Cricket: Marist claim first title of the season

Story and photo by Taranaki Cricket

Nag N’ Noggin NPMU are three-times champions in Expert Turf Premier T20 cricket, edging arch-rivals Merit RV NPOB in a tightly fought finale in front of a healthy crowd at Pukekura Park this afternoon

The day got off to a good start for Marist - captain Robson Chapman won the toss and sent NPOB into bat, and the early momentum stayed with the two-time defending champions.

Reeve Nelley snagged the wicket of in-form Taranaki opener Josh Borrell on the second ball of the day, and it got worse from there for NPOB as their top order came and went and they found themselves in a spot of trouble at 61/5. Luckily, their batting order is deep, and a 60-run sixth wicket partnership between Ben Mitchell (43 not out) and Ben Frewin (42) was pivotal in taking Old Boys through to a defendable, but perhaps slightly sub-par 144/7 off their 20 overs.

Marist openers Michael Blanks and Robson Chapman got the chase off to a nice start and Blanks (41) was particularly key to setting a winning platform in the innings. Old Boys pulled the game back into the balance in the middle overs, Lucas Vassiliou (1/18) and Callum Stuart (1/23) both playing key roles, while Frewin continued to show his class, finishing with figures of 3/27. But the arrival of Jacob Leuthard-Richards at the crease, with the score at 54/2 proved a key moment in the game. The tall Taranaki representative batsman produced a match winning performance – his 46 not out off just 31 balls saw him clear the ropes four times to go with a boundary as he showcased his growing maturity at the higher levels. His 54-run partnership with Lenny Chapman (26) proved the difference between the sides in the end.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing – the loss of wickets at the other end took the game to the final over – but it always felt as if Marist held the cards with Leuthard-Richards at the crease, and he finished the job with a towering 6 off Liam Carr to send the blue and gold faithful home happy.