Short Scorecard: Onslow 121 all out (D McKeefry 41, L Chrisp 21) &  207 all out (S Foley 84, B Parlane 47) lost to  Naenae 128 all out (T Pentecost 5-68, L Chrisp 4-12) &  202-4 (L Chrisp 4-80) by six wickets

 

Onslow resumed the second day 70-3 in their second innings but were unable to string together any useful partnerships to be all out for 207 leaving Naenae a target of 200 for victory. Sam Foley added 17 runs to his overnight total before being dismissed by Jesse Ryder for 84 with Blair Parlane (47) making amends for his first innings duck

Naenae’s chase saw them in trouble early on at 39-3 but Jesse Ryder’s return from injury and back to form saw Naenae to a comfortable victory with the Black Cap smashing an unbeaten 110 of just 67 balls as Naenae coasted to victory in just 26.3 overs. Onslow’s cause was not helped by Ryder being dropped four times in the process.

The outright victory to Naenae saw them leap-frog Onslow and North City to finish third while Onslow had to settle for fourth-place for the second year running.

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 121 all out (D McKeefry 41, L Chrisp 22) & 70-3 (S Foley 57*) met Naenae 125 all out (T Pentecost 5-68, L Chrisp 4-12)

 

It was a case of from one extreme to the other for Onslow who went from the high of scoring 518-9 on a great batting deck at Linden Park yet being greeted by a green and poorly prepared pitch at Naenae the following weekend.

Naenae skipper Adam Williams won the crucial call and not surprisingly, asked Onslow to bat first. Onslow were dismissed for just 121 with Declan McKeefry’s 41 the top score of the innings. In reply, Naenae didn’t fare too much better yet managed to claim first innings points after being bowled out for 128 in 30 overs. Taylor Pentecost, who picked up a career-best 5-68, and Liam Chrisp (4-12) were the pick of the bowlers.

 

At stumps, Onslow were 70-3 in their second innings with Sam Foley unbeaten on 57.

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 518-9 (L Chrisp 147, B Parlane 133, J Khan 69, S Foley 60, D McKeefry 44) drew with North City 446-7 (D McKeefry 4-65)

Onslow continued batting into the second day with Rhys Morgan and Harsh Tataria seeing the total past 500 before skipper Glynn Howell declared at 518-9.

 

After spending the entire first day in the field, North City had the opportunity to dish out some pay back as Onslow spent the majority of the second day in the field with North City ending the day on 446-7. Declan McKeefry was the pick of the Onslow bowling, picking up a career-best 4-47.

 

After recent years of having to play on inadequate pitches, it was great to see runs scored with 965 runs scored and just 16 wickets falling in the match.

 

 

Short Scoreboard: Onslow 494-9 (Chrisp 147, B. Parlane 133, Khan 64, Foley 60, McKeefry 44) met North City on Day 1 of 2.

 

When captain Glynn Howell called correctly and elected to bat on the good looking Linden Park wicket, no one could predict the day of records that would follow.

 

Liam Chrisp, Blair Parlane, Declan McKeefry and Taylor Pentecost all recorded their highest scores for Onslow. Within this Parlane scored his maiden senior hundred, Chrisp and Parlane broke the highest partnership record for the club and the total for the day must also be a record for the club. North City off-spinner Ben Jansen might also have a club record of his own with his 5 for 176 from 41 over’s!

 

With Andy Thompson unavailable, the side had yet another re-shuffle with Misty Jones-Middleton coming back into the side and ‘keeper Parlane promoted from his usual number 8 position to first drop in the batting order. Sam Foley and Declan McKeefry walked out to open the innings and after a few deliveries it became clear the decision to bat was the right one with plenty of runs in the wicket.

 

Foley continued his excellent form and was well supported by McKeefry, whose innings was highlighted by a massive six from a swiveling pull shot off former Firebird paceman Fraser Quaterman. The pair produced the sort of start required on a batting paradise with the seasons highest opening stand of 113. McKeefry was first to go when he misjudged a full toss and was caught plumb in front. His career best 44 came from 69 deliveries and included six fours and one six. Sam Foley raised his second half-century in succession but was soon caught behind off Ben Jansen attempting a cut shot. Foley’s 60 came from 88 balls and included 11 fours.

 

As is the way with cricket, two wickets can change the nature of the scoreboard and 113 for 0 looked a little worse at 117 for 2. However, what was to follow in the next four and a half hours will forever live in the minds of those involved. Liam Chrisp joined Blair Parlane and the partnership began. Chrisp had been struggling for runs with only 190 to his name this season and Parlane had failed to live up to his talent for Onslow with a career high score of just 28. The pair negotiated the half hour to lunch and Onslow were well placed at 158 for 2.

 

The lunch to tea session proved the difference. Chrisp looked in good touch from the start punishing any loose bowling and Parlane provided the needed support. The team cheered as Parlane passed his personal best but that was only the start. Chrisp first passed his half century and then with ease coasted to his third senior hundred for Onslow. This was an innings punctuated by superb pull shots coupled with Liam’s exemplary leg-side punches. Parlane had passed 50 for the first time in his three seasons with the club and Onslow went to tea at 291 for 2. Chrisp was unbeaten on 101 and Parlane not out 69. The partnership was worth 174 at this point.

