Our T20 Championship semifinalists have been found for 2020/21 with East Coast Bays, Takapuna, Howick Pakuranga and Papatoetoe through to Sunday afternoon’s showdowns.
Premier Men
T20 Championship
NorthWest Pool | Round Six
East Coast Bays 123/9 (C Briggs 48) defeated Birkenhead 76 (R Schierhout 4-13) by 47 runs.
East Coast Bays came out on top against Birkenhead in their first game on Sunday. Batting first, Though Bays’ keeper Cole Briggs (48) anchored his side through to the 17th over, the lack of support meant Bays finished with 123/9 from their 20 overs. A well-rounded Birkenhead attack featured four bowlers who picked up multiple wickets. The second innings belonged to Ryan Schierout (4-13), whose haul, accompanied by two run-outs, had Birkenhead all out for 76, keeping Bays playoff hopes alive with a 47-run win.
Suburbs New Lynn 83 (T Duncraft 3-19) lost to North Shore 84/4 (G Beghin 30) by six wickets
Suburbs New Lynn’s semi-final hopes were dented after North Shores bowlers came out firing. Electing to bat first, Suburbs were left fighting an uphill battle as Shore struck early, claiming three wickets in the opening overs. A middle-order revival gave the hosts a sliver of hope but Tim Duncraft (3-19) was quick to snuff it out, with Suburbs rolled for 83. Shore opener Graeme Beghin (30) made scoreboard pressure a non-factor in the chase with an explosive innings that included 6 boundaries; it was smooth sailing from there as Shore coasted to a six-wicket victory.
Waitakere 150/6 (B Barnard 57) lost to Takapuna 151/6 (BJ Jacobs 75) by four wickets.
Takapuna continued their push for a semi-final berth on the back of a great chase led by Bevon-John Jacobs. Batting first, Waitakere again looked to Brian Barnard (57) to get them going. His innings along with solid contributions from their middle order saw Waitakere post a competitive total of 150. Barnard’s fifty capped of an excellent round-robin showing for him with the bat, as he would finish the day near the top of the run charts. In reply, Jacobs (75) hit five sixes in a fiery innings that proved the foundation of the Pirates’ chase. The early blitz proved too much for Waitakere’s bowlers to overcome and Takapuna eventually claimed a fourth T20 Championship victory.
Hibiscus Coast 85 (W Amaradiwakara 3-14) tied with Kumeu 85/9.
Hibiscus Coast and Kumeu couldn’t be separated after a low-scoring thriller resulted in a the competition’s first tie. Both sides were subjected to disciplined bowling attacks, with Wishwaeh Amaradiwakara (3-14) the pick of the bunch for Kumeu in the first innings as Coast were bowled out for 85. It looked like that total might just have been enough when Ryan Jenner was dismissed at 64-9 in the second innings but a determined last-wicket stand put Kumeu in position to steal the game in the last over, this time however they would have to settle for a tie.
NorthWest Pool | Round Seven
East Coast Bays 161/5 (C Briggs 44, R Harrison 41, M Ross 38) defeated Waitakere 122 (K Minhas 39, S Mirza 42*, R Schierhout 4-21, I Bird 3-11) by 39 runs.
East Coast Bays made it two from two on Sunday, cementing their spot at the top of the NorthWest Pool with victory over Waitakere in their last round-robin match. Bays put the onus on themselves by batting first and Cole Briggs (44) continued his fine day, combining with Tristian Van Ingen-Kal for a 50-run first-wicket stand. Both batsmen have been key figures for Bays in the pool stages and finish as the side’s two leading run-scorers. Ryan Harrison (41*) and Michael Ross (38) asserted themselves in the second half of the innings, carrying Bays through to 161/5. Waitakere needed a good start and they got one courtesy of Kavi Minhas (39), who hit 6 quick boundaries before being dismissed in the eighth over. It was all Bays from there though, as Ryan Schierhout (4-21) and Issac bird (3-21) ripped through the rest of the batting order. First drop Shozib Mirza (42*) was the last man standing when Waitakere were bowled out for 122.
Takapuna 141/5 (Q Sunde 38, D James 34, BJ Jacobs 33) defeated Birkenhead 123/8 (C Rajapaksha 35) by 18 runs.
