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Game I of Season 2007/08
Saturday 22nd December 2007
Conditions: Warm & Partly Cloudy
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Porirua won by 143 Runs
Man of the Match: Ryan Harper
Saturday 22nd December 2007
Conditions: Warm & Partly Cloudy
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Porirua won by 143 Runs
Man of the Match: Ryan Harper
"Had it not been for Harper and McHugh, Porirua could very well have lost this game. Harper's patient ton in the second innings laid the platform for one of the most memorable bowling spells in history from McHugh, as Porirua claimed a victory which was tougher than the margin may suggest."
The start of this summer marks the fifth season of Haywards Shield cricket. Five-year milestones like this don’t come around often; in fact, in most sports around the world they don’t come more than twice in a decade.
What will the year serve up? Landmarks like these provide extra spice to a contest. Add some ‘meat’ in the form of Lees, and a ‘carrot’ with McHugh. Sprinkle in a little ‘unknown quantity’ with Harper on debut, and drop in a ‘spud’ prepared by Au. Finally, get Williams to ‘whip’ it all up and it is bound to make for a heady soup of cricketing action. Welcome to 2007/08.
Not since 2003/04 had a pitch looked as dry and firm as the strip prepared for this match. The outfield looked fast and the wicket a beauty for both bat and ball.
When Torrance called ‘heads’ and elected to bowl, Lees and Rose would have been licking their chops in anticipation of barring up to the Hutt attack on this day, with memories of their victory in last summers’ series still fresh.
Torrance took it upon himself to take up the challenge of knocking the top off the Porirua batting order. Bowling fast and accurately, he first got one to sharply duck back in to Lees to destroy the stumps – and then removed the run-scoring machine Sam Denman for a second-ball duck when he thickly edged one straight into the board. To say Porirua were stunned would be putting it mildly! The Hutt had just removed the blue and golds’ two most accomplished bats before the contest had even begun in earnest.
And with Au bowling, it was a case of ‘out of the frying pan and into the wok’ as Rose was surrendered his own wicket soon afterward. Half-playing a wide long hop on the offside from Au, he succeeded only in edging it and leaving for just one run to his name. At 11-3, the game had all the makings of being a red-letter day for the men from across the hill. It would be down to McHugh and Harper to rescue the situation and provide a modicum of respectability to the Porirua tally.
No-one really knew what Harper was capable of, but in the first over of that Waring bowled we soon found out. Two sixes and two fours kicked the blue and gold total into gear at long last.
McHugh was also keen to get amongst the runs. And together, the two formed a very classy combo. Torrance in particular was looking threatening, and his next over was seen off for a maiden. Runs from all the other bowlers came with seeming consummate ease – 18 runs from Au and 18 from Waring in their second overs. However, McHugh was given a life when dropped by Torrance at midwicket.
Christophers was the man who brought the McHugh and Harper juggernaut to a shuddering halt. McHugh, who was looking to attack, sent one straight to Au at square leg to depart for 35. Harper made for the second victim of the Christophers onslaught as he simply missed a straight one that kept low – his tally, an impressive 66 out of a Porirua total of 111.
In pursuit of this modest target, the Hutt opened with Williams and Au and hoed into the runs right from the get-go. Denman bowling against his nemesis Luke Williams first sent down a massive full toss that missed the backboard on the full! The next two were punished for six and four by the belligerent pocket-rocket they call “Big Willy”. He was certainly giving a lesson in ballsy shots as he hit massive strokes to the onside with power and panache in equal doses.
McHugh was the man who sent Williams on his way back to the pavilion when Williams could only edge one behind to his bowling.
Au was proving more difficult to dislodge than his record might have suggested. To say he was dominating would be overstating things, but he was staying at the crease and scoring runs! Sledges to Au from Lees, Rose and Denman rang a little hollow given their own lack of exploits with the blade.
Although Au was in a mood to stick around, Lees was in no mood to let it happen when he singularly removed his flatmate of two years by bowling him. Still, his 21 runs were a bonus to the Hutt cause. What could the rest of the lineup conjure up?
After a couple of overs where Christophers blocked and left to good effect, the new man Waring came on strike to face McHugh. Showing an appetite for a challenge, he proceeded to begin a three course meal against the fiery pace of the man they call Jase. For an entrée, a four. For the main course, another four. And for dessert… you guessed it, four more. It was all well and good in the Hutt camp until McHugh reminded the red-white-and-blues that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The bill was duly delivered as Waring sent one high up into the wild blue yonder, and under it was Harper as it came down from the clouds. Three down, and the Hutt still yet to pass Porirua’s 111.
Torrance was the next man in, and Rose of all people knew the importance of nabbing him early, given the damage the blond fluffy-haired tyro was capable of inflicting. Rose directed Denman to try and get the breakthrough, but couldn’t. Nor could McHugh, despite some very close calls with the ball beating the bat. Rose himself was finally forced to bowl, and his very first delivery was sent byTorrance straight in the Denman direction. Denman did not have to take a step either way as the ball zeroed in on him and straight into his gleeful clutches. If Denman was in the doghouse before, due to his costly first innings dismissal for zero, he would have been barking with joy after Torrance departed for just 16.
Denman further proved himself to be a ‘good boy’ when he ‘un-LEASH-ed’ the ball that ended the Hutt innings by skittling the stoic Christophers.
The game was on a knife-edge. At the innings break, the Hutt was just 4 runs ahead… nothing in the grand scheme of things. With the match so delicately poised, Porirua and the Hutt both knew they still had their work cut out for them as the sun shone hotter, and Porirua commenced their second dig.
Torrance was seen off by Rose for a maiden, leaving Lees to face Williams. Unfortunately for Lees, Williams forced him into chipping one to short square leg where Christophers was waiting. Lees had himself a pair of ducks, becoming just the third player to suffer this ignomy (after Spencer and Rose).
Denman was keen not the become the fourth. He belted a six from the second ball he faced, making his intentions clear. But it was Waring who brought an abrupt end to Denmans’ tilt. Giving up a rather obvious caught behind, Denman was frogmarched from the crease.
Rose made it a trifecta of double-failure from the top three Porirua batsmen. He hit three fours all to square-leg/fine-leg before being asked to see out another Torrance over. He survived for five balls before again half-playing at a wide one to depart for 12. Deja vu - it would be once more up to McHugh and Harper to save the day.
McHugh was again dropped by the Hutt, as he offered up a difficult chance to Au at forward point. Why is it that the ball always seems to follow Au about? It looked at first as though Au had just pulled off the greatest catch in the history of the shield with a valient dive to his left, but falling to the ground it slipped out. Luckily for the Hutt it didn’t prove awfully costly as Christophers took his second catch of the innings.
Harper was the only Porirua batsmen left, and a defendable total was still a long way off. Sometimes in these situations, the pressure can get to a player. It can prove all too much for even the broadest shoulders to carry the hopes of an entire city in the pressure cooker of the Rosebowl.
But not today.
Harper set about his work with a glint in his eye and a bat in his hand. He looked to score in every possible manner – playing both the huge hooks, the massive slaps over cover, the sublime straight drives… and even the quick single, usually so rare in shield cricket.
His main targets of the big shots were Au, Waring and Christophers. From Christophers he hit 25 runs the first time he faced him, and 27 in his second over including an unbelievable reverse slog sweep over backward point for six to send a clear message to one and all. Harper was booking a one-way ticket to the century club.
One of the lighter moments