 

The team cheered both batsman and coaxed them on to greater things. Could they produce a 200 run partnership, could Chrisp pass his personal best of 143 and could Parlane do the unthinkable and notch his maiden century? The answer to all of these was yes.

 

The North City attack was struggling under this batting onslaught on the placid wicket but it was not to let up. With ease the runs continued to flow and all of a sudden Parlane was in the 90’s. Some nerves became apparent but with the spread field, Blair found the singles until he was facing on 99. North City brought in the field but two nervous deliveries later he pushed one into the off-side and scampered through for a single. The Onslow team erupted in cheers and Parlane leaped with delight.

 

After this watershed moment, Chrisp and Parlane picked up the pace and drinks were taken with Onslow wonderfully placed at 391 for 2. Chrisp had passed his personal best with 146 and Parlane was 123. Unfortunately the partnership was soon ended as the hard working Jansen turned one back through the gate to bowl Chrisp for 147 and the epic partnership of 276 was finally broken. Liam’s wonderful innings encompassed 175 deliveries and included 19 fours and three sixes.

 

Club veteran Andy Wilson later confirmed the previous partnership record was held between himself and John ‘Mystery’ Morrison with 242 so Parlane and Chrisp now hold the record by some margin.

 

Parlane added ten more to his tally before he was caught behind for 133. He had faced 210 balls, hit 14 fours and one six.

 

Howell joined Jimad Khan with the total at 404 for 4 and just 10 over’s to stumps. Unfortunately for North City, Khan took a liking to the wicket and proceeded to unleash a brutal assault. His 50 came off just 26 balls and in the process he lost three balls smashed out of the ground. The talk was 500 before stumps with Khan aiming for lightening fast century. This was not to be but Khan and Howell added 73 for the fifth wicket before Howell (9) was caught behind by the diving Austin-Smellie. Khan followed soon after for 64 from 35 balls that included five sixes.

 

The final three over’s saw a flurry of wickets in the pursuit of quick runs with James Boock (0), Misty Jones-Middleton (3) and Taylor Pentecost (7) all falling in quick succession. Rhys Morgan (5 n.o.) hit the final ball of the day past long-off for four and Onslow ended the day on an unbelievable 494 for 9.

 

This was truly an amazing day for Onslow and none will forget it. The partnership from Chrisp and Parlane was truly unbelievable by club cricket standards and it totally demoralized the North City fielding unit. This could not have been without the stirling work from opener’s Foley and McKeefry and the day was wonderfully complete with the whirlwind innings from Jimad Khan.

 

All of this could not be possible without a quality wicket and the Linden Park surface is made for batting. Undoubtedly bowling on the wicket is not for the faint hearted and Onslow will face a very tough day next week as North City have their chance to dominate the ball.

 

Still, 394 just to avoid the follow-on is a huge task in club cricket regardless of how good the wicket is. This will be a true test of the Onslow team but the group will look forward to the challenge and hopefully bank a further six first innings points to go with the 4.94 batting points scored. This would all but confirm third place in what has been a remarkable year of club cricket.

The Statistics:
  

LJ Chrisp & BJ Parlane came together in the 26^th over with the score 117-2. Their partnership of 276 lasted 62 overs in 210 minutes, comprising of 374 balls.

When Chrisp fell for 147 from 175 balls, the Onslow total was 393-3 in the 88^th over.

 

BJ Parlane came to the crease at 12:49, departing at 17:44. Parlane faced 210 balls in 225 minutes striking 14 “fours” and one “six” before being caught by Joe Austin-Smellie off the bowling of Fraser Quartermann. His first 50 came from 117 balls and the 100 from 171 balls.

 

LJ Chrisp came to the crease at 12:55, departing at 17:37. Chrisp faced 175 balls in 210 minutes striking 19 “fours” and three “sixes” before being bowled by Ben Jansen. His first 50 came fro 89 balls and the 100 from 132 balls.

BJ Parlane Wagon Wheel



LJ Chrisp Wagon Wheel

 

Short Scoreboard: Hutt Districts 175 (Rhodes 3-41, Chrisp 2-48) and 173-6 dec. (Khan 3-10, Chrisp 2-43) drew with Onslow 198 (N. Parlane 64n.o., Khan 31) and 146-7 (Foley 61n.o., Howell 20)

 

Onslow started day two requiring 52 runs for first innings with seven wickets in hand. Unfortunately both Neal Parlane and Stewart Rhodes were unavailable with Firebird's commitments. Greig Nicholl made his first appearance in eight months and young James Boock (son of former Black Cap, Stephen Boock) made his Onslow debut.

 

As it eventuated, the 52 runs were not as easy as hoped with a fresh wicket providing plenty of assistance to the bowlers. This allowed Hutt to apply the pressure and early runs were hard to come by. From the overnight security of 124 for 3, Onslow felt the wobbles as they struggled to 132 for 6. Jimad Khan joined captain Glynn Howell and the pair withstood the onslaught from ex-Firebird Andrew Lamb before Khan unleashed on swing bowler David Twigg. The pair nearly took Onslow to their target but Howell (13) was comprehensively bowled with five runs required. Khan and Blair Parlane (10) finished the job to earn Onslow the six first innings points. Khan was eventually dismissed for 31 valuable runs and the Onslow innings was ended on 198 giving them a 23 run lead.