Takapuna secured a semi-final place in their afternoon match, claiming victory against neighbours Birkenhead. Bevon-John Jacobs (33) continued to amass runs at an impressive clip and the combined efforts of Quinn Sunde (38) and Daniel James (34) meant the fast start did not go to waste. Takapuna finished on 141/5. In reply, Birkenhead’s top order was unable to get going. The dismissal of the competition’s leading run-scorer Akash Christian brought Chamal Rajapaskha (35) to the crease at 40/3. His partnership with Anuradha Jayampathi kept Birkinhead in the game but in the end Takapuna emerged victorious, winning by an 18-run margin.
Suburbs New Lynn 148/6 (S Martin 44) defeated Hibiscus Coast 74 (A Ashok 4-13) by 74 runs.
Suburbs New Lynn finished their T20 campaign with a resounding win over Hibiscus Coast at Ken Maunder Park. Steve Martin (44) came up with the goods once again for Suburbs, and was well supported at the top by Tristan Payle and Michael Barry. Their afternoon with bat in hand was an encouraging bounce back and that confidence appeared to spill over into the field. Defending 148, the ball was shared around as Suburbs utilised 8 bowlers in their attack on Coast. The batsmen had no answer for leg spinner Adithya Ashok (4-13), whose tight bowling through the middle overs created insurmountable pressure, with Coast eventually all out for 74.
North Shore 114/5 (M Olsen 39*) defeated Kumeu 92 (T Chitongo 3-14, S Keene 3-14) by 22 runs.
North Shore also finished their T20 stint 99with a win over Kumeu thanks in large part to their opening bowlers. Several starts from Shore’s top order surrounded Michael Olsen’s well measured 39*. Their total of 114 left them with something to bowl at and bowl at it they did. Simon Keene (3-14) and Tendai Chitongo (3-14) were ever-present forces, as Kumeu’s chase was suffocated despite Harkaran Gujral’s (35) valiant effort to get them over the line.
CentralEast Pool | Round Six
Ellerslie 86 lost to Grafton 87/4 (J Doctora 33*) by six wickets.
Grafton capitalised on a superb all-round bowling attack to claim a swift victory over Ellerslie. Skipper Nathan Fletcher deployed 8 bowlers during a first innings in which Ellerslie’s batsmen struggled to settle down, despite some promising knocks through the middle overs. Bowled out for 86, Ellerslie would need to produce something special. Grafton, however, ensured it would not be enough with Jay Doctora (33*) steering the chase home in the 13th over with 6 wickets in the bank.
Eden Roskill 143/7 lost to Papatoetoe 148/7 (L Istead 42, B Rowland 30) by three wickets.
Papatoetoe made the most of their morning fixture, leaving themselves in position to vie for a place in the semifinals following a win against Eden Roskill. It was runs-by-committee for Roskill, as each of their nine batsmen managed double figure scores. Roskill steadily built a total of 143/7, leaving Papatoetoe with a bit of work to do. Barrington Rowland (30) and Luke Istead’s (42) opening stand proved to be the catalyst for their side’s chase, and their hard work meant the rest of the order could see it through, with Papatoetoe securing a three-wicket victory.
Howick Pakuranga 131/4 (J McGregor 51*) defeated Cornwall 128/7 C Thompson 3-23) by three runs.
Howick Pakuranga exacted revenge on Cornwall a day after the two sides clashed in the Jeff Crowe Cup. Saturday’s match had produced a close finish and Sunday morning would be no different. Howick’s decision to bat first on home turf paid off as Josh McGregor (51*) and his teammates ticked the strike over for the duration of their innings. Cornwall needed just over a run a ball to chase Howick Pakuranga’s 131 and their top order begun in such a fashion. However, Connah Thompson (3-23) and Adam Jones chimed in with timely wickets to prevent Cornwall from taking the upper hand. The game went into the final over before Jones and gloveman Andy Morrison combined for a runout, sealing Cornwall’s fate.
Parnell 175/5 (B Rae 56, F McGregor-Sumpter 40, A Lane 40) defeated Auckland University 91 (J Low 35, F de Villiers 5-10) by 84 runs.
