchable to the thrown missiles. When the wicket did occur it was kind of out of the blue Eugene having been introduced to the crease at the 14th over, had Hume playing a glorious drive straight into the hands of (who I think was) A Cherry, departing for 33, score perilous at 52/4. Next ball cut away for 4 Pickle off the mark, was as good as it got for the new batter as second ball in the next over he picked out A Scott at mid off running with the shot being found well and truly short as, for the first time in the game, the stumps were destroyed directly, Pickle (4) kept on running back to his position on the side line to survey the damage to the scorebook made in his absence. 60/5 at the break with Crimp and Zwies at the crease contemplating a recovery strategy. Zwies broke down, doing something to his hip, a massive six left unobserved by himself writhing on the ground pretty much put pay to his day when DeVillers put him out of his misery, bowled for 22. 77/6 had a partnership built by Crimp and the incoming Millar punctuated by intelligent stroke play and the odd shot in anger got the score to 119, highlighted when an angry outburst was forthcoming from Prebble after he was placed into the outbuilding by Millar, drawing some mirth from both sides. However, as all thing tend to do, the frivolity ended as Prebble exacted his revenge when Millar was dismissed hitting to, but unfortunately, not past Scott, 25 (25) being his lot for the day. Then when we lost Crimp (29) 10 runs later, A Cherry getting Cam to cut in the air and well caught by Loffhagen at deep point, the writing appeared to be on the wall, Mendis, Kokiri and Skudder not known for extensive run scoring. From 129/8, Kokiri departed the scene for 2 stumped by Harris off M Cherry at 136, the last pair pulled off another 8 before Mendis trying to hit Williams for a third boundary in the over missed it and allowed time for Harris to whip the bails off again, MPCC again not completing the allotted overs, all out 144 in the 38th. Williams 6.5/3/20/3 and Prebble 8/1/33/2 being the main wicket takers but everyone chipped in and one of the main differences between the teams was the fielding results (especially the quality of the catches taken).

Still looking for the batters to step up, we have not been able to put out a complete performance and will continue to struggle until we can get this aspect under control... The after match session was interactive and jovial but had to be cut off earlier than usual as preparation for various event of the night had to be observed.

Cheers, Pickle.

Subscriptions

Please note that adult playing subscriptions are due for all players. If you have not yet paid your subs or organised an AP with the Treasurer, please organise this urgently. The late subscription rate is $300 ($170 for students).

The club’s bank account details are:

•           Westpac 03 0866 0269318 000

•           Merivale Papanui Cricket Club Inc

When making a transfer please state your full name as a reference.

Facebook ..

Both the Senior and Junior sections of MPCC can be found on Facebook ....

• Click Here for Merivale Papanui Cricket Club
• Click Here for Merivale Papanui Junior Cricket Club
• Be sure to "LIKE" both pages.

If you have any queries send us an email to mpcricket@xtra.co.nz

Article added: Wednesday 01 March 2023