 

With 70 over's left in the day, either an adventurous declaration or a capitulation from Hutt could result in the match having further meaning. Khan and Taylor Pentecost were given the new ball and Khan helped reduce Hutt to 40 for 4 with three cheap wickets. Onslow kept the pressure on with Liam Chrisp claiming two wickets and Andy Thompson producing the off-spinners perfect delivery to clean bowl Hutt's number seven. The games crucial point came off the last ball of Thompson's first over when he produced another perfect off-spinner catching the edge of Andrew Hadley's bat only to see 'keeper Parlane fumble then drop the regulation catch. Had this been taking Hutt would have been in dire straits at 97 for 7 with only a 74 run lead. As it was, Hadley decided to hit out at Thompson and along with Kieran Lennon (74 n.o.), the pair produced an unbroken 76 run partnership that allowed Hutt to declare at tea leaving Onslow 35 over's to chase 151 for the outright victory.

 

The team talk revolved around starting well and leaving wickets in hand. Declan McKeefry (17) and Andy Thompson (11) gave the team a solid start before McKeefry and then Liam Chrisp (4) fell in close time. Howell joined Sam Foley and the pair reduced the target down to 69 from the final twelve over's. After striking two boundaries down the ground, Howell (20) played a poor shot to be caught to point and Khan joined Foley. Khan (8) fell with the score at 108 leaving 43 required. Nicholl (1) did not last long and Blair Parlane was the realistic final hope with Foley. The pair batted well and had the target down to 18 from 15 balls before Parlane (9) looked to 'lap' Andrew Lamb to the vacant fine leg only to see the catch pop up to the deep gully position. Debutant James Boock joined Foley and the target from the final over was 11. A close run out led to a ricochet and a valuable three runs leaving Foley on strike needing 6 from 2 balls. Unfortunately only one was scored and Boock could not find the boundary on the final ball and the match was drawn.

 

Foley's innings was a real highlight with some wonderful drives down the ground as well as Sam's trademark pull shot. His 61 not out was scored from 91 deliveries and included six boundaries. A leg injury resulted in Sam having to end the innings with a runner and his excellent effort came so close to gaining Onslow the additional four points for the outright win.

 

By gaining the crucial first innings, Onslow's 13.44 points have maintained their third position on the competition ladder but with nearly 25 points separating them from second place Karori, the chance of a place in the final is all but gone with only two matches left in the season.

 

Next week Onslow face North City at Linden Park and then finish their season against Naenae at Naenae.

 

 

Short Scoreboard: Hutt Districts 175 (Rhodes 3-41, Chrisp 2-48) met Onslow 123 for 3 (Parlane N. 64 not out) on day one of two.

 

With a slightly damp wicket at Petone No. 5, winning the toss was important and Neal Parlane had no hesitation in asking Hutt Districts to bat first.

 

With Ex-Black Cap and Firebird captain Matthew Bell leading the Hutt side, Onslow knew a solid bowling performance would be required even with the wicket favouring the bowlers to a degree.

 

Bell and fellow contracted Firebird, Robbie Schaw appeared to provide a solid start for Hutt until Bell left a delivery from Stewart Rhodes only to see it nip back and catch him in front. Schaw was bowled by a beauty from Liam Chrisp without no addition to the score and the decision to bowl seemed a good one. A reasonable partnership developed until Declan McKeefry pulled off a brilliant direct hit run out and then Rhodes produced a ‘jaffa’ to clean bowl Fraser Colsen. On the stroke of lunch, Fraser’s older brother James rashly looked to smash off-spinner Harsh Tataria down the ground only to be caught by Taylor Pentecost at mid-off to leave Hutt at 77 for 5.

 

Onslow had aimed to restrict Hutt to under 150 and this looked on target as Hutt slipped to 126 for 8 when Rhys Morgan secured the second run out of the day. Earlier off-spinner, Andy Thompson produced his best wicket taking delivery of the season to induce the edge from Hutt’s top scorer Keiran Lennon (36). Unfortunately for Onslow the final two wickets proved difficult to obtain with the final pair producing an excellent 30 run partnership. The innings was eventually ended with the total on 175 when Neal Parlane effected the third run-out of the innings with both batsman half-way down the pitch.

 

The wicket was certainly not an easy one and with the fired up Andrew Lamb charging in for Hutt Districts, openers Declan McKeefry and Andy Thompson battled hard until McKeefry (6) was unlucky to be adjudged LBW when leaving on the front foot. Neal Parlane promoted himself to number three and produced his third crucial innings of the year. He firstly added 46 with Thompson (13) and then 37 with Stewart Rhodes (18). Finally he secured a positive day for Onslow by battling through the final 10 over’s with Liam Chrisp to see Onslow in the relatively strong position of 123 for 3. Parlane was left unbeaten on 64 from 81 deliveries with five 4s and two huge sixes off leg-spinner Robbie Schaw.

 

Unfortunately Parlane will once again be denied the opportunity to score his maiden century for Onslow as he will be unavailable due to Firebird’s commitments for the second day. Under the new rules, the replacement player can continue Parlane’s innings so Onslow will have seven wickets in hand to score the 53 runs required to take the six first innings points on offer.

