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Game II of Season 2004/05
Saturday 8th January 2005
Conditions: Torrential Rain
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Hutt Valley won by an Innings & 45 Runs
Man of the Match: Andrew Torrance
Saturday 8th January 2005
Conditions: Torrential Rain
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Hutt Valley won by an Innings & 45 Runs
Man of the Match: Andrew Torrance
"Persistent, pouring rain made the ground sodden and filled the ditch with deep water - conditions which suited no-one but Torrance, who defied the weather gods and made a century while others sploshed around helplessly."
It almost didn't happen at all. Some were calling for the game to be abandoned before play even began. The weather forecast proved completely wrong - instead of a few light showers we had heavy rain and severe flooding as this deplorable summer we're having continues to reach new lows.
But although play was delayed by several hours, the game went ahead with 2 innings instead of 3.
Porirua lost it's 5th successive toss - a statistical improbability - and was sent into bat with Nathan Rose opening alongside Mike Lees. They saw off the new ball with assurance, playing straight and confidently to the dangerous duo of Kachwalla and Torrance. It was Au who got the breakthrough when Rose attempted a full-blooded pull off a long-hop. Rose missed the cream pie on offer and the ball tricked into the stumps to dismiss him for 6.
Once the rot set in, there was no stopping the Hutt from dismantling the remainer of the batsmen. Kachwalla had a confident appeal for caught behind turned down (after much debate), but was soon McHugh was on his way anyway when Torrance found the edge. Hammington, on debut, suffered the same fate - removed by Torrance for a duck in the same over. Lees didn't last too long on his own - he was bowled by Cockburn for 8 (the highest score in this innings).
With only 27 runs on the board, it seemed like a case of deja vu all over again as Porirua had again slumped to have no batsman make double figures.
If Porirua had their heads down, their spirits were immediately lifted when McHugh opened the attack and felled Kachwalla with the very first ball of the innings - the first time that this feat has been achieved in the Shield. A rank wide full-toss was caught behind to send the Hutt skipper on his way for his first ever duck.
After conceding a couple of boundaries, McHugh also managed to snare Cockburn in his opening over with a clean bowl for 4. Eu-Ving Au looked good at the crease, but he too fell cheaply - Rose getting this man for the 5th time in the Shield. It looked like Porirua may only face a small first innings deficit with 3 batsmen dismissed for 0, 4 and 6.
But as has become a trademark of the Hutt Valley team, one of their players rose to the occasion. Watching the destruction at the other end was Andrew Torrance. Today was his day. His day to shine. His day to create his own history.
It was awesome, amazing, excellent, brilliant, sensational, wonderful, powerful, impressive, terrific, marvellous, massive, outstanding, audacious, ominous, beautiful, ingenious, strong, exceptional, unbelievable and extraordinary. But superlatives don't do justice to his knock of 113 not out. He simply MURDERED the attack all over the ground - losing the ball in deep puddles and long grasses further frustrated Porirua. Eventually it was Torrance himself who brought the slaughter to a halt - for the first time in the Shield, Hutt Valley decided to declare.
Porirua trailed by more than 100 runs on the first innings - they would need close to a record total just to make the Hutt bat again. Again Lees and Rose began well - Lees fluent in attack and Rose stoic in defence. One of the lighter moments of the day occured when Rose hit the ball towards the fence, and when setting off to run he slipped in the sawdust and went sprawling on the ground. Scrambling to his feet in fear of being run out caused quite a ruckus.
As if Torrance hadn't done enough with the bat, he also grabbed both of the openers caught behind - taking 4/7 for the day to go with his century makes this the greatest individual performance in the history of the Haywards Shield. Hammington grabbed his first Shield runs before Au cleaned up his stumps, and McHugh knocked 14 before Kachwalla removed the last forlorn Porirua hope. All out for 57 - a humiliating loss by an innings and 45 runs means the Shield crosses the Haywards Hill for the first time.
But if it's any consolation for Porirua, they were beaten by something special today. Many people remember the 1981 Ashes Series as "Bothams' Ashes".
Let 2004/05 be remembered as "Torrances' Shield".
But although play was delayed by several hours, the game went ahead with 2 innings instead of 3.
Porirua lost it's 5th successive toss - a statistical improbability - and was sent into bat with Nathan Rose opening alongside Mike Lees. They saw off the new ball with assurance, playing straight and confidently to the dangerous duo of Kachwalla and Torrance. It was Au who got the breakthrough when Rose attempted a full-blooded pull off a long-hop. Rose missed the cream pie on offer and the ball tricked into the stumps to dismiss him for 6.
Once the rot set in, there was no stopping the Hutt from dismantling the remainer of the batsmen. Kachwalla had a confident appeal for caught behind turned down (after much debate), but was soon McHugh was on his way anyway when Torrance found the edge. Hammington, on debut, suffered the same fate - removed by Torrance for a duck in the same over. Lees didn't last too long on his own - he was bowled by Cockburn for 8 (the highest score in this innings).
With only 27 runs on the board, it seemed like a case of deja vu all over again as Porirua had again slumped to have no batsman make double figures.
If Porirua had their heads down, their spirits were immediately lifted when McHugh opened the attack and felled Kachwalla with the very first ball of the innings - the first time that this feat has been achieved in the Shield. A rank wide full-toss was caught behind to send the Hutt skipper on his way for his first ever duck.
After conceding a couple of boundaries, McHugh also managed to snare Cockburn in his opening over with a clean bowl for 4. Eu-Ving Au looked good at the crease, but he too fell cheaply - Rose getting this man for the 5th time in the Shield. It looked like Porirua may only face a small first innings deficit with 3 batsmen dismissed for 0, 4 and 6.
But as has become a trademark of the Hutt Valley team, one of their players rose to the occasion. Watching the destruction at the other end was Andrew Torrance. Today was his day. His day to shine. His day to create his own history.
It was awesome, amazing, excellent, brilliant, sensational, wonderful, powerful, impressive, terrific, marvellous, massive, outstanding, audacious, ominous, beautiful, ingenious, strong, exceptional, unbelievable and extraordinary. But superlatives don't do justice to his knock of 113 not out. He simply MURDERED the attack all over the ground - losing the ball in deep puddles and long grasses further frustrated Porirua. Eventually it was Torrance himself who brought the slaughter to a halt - for the first time in the Shield, Hutt Valley decided to declare.
Porirua trailed by more than 100 runs on the first innings - they would need close to a record total just to make the Hutt bat again. Again Lees and Rose began well - Lees fluent in attack and Rose stoic in defence. One of the lighter moments of the day occured when Rose hit the ball towards the fence, and when setting off to run he slipped in the sawdust and went sprawling on the ground. Scrambling to his feet in fear of being run out caused quite a ruckus.
As if Torrance hadn't done enough with the bat, he also grabbed both of the openers caught behind - taking 4/7 for the day to go with his century makes this the greatest individual performance in the history of the Haywards Shield. Hammington grabbed his first Shield runs before Au cleaned up his stumps, and McHugh knocked 14 before Kachwalla removed the last forlorn Porirua hope. All out for 57 - a humiliating loss by an innings and 45 runs means the Shield crosses the Haywards Hill for the first time.
But if it's any consolation for Porirua, they were beaten by something special today. Many people remember the 1981 Ashes Series as "Bothams' Ashes".
Let 2004/05 be remembered as "Torrances' Shield".
