Battle lines are drawn in premier cricket final

Ian Snook

Photo: A barefooted Taranaki Cricket Association chairman John McElroy inspects the block at Pukekura Park during a shower on Wednesday. 

Fresh off comprehensive semi-final victories Nag ‘N’ Noggin New Plymouth Marist United (NPMU) and Merit RV New Plymouth Old Boys (NPOB) will battle it out for the Taranaki Cricket premiership at Pukekura Park this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Lead by astute all-rounder Kurt Leuthart, NPMU have been the front runners throughout the season and will head in to the final as the favourites. On top of an unbeaten round of games in the two day competition they have already won both the One Day and T20 Championships. Their dominance in every facet has been almost overwhelming.

On the other hand NPOB have seldom been able to put their best combination on the field during the season so they will have the added confidence in the final of having their university and ill players back in the lineup. Certainly, no one would bet against them.

With 16 Taranaki representative players on show, including three former Central Districts Stags, and three CD age group players tucked into a young NPOB lineup, much of the best talent in the province will be on show.

Unfortunately, because of the wet weather, groundsman Craig Hitchcock will have a lack of preparation time, so there could be a bit of ‘life’ early on and the toss will be a good one to win. Still, over three days, regardless of the first hour or so of play, the best team normally comes out on top.

The big question is whether NPOB skipper Mattie Thomas, fresh from taking 11 cheap wickets in the semi-final, can muster his bowling attack to apply the necessary pressure against the batting might of NPMU.

Thomas will need to play a big part both with his bowling and his captaincy. With the pacy Jarred Ritson returning after a couple of weeks away, he will be a key ingredient in the bowling mix and will need to be at full pace and aggression in each spell. Just how he is utilized in amongst the group of skillful medium pacers in the form of Davis Mills, Kyle Pillay, Jordi Fettis and Jordan Gard, and where he fits the promising left arm spinner Liam Carr into the plan, will be important .

One interesting aspect of the two attacks will be the left arm spin of Thomas and Carr dualling with the off spin of NPMU’s Leuthart and current Taranaki player Michael Blanks. Just as Thomas was in good form in the semi so Blanks picked up five cheap wickets in their semi. This will be a good test of control and cunning for two of Taranaki’s best.

NPMU’s Jack Krutz, bowling his clever swingers, is the top wicket taker in the two day format, and is one of seven bowlers Leuthart can call on with a bowling average at 12 or less. This is remarkable for one team and compares really favourably against NPOB who have Thomas and Ritson in this category.

One of the really interesting battles within the game will be that of NPMU’s speedsters, big Shay Smith and the lively Ryan Watson, blazing down the early overs against three of Taranaki’s most promising batsmen Sebastian Lauderdale-Smith, Olly Burbidge and Josh Borrell. It will be the experience and aggression of the fast boys against the confidence and skill of youth.

Lauderdale-Smith is fresh from playing for Central Districts ‘A’, Borrell has hit some real form of late and Burbidge knows how to score 100 at premier level. Against them will be two strong aggressors in Smith and Watson, both feeling confident and in good form. The battle lines are drawn.

Leuthart can also call on successful medium pacers Josh Barrett who continues to perform at a high level year after year and all-rounder Robbie Yule who has picked up key wickets when required. Their consistency will be just as important to NPMU as that of Mills, Pillay, Fettis and Gard for NPOB. When things need to be tight and pressurised - the skippers need to be able to rely on these men.

The consummate master in amongst all this talent, producing a virtuoso 213 not out in the semi, is NPMU’s opening batsman Dean Robinson. The modern day Glenn Turner of Taranaki cricket, rolling out 100’s as others score 20’s, Robinson has hit a purple patch at just the right time.

Not since young Kane Robertson hit 220 for NPBHS has a batsman so totally dominated at the crease, and with three day cricket an invitation to bat as long as possible, Robinson will be aiming for another performance for the purist to marvel at. The NPOB attack will all be fighting hard to grab the ‘big wicket’ in the game.

Planning on out-performing Robinson will be the competitions second most run scorer Mills, who has accumulated 337 at an average of 67.4 – impressive indeed. Fresh off an 83 not out in a team total of 209 in the semi-final and a century prior to that, the busy little stroke maker will be looking to continue this form. As Mills’ batting matures his ability is becoming amplified and NPOB will be looking towards him as a batsman they can rely on to score big runs at crucial times.

However, just as the seasons stats suggest NPMU have an edge in the bowling department, their batting stats suggests they have more depth here as well. Jarred Cunningham has 328 runs at 54.67, including an 87 in the semi-final and 133 the week before; Robinson 284 runs at 142; Watson 174 at 43.5; and Yule 243 at 34.71.

Leuthart, Sam Fastier, and Jacob Leuthard-Richards all average over 20, Sean Mosquera is full of potential, and just to prove the team bat right through to No 11, Smith averages 52 from two completed innings and Krutz is at 27.54.

To demonstrate this depth of talent, last weekend Robinson and Smith put together a huge partnership of 155 for the 10th wicket, while Robinson and Cunningham had a 6th wicket partnership of 169, in the team total of 516. This is a team at the top of their game.

On the other side of the coin only Mills and Lauderdale-Smith (46.0) are up there average-wise with Burbidge and Borrell averaging 25 each. The likes of Thomas, Gard, Myles Simkin and Ben Mitchell will need to dig deep and produce a big performance. Of course there is no time like a final to step up and step out. This will be the game the pundits talk about during the winter months.

NPOB has a strong tradition of success in this competition and it will be no surprise if they fight above their playing weight and produce at a level above that of which they have produced so far this season. For NPMU it will be more of the same and a plan to attack the game with focus and confidence.

Officiating will be Tony Boshier and Brendon Keighley. Good luck to everyone.

POSSIBLE LINEUPS

NPMU: Dean Robinson, Sean Mosquera, Kurt Leuthart ©, Robbie Yule, Ryan Watson, Sam Fastier, Jarred Cunningham, Jacob Leuthard-Richards, Michael Blanks, Josh Barrett, Shay Smith, Jack Krutz

NPOB: Sebastian Lauderdale-Smith, Olly Burbidge, Josh Borrell, Davis Mills, Ben Mitchell, Jordan Gard, Mattie Thomas ©, Myles Simkin, Jarrod Rossiter, Jordi Fettis, Kyle Pillay, Liam Carr.