 

With Onslow sitting third on the ladder, these points are crucial to ensure they maintain this position. It would appear the gap to Karori and Eastern Suburbs will be too far for Onslow to manage with only five Saturday’s remaining so a top three position would be a very good result given the horror start to the season and the loss of two key bowlers in Kevin Forde and Scott Rasmussen.

 

Short Scoreboard: Karori 227 (Pentecost 4-47, Chrisp 3-67, Rhodes 3-78) met Onslow.

A delayed start for the second versus third clash resulted in only 72 of the possible 100 over’s being bowled at Petone No. 5. After winning the toss, Onslow captain Neal Parlane had no hesitation inserting Karori on a slightly damp wicket.

Another strong Wellington northerly meant a tough job for the in to the wind bowler and Liam Chrisp was tasked with this chore for the majority of the innings. Taylor Pentecost bowled the first two over’s into the wind without success but Chrisp grabbed the opening wicket with just his third delivery. The Onslow attack produced a solid effort with all bowlers finding a consistent line and length on the slower than expected wicket. Two dropped catches once again let the Onslow side down to leave Karori well placed at 117 for 4 at tea. Immediately after the resumption, three quick wickets from Rhodes and Chrisp had Onslow in a commanding position.

Unfortunately Karori captain Simon Baker and stalwart Lee Edwards produced an excellent 76 run partnership for the 8^th wicket to provide the basis of a solid first innings total. This could have been vastly different for Onslow had Liam Chrisp not over-stepped the crease when he found the edge of Baker’s bat early in his innings. Glynn Howell, wicket keeping in place of the absent Blair Parlane, held the catch only to see the outstretched arm of the umpire. Baker went on score a valuable 56 and help Karori though to their final total of 227.

Special mention must go again to Stewart Rhodes and Liam Chrisp for their sterling efforts with the ball. Both worked through 27 over’s with Chrisp (3-67) operating into the near gale force wind throughout his two spells. Rhodes (3-78) bowled himself to a standstill operating unchanged for the entire last session and their combined efforts helped to restrict the Karori batsmen on what could have been a very tough day for the fielding side. Taylor Pentecost secured his personal best figures for Onslow when he claimed the last three wickets to end with 4 for 47 from his 11 over’s. The highlight was the brilliant running catch by Sam Foley to dismiss Lee Edwards for 29. Taylor snared the last two wickets in consecutive deliveries to leave himself on a hat-trick in the next innings.

 

Short Scoreboard: University: 245 (Rhodes 6-64, Pentecost 3-28) and 192 for 4 (Thompson 2-58) drew with Onslow 272 for 8 declared (N. Parlane 78 n.o., Lawson 43, Howell 36 n.o., McKeefry 23, Thompson 21). Onslow win on first innings.

 

With the pre-season points structure change, this was the first real test of a first innings dominated match for Onslow. Now with six points on offer for a lead on the first innings and only an additional four for outright wins, teams will battle hard for the innings lead.

 

After University compiled a respectable 245 from 82 over’s on day one and Onslow were 118 for 2 at stumps, the first half of day two was always going to be keenly fought. With Neal Parlane unavailable due to Firebird commitments, his replacement Sam Lawson was required to bat immediately. This was Sam’s senior debut after leaving Wellington College and he performed admirably with a near two and a half hour stay at the crease scoring 43 from 93 deliveries.

 

With support from Andy Thompson (21) and then Stewart Rhodes (16), Onslow looked to have the first innings comfortably in sight but a mid-innings stutter caused some concern in the camp and produced some desperation from the University attack. Rhodes fell with the score on 194 and Lawson fell soon after to leave Onslow at 200 for five. Jimad Khan struck two boundaries but was caught in the deep on the last ball before lunch.  It became even dicier immediately after lunch when Liam Chrisp was adjudged LBW for nought. Glynn Howell and Blair Parlane now had a challenge on their hands with 26 required for first innings and the University team pumped up with the prospect of taking the points. Howell and Parlane slowly worked down the runs required and a short single gave Onslow the lead and the vital six competition points.

 

Howell and Parlane went on the attack immediately with Howell taking 18 off the next over from Michael Burns. Parlane struck a boundary in the next over but was bowled going for another big shot and Howell immediately declared the Onslow innings with a small 27 run lead.

 

With 53 over’s to bowl, Onslow needed a dramatic collapse from the University batsmen to have any prospect of an outright. This was not to be as the openers produced an aggressive 97 run stand with Orton particularly severe on Stewart Rhodes. At this point Onslow knew the key was the 0.25 bonus points for wickets but also giving some of the under-utilized bowlers a longer spell with the ball. With this, off-spinner Harsh Tataria was able to take his maiden senior wicket ending with 1 for 41 from his 11 over’s. Andy Thompson took a little more punishment with his off-spinners and ended with 2 for 58 from 10 over’s. Jimad Khan changed from medium pace to leg spin and produced three solid offers and was unlucky not to claim a wicket when Tataria mis-judged a skied shot in the outfield.

 

The captains agreed to shake hands at 6pm with University 192 for 4 allowing Onslow to walk away with 12.22 competition points. With Naenae losing to Taita on first innings, it would appear Onslow have moved into third spot in the competition. The coming weekend will be another challenge with a Saturday/Sunday match against the second placed Karori at Petone 5. With luck Neal Parlane will be available again so another tough first innings affair should be on the cards.

