Watson the difference for Marist

Will Johnston

The saying goes, cricket is a team sport.

But New Plymouth Marist United all rounder Ryan Watson’s individual performance in the Taranaki premier two-day final during the weekend carried his team to victory.

Marist beat Inglewood by first innings points because the scheduled three-day final’s second day was washed out on Saturday.

It was Marist’s second premier title and first since 2012 in the competitive competition. The form from the shorter format, where it bagged the club Twenty20 title, continued.

Watson shone with bat and ball in the player-of-the-match performance with a century and a five-wicket haul.

In the first innings, Watson first scored 122 off 165 deliveries to carry Marist to 330 in the first innings at Pukekura Park. His century included 18 fours and two sixes.

The four-capped Central Stags first-class player came in at a time when Marist was 84/3 and put together 179 partnership for the fourth wicket with Robbie Yule, who scored 60 runs.

Eventually Inglewood bowler Hayden McIntyre claimed the important wickets of Watson and Yule. Suddenly Marist were 265/5 but damage had already been done.

With the bleak forecast for Saturday, Marist set up the perfect first innings total.

With the ball, Watson claimed 5/38 off 17 overs. It wasn’t just economical figures for the speedster but vital in restricting Inglewood to 112 on Sunday.  

He ripped through the middle order with Inglewood battling at 78/8.

He picked up the wickets of Luke Dravitzki, 7, Aaron Zame, 0, Brent Stevens, 0, Tyla Judson, 1 and Jason Dombroski, 0.  

It was a tough ask for Inglewood to try and at least save the match on Sunday with a day lost thanks to the weather. Even so, Marist would have won because it finished top after the regular season.