Parnell posted the highest total of the day against University, which proved more than enough to keep their semi-final hopes alive. An opening stand of 60 from Ben Rae (56) and Flynn McGregor-Sumpter (40) laid a platform for the remaining batsmen to launch from and Andy Lane (40) obliged. McGregor-Sumpter’s innings contained 4 fours and 3 sixes and the University attack couldn’t recover from the early onslaught; Parnell marched to 175/5. With an Everest ahead of them, Fanie De Villiers (5-10) made sure University didn’t make it past base camp. Jonathan Low (35) provided some resistance but it was not enough to prevent University being bowled out for 91.
CentralEast Pool | Round Seven
Grafton 105 lost to Papatoetoe 106/9 (L Yugaraja 32) by one wicket.
Victoria Park played host to an absolute thriller between Grafton and Papatoetoe in the afternoon. The home side begun the game with the bat, and were made to work for every run. Dhaman Bhatti, who has been Papatoetoe’s best bowler through the round-robin, and Sunit Birla picked up wickets at either end of the order. Captain and keeper Stephen Money showcased his craft, claiming three stumpings. Grafton managed 105, teasing the possibility of a tight finish. Jack Dymond claimed an LBW from the first ball of the second innings, and struck again in his next over leaving Papatoetoe at 19/2. From there, Arnie Yugara (32) and Barrington Rowland got things back on track with a revitalising 50-run stand. Things changed drastically once again after Rowland was dismissed in the 12 over and wickets began to fall. The scores were level heading into the final over, and a late runout had Papatoetoe at 105-9 with two balls remaining. Birla was the man of the hour, and his run from the last ball of the game gave Papatoetoe a win that would clinch their place in the semifinals.
Eden Roskill 129/8 (S Sharma 42, D Patel 4-23) lost to Ellerslie 131/4 (S Sola 58*, D Kharel 31*) by six wickets.
Eden Roskill and Ellerslie wrapped up their respective t20 seasons with a close game. Shaneil Sharma (42) was Roskill’s top scorer in the first innings and finishes the competition as Roskill’s leading runscorer. The Ellerslie bowling attack was led by Dipesh Patel (4-23) in a good contest between bat and ball that saw Roskill finish up at 129/8. This was another match that went into the final over as Samson Sola (58) and Dinesh Kharel (31) piled on the runs after coming together at 62-4. Eden Roskill were unable to find a breakthrough and Ellerslie claimed the win from the second to last ball.
Howick Pakuranga 173/3 (D Winn 52, A Morrison 51*, S Borland 45) defeated Parnell 117/8 (F de Villiers 47) by 56 runs.
Howick Pakuranga finished the day with a perfect record, resulting in them qualifying top of the CentralEast pool. The top order were the only batsmen called upon for Howick, as opener Sam Borland’s rapid 45 from 26 deliveries was consolidated with half centuries from David Winn (52) and skipper Andrew Morrison (51*). Chasing 173 and a spot in the semi’s, Parnell could not replicate their morning’s form with the bat. The Howick Pakuranga bowlers were on the money and the Peaches were in big trouble when skipper Andy Lane was dismissed just past the halfway point with Parnell at 52/4. A swashbuckling 47 of 26 from Fanie De Villiers came too late as Parnell crawled to 117/8.
Cornwall 168/5 (G Stanton-Cook 82, Am Dhadwal 34) defeated Auckland University 83 (C Ansell 32, M van den Berg 3-24) by 85 runs.
Cornwall finished their day off with an emphatic win over Auckland University at Lloyd Elsmore Park. Cornwall gave themselves the challenge of setting a target and Glen Stanton-Cook rose to the occasion. Stanton-Cook’s 82 from 47 was the centrepiece of an innings that included a significant contribution from Amit Dhadwal (34). Cornwall set the bar high with 168/5 and University’s batsmen couldn’t rally around the likes of Conor Ansell (32) and Jonathon Low. Low has played a pivotal part in University’s T20 side, averaging 42 across 6 innings and finishing third in the run-scoring charts. For Cornwall, Michael van den Berg (3-24) led the attack and with support of Freddie Klaasen and Lucas Dasent, University were all out for 83 in the 14th over.