 

With a glorious Wellington day and a quality wicket at Kelburn Park, the hope was for Onslow to win the toss, bat first and amass a sizable total against last placed University. Unfortunately captain, Neal Parlane lost the toss and not surprisingly Onslow found themselves bowling first.

 

Things started in great fashion with Stewart Rhodes educing an edge to wicket keeper Blair Parlane from the first ball of the innings. Parlane then took a brilliant one handed catch down the leg-side off Rhodes and University were two down with only one run on the board. As expected the nature of the wicket meant bowling would not be that easy and for the rest of the 82 over's Onslow fielded, wickets were a prize commodity. 

 

The wicket flattened out into a real beauty and with the clear and warm conditions at the picturesque Kelburn Park, it was certainly a day for the batsman. The University players showed good application but with only ex-Firebird Graeme Murray really taking to the bowling attack. Onslow did not have a great day in the field with four catches dropped and one run out missed. Had these chances been taken the University total could have been significantly reduced.

 

Onslow felt in a good position to hold University to a smallish total as they went to lunch at 112 for 4. As the sun really found its heat in the middle session, wickets were harder to come by as the bowlers toiled away. University lost their 7th wicket in the final over before tea to give Rhodes a well deserved five for and see them at 237 for 7. Onslow were conscious that University had placed themselves in a good position to exceed 280 so when the new ball was available, it was immediately taken. This introduction required only nine balls to end the innings with Rhodes securing his sixth wicket and Taylor Pentecost taking the final two in consecutive deliveries. 

 

University would be happy with their total of 245 but this could have been a lot more on a very good batting wicket. Apart from the obvious honours board performance from Rhodes, special mention must go to Liam Chrisp who bowled over a third of the innings with a marathon 28 overs. His miserly figures of 1 for 62 certainly helped Onslow to restrict the scoring rate from the University batsman.

 

With the last session recalculated, Onslow had 23 over's to face before stumps and captain Parlane decided to open the batting due to his unavailability for the following week with Firebird's commitments. This proved a master stroke as he was unbeaten at stumps on 78 from just 64 deliveries. University started with an odd field to him with four men back on the boundary but he consistently found the gaps to follow-on from his impressive Twenty20 form in the HRV Cup. His innings helped Onslow to a solid position of 117 for 2 at stumps requiring 139 next week to claim the crucial six first innings points. With the recent rule change the replacement for Parlane can continue his innings so Onslow will still have eight wickets to achieve their target. Supporting Parlane, Declan McKeefry produced another solid innings opening the batting before he was bowled by a ball that virtually rolled along the pitch. Sam Foley fell just five over's from stumps to leave Andy Thompson with a tough period to negotiate, which he achieved to set himself up for a big day next Saturday. 

 

With the in-form Stewart Rhodes still to bat, Onslow will feel they are in an excellent position to push towards their first innings target but will need to demonstrate a high degree of application if they are to reach and then move pass the University total.

 

Yet another rained out weekend of cricket in Wellington with no play possible resulting in Onslow and Taita sharing points.

 

Rain prevented any play in the fixture against Taita, the first two-day match of 2010. Next week will see all teams contest a one-day fixture played with a maximum of five points up for grabs.

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 59 all out (D McKeefry 27, G Howell 20*, R Joseph 7-28, D Evans 2-17) & 63 all out (S Foley 15, M Jones-Middleton 14, D Evans 8-24) lost to Eastern Suburbs 240-8 dec (S Golder 103*, T Pentecost 2-38, S Rasmussen 2-47) by an innings and 118 runs.

 

Beginning the day on 22 without loss, Eastern Suburbs made it through to 240-8 before declaring shortly after lunch. For Eastern Suburbs, Scott Golder recorded the only notable score an unbeaten century from just 81 balls. Scott Rasmussen was the pick of the Onslow bowling, picking up 2-47 from 19 overs.

 

Following being routed for 59 in their first innings and with a big task ahead of them, Onslow’s second innings did not start off well, losing opener Andy Thompson who was adjudged leg before on the second ball of the innings bowled by Englishman Danny Evans.  Evans, managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals finishing with 8-24 as Onslow’s batting collapsed for the second successive week to be all out for 63 in the 19^th over, 118 runs short of making Eastern Suburbs bat again.

 

The outright victory to East’s was the only result on a rain affected round and has seen the defending champions move into top spot and Onslow drop down to 5^th.

 

At the end of the first half of the season, Sam Foley leads the batting with 173 runs followed by Andy Thompson (144) and Jimad Khan (124) while Liam Chrisp (16 wickets) is ahead of Jimad Khan and Scott Rasmussen who both have taken 12 wickets each. Notable absentees from the top performers have been Neal Parlane (1 match) and Stewart Rhodes (5 matches) who have been away on representative duties with the Wellington Firebirds. 

Following the Christmas and New Year break, Onslow plays the final one-day round against North City on the 9^th of January before playing out six two-day matches to round off the season.

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 59 all out (D McKeefry 27, G Howell 20*) met Easts 22/0 at stumps on day one.

After riding high from the previous triple-victory weekend, Onslow were looking to build on their success but a combination of excellent bowling and an inferior wicket produced one of the more amazing afternoons of club cricket.

Having beaten Eastern Suburbs for the first time in a decade the previous Saturday, Onslow looked to start well in the two-day section of the competition. Unfortunately overnight rain left two large wet patches on the Kilbirnie Park No. 2 wicket and this forced play to be delayed until 5pm with only two and a half hours available. The toss was always going to prove crucial and Onslow’s luck was not good as captain Glynn Howell called incorrectly and opposition captain Lance Dry could not conceal his absolute delight at being able to bowl first on the green, patchy pitch.

With a new opening pair of Andy Thompson and Declan McKeefry, Onslow required a solid start but were immediately in trouble at 0 for 2 in the first over. Thompson nicked his second ball into the waiting slip cordon and then Sam Foley was adjudged LBW for no score. Liam Chrisp was caught in front in the next over to leave Onslow at 1 for 3. Jimad Khan then went for the fourth duck of the innings to leave Onslow in tatters at 3 for 4. Howell joined McKeefry and a partnership was established on the very difficult batting wicket. McKeefry looked in very good touch to produce his highest senior score of 27 before he was on the end of an incorrect caught behind decision to leave Onslow at 42 for 5. Misty Jones-Middleton became the third and final run scorer of the innings before he received a ‘jaffa’ from Ricky Joseph that knocked back his off-stump.

The following four batsman all failed to trouble the scorers with Blair Parlane LBW for 0, Scott Rasmussen caught at slip for 0, Taylor Pentecost bowled for 0 and Harsh Tataria also LBW for 0. All fell to the excellent swing bowling of Ricky Joseph who finished with the outstanding figures of 7 for 28 from 12.4 consecutive over’s. This was even more special as Joseph bowled into an extremely strong Wellington northerly to rout Onslow in just 25.4 over’s.

This was quite a remarkable innings with eight ducks, which may be a record in Wellington club cricket and the final total of 59 was certainly the lowest Onslow have scored for many years. Whilst the bowling of the East’s attack was very good, mention must be made of a very average wicket at Kilbirnie Park No. 2. Whilst wet patches caused issues, the wicket itself appeared under prepared, which is a big challenge on a non-senior wicket.

Unfortunately Onslow were not able to capitalise in the 11 overs they had before stumps as East’s negotiated through to 22 for 0. However, it was not as easy as it looked with one of their openers (Jamieson) scoring 1 not out from 42 balls and Lance Dry being promoted to open in front of the usual Jeremy Dean. Dry was very effective in this role scoring 16 not out from 27 deliveries.

It can be expected that the wicket will be vastly different next week and Onslow face a huge battle to save this match. Stranger things have happened in club cricket but it will take something hugely special from the bowling attack to achieve this. 
 

Dechlan McKeefry drives through cover for four against Eastern Suburbs

 

Short Scorecard: University 97 all out (A Thompson 3-13) lost to Onslow 98-3 (A Thompson 32) by seven wickes.

The 1^st backed up Saturday’s two Twenty20 matches with a 50-over fixture against University at the Petone Recreation Ground. Onslow bowled tightly to restrict University to just 97 with Andy Thompson picking up three wickets and opening bowler Taylor Pentecost conceding just 13 runs from his ten overs.

In reply, Onslow, achieved their target for the loss of three wickets inside 25 overs, moments before the rain set in and earned a valuable bonus point victory. The two wins over University has resulted in Onslow edging further away from the bottom-placed side by nine points and jumping into fourth spot on the competition ladder.

Scott Rasmussen charges in to bowl against University

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 97 all out (S Foley 30, B Parlane 28) tied with  University 97-8 (S Rasmussen 3-14, J Khan 2-26) SUPER OVER - University 7-2 lost to Onslow 8-0

The Senior Men 1^st XI enjoyed two well-earned Twenty20 victories over bottom-placed University and leaders Eastern Suburbs. In their first match against University, Onslow batted first on a ‘sticky wicket’ which made runs hard to come-by for Onslow who were bowled out for just 97.

In reply, Varsity threatened at times but Onslow, led by an excellent bowling and fielding display by Scott Rasmussen managed to hang on for a victory that was not without its tension. Varsity, requiring 10 runs from the final over bowled by Jimad Khan, finished tied with Onslow on 97 which forced an eliminator over scenario.

Both teams nominated one bowler and three batsmen to decide the match. Onslow, won the crucial toss and elected to field first with Rasmussen and wicketkeeper Blair Parlane combining for two run-outs to restrict Varsity to just seven runs from their solitary over. In reply, Onslow achieved the target in four balls with Jimad Khan hitting the winning runs.

Short Scorecard: Onslow 137-6 (J Khan 63) beat Eastern Suburbs 114-9 (J Khan 3-27. D McKeefry 2-14) by 23 runs

Following a short turn-around, Onslow then played competition leaders Eastern Suburbs. Batting first, Onslow improved to score 137-6 with Khan leading the way with 63 from 40 balls, sharing in a 99-run opening partnership with Andy Thompson who made 22. In reply, East’s were bowled out for 114, handing the victory to Onslow – the first time anyone in the current senior team has beaten the eight-time defending champions.

 

Rain prevented any play in this fixture.

 

Rain prevented any play in this fixture.

 

Short Scoreboard: Onslow 153 all out (L Chrisp 38, S Rhodes 35) beat Naenae Old-Boys 134 all out (Chrisp 5-38, S Rasmussen 2-27, J Khan 2-20)  by 19 runs.
 
Player of the Day: Liam Chrisp 

After three one-day losses, Onslow desperately needed a victory and this was achieved with a close win over Naenae at Onslow’s new home for the season, Petone Recreation Ground Number 5.

With a very green and damp wicket, both sides wanted to bowl first and unfortunately Onslow lost the toss and were inserted. Jimad Khan fell early for 2 but Liam Chrisp and Stewart Rhodes produced a very gutsy partnership that saw the score through to 51 for 1 at drinks. Chrisp fell soon after drinks for a well played 38 ending the partnership of 57.

 

Rhodes was then able to up the tempo slightly with a couple of boundaries off ‘free hits’ but when he departed for 35 with the total at 95, the Onslow batsmen started to struggle on the testing wicket.

 

Naenae captain, Shane Battock bowled a very useful spell taking 3 for 26 from his 10 overs. He was well supported by fellow veteran Robbie Bird whose mixture of slow swingers and cutters netted him 4 for 26 from 7.3 over’s. The pair tore the heart out of the Onslow line-up with only number eight, Declan McKeefry able to muster a double digit score (18) from the last seven batsmen.

 

The batting struggle eventually ended in the second last over with Onslow’s total on 153. For the fourth week in a row, the bowler’s knew they would need to produce a solid effort. This was started from just the second ball when Scott Rasmussen induced an inside edge that cannoned into the stumps of the charging Battock. The Naenae batsmen continued their aggressive approach until the introduction of Liam Chrisp in the 11^th over started their slide.

 

Chrisp had the opener, Watson caught at cover and 19 runs later cleaned bowled two batsmen in two balls to reduce Naenae to 48 for 4. This was soon to be 57 for 5 as Ash Russell was bowled by Chrisp. Chrisp was very well supported by Taylor Pentecost who bowled with good accuracy to produce a run rate of just 2.33 from his six overs.

 

The defining moment of the innings was produced with the catch of the season coming from Andy Thompson. First ball after drinks, Jimad Khan bowled a short wide delivery to the dangerous Robbie Bird who smashed it off the back foot into the diving hands of Thompson at point. This was a huge wicket for Onslow and in the next over Chrisp had his fifth wicket when he was given the affirmative to his LBW appeal and Naenae were reduced to 74 for 7.

 

The Naenae number 9 (Perks) came out in an aggressive mode before he was well caught by Blair Parlane off Rasmussen. With no addition to the score, Khan trapped the very dangerous Ronald Karaitiana in front and Naenae seemed dead and buried at 100 for 9.

 

The game was nearly sealed when Khan induced an edge first ball from Michael Cornish only to see Sam Foley drop the tough chance at first slip. Onslow still felt they were safe but Cornish and ex-Onslow man, Asif Mohammad had different ideas and got uncomfortably close to the target with a mixture of nicks, prods and the occasional boundary. Rhodes finally ended the match when Cornish mishit a drive to Khan at cover and a relieved Onslow were victorious by 19 runs.

 

The victory was a very important one for Onslow and lifts them to sixth on the table just one point ahead of seventh place Taita. The coming week does not get any easier for Onslow and they will need further improvement as they take on a very strong Karori side who are sitting second to Eastern Suburbs on the championship table.

 

Short Scoreboard: Onslow 165-9 (N Parlane  47, S Rhodes 23, S Foley 23) lost to Hutt Districts 168-4 (L Chrisp 3 for 21) by 6 wickets.

 
Player of the Day: Neal Parlane

Onslow’s poor start to the season worsened with a comprehensive defeat from defending one-day champions Hutt Districts.

With the first game on a grass wicket at the Hutt Recreation Group, Onslow knew a solid batting performance was needed after two sub-standard efforts so far. Captain, Neal Parlane lost the toss and was inserted on a fairly reasonable wicket. Whilst the pitch was relatively slow it was generally consistent but the outfield was a touch long to make run scoring easy.

 

Openers Liam Chrisp and Sam Foley produced a solid start until Chrisp was unlucky to be given out LBW with the total at 26. Rhodes joined Foley and again a slow and steady partnership developed. When Foley was bowled for a hard worked 23, Parlane joined Rhodes with the total at 58 for 2.

 

After a 28 run partnership, Rhodes fell for 23 and unfortunately for Onslow Jimad Khan and Glynn Howell both fell in quick succession to leave Onslow teetering at 93 for 5. Declan McKeefry joined Parlane and established a 43 run partnership before McKeefry was stumped for 15 during the batting power play. The last few overs saw Onslow trying and establish a competitive target with Parlane finally dismissed for 47 trying to hit out.

 

The Onslow team felt a par total on the wicket was 180-190 so the final tally of 165 was short but certainly defendable.

 

Hutt did have the resources of their Firebirds in ex-Black Caps Matthew Bell and Chris Nevin so their wickets were key. Unfortunately Onslow started in a fairly flat fashion and allowed the Hutt openers to begin the chase in good fashion. It was not until Liam Chrisp joined the attack as the first change into the wind that Onslow made inroads into the Hutt line-up.

 

Firstly, Chrisp bowled Fraser Colson for 13 and then had Chris Nevin brilliantly caught at slip by Parlane for 8. When Matthew Bell followed soon after for 26, Onslow felt they had a huge chance to take the game. Scott Rasmussen then collected wicket number four for the team with Hutt’s total at 81 shortly after drinks.

 

What followed was a solid 87 run partnership between Kieran Lennon and all-rounder Andrew Lamb. The Onslow attack struggled to bowl with any consistency and the fielders once again lacked intensity. Lennon finished the match in the 47^th over by when he lofted Taylor Pentecost down the ground for a boundary to leave himself 64 not out.

 

The start to the season has been extremely disappointing for Onslow with no batsman yet to register a half-century. Partnerships have not developed and wickets have fallen in groups. All these factors have led to sub-par totals that have made defending very difficult to achieve. If Onslow are to kick-start their year, the batsmen have to take ownership of the situation and produce the results that their capabilities require.

 

Next week, Onslow face Naenae Old Boys who have one win from their three matches in what is a must win match for the Onslow team.  

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 105 all out lost to Taita 106-3 by seven wickets

No report available

 

Short Scorecard: Onslow 149 (G Howell 39, A Thompson 25, S Fole 21) lost to Eastern Suburbs 150-3 (J Brodie 68*, S Golder 65*, S Rasmussen 2-25) by seven wickets.

Player of the Day: Glynn Howell

With the first two Saturday’s of the season rained off, Onslow faced the defending Pearce Cup holders, Eastern Suburbs in a 50 over match on the Kilbirnie No. 2 artificial.

 

Onslow fielded two new players for the match in Andy Thompson and Taylor Pentecost. Andy had relocated from Northern Districts where he represented their second eleven and Taylor moved from the Eastern Suburbs club where he couldn’t get an opportunity in their top team.

 

Not only did Onslow field two new players, but they unveiled their new coloured clothing to be worn in the Twenty20 and one day matches this season.

 

Unfortunately these factors did not bring first up success for the Onslow unit. Neal Parlane had broken his finger at training on Thursday so Glynn Howell took over the captaincy, called correctly and elected to bat first. This looked a good decision as openers, Liam Chrisp and Sam Foley provided a steady start before Chrisp struck a leg-stump half volley straight to square leg. This wicket fell with the total at 25 and lead to a not uncommon collapse as firstly Stu Rhodes charged international off-spinner Jeetan Patel only to hit a skied catch to cover then Misty Jones-Middleton was brilliantly caught by wicket-keeper Jeremy Dean and Jimad Khan played across one to be adjudged LBW.

 

From the relative solid start, Onslow had slumped to 46 for 4 and this left Foley and Howell to resurrect the innings. This was never going to be easy as East’s employed a three pronged spin attack with an outfield at Kilbirnie that turned well hit boundary shots into scampered singles. The bowling attack applied the pressure but Foley and Howell negotiated well until drinks with Onslow difficulty placed at 68 for 4.

 

Unfortunately the dreaded drinks wicket came and instead of one it was two. Foley played across a ball from leg-spinner Lance Dry and lobbed a catch to short cover then Declan McKeefry was hit in front first ball from Dry to be out LBW. Onslow were now in desperate trouble at 68 for 6 with 24 over’s still to bat.

 

Blair Parlane joined Howell and a partnership developed but with scoring proving difficult. The pair added 37 for the seventh wicket before Parlane was trapped in front for a useful 16 off 40 deliveries.

 

Andy Thompson was the next man in and produced a valuable innings that boosted the Onslow total. Howell and Thompson put on 30 runs in good time before Howell was caught on the mid-wicket boundary the over before the batting power play was to be taken. Howell’s 39 had come from 78 deliveries and contained only a single boundary.

 

Thompson struck out in the power play hitting Patel for a big six over mid-on before being caught on the boundary for a vital 25 from 27 deliveries.  Scott Rasmussen was last man out in the final over to leave Onslow with what they felt was a defendable total of 149 given the nature of the outfield.

 

Defending a relatively low total always requires early wickets and Rasmussen and Rhodes did not disappoint. Jeremy Dean was caught at point second ball from Rasmussen and soon after he got too much bounce for the East’s number three who could only fend off the bouncer and lob a catch back to the bowler. Rhodes then knocked out the off-stump of David Holt and East’s were in real trouble at 10 for 3. The Onslow team knew that the incoming Scott Golder was a key wicket and this provided to be the case. Golder and Josh Brodie produced an unbroken 140 run partnership scoring 65 and 68 respectively.

 

Golder did give a chance off the bowling of Khan but this was dropped by Foley as the ball lobbed into the sun. This was a crucial time in the game but no other chances were offered by the batsman.

 

The Onslow attack was guilty of bowling both sides of the wicket and offering far too many loose deliveries for the batsmen to attack. With the fielding unit also lacking intensity, it was fairly deflated outfit that walked off the ground in defeat. The Eastern Suburbs team have been the benchmark for the past eight seasons and Onslow’s all round performance was just not up to standard to compete with them.

 

The key factor as always was the loss of the four quick wickets at the top of the Onslow order and from this point, the game was played in ‘catch-up’ mode. East’s deserved their victory and Onslow will need a more disciplined performance in their upcoming matches to kick-start the season.

 

Rain prevented any play in this fixture.

 

Rain prevented any play in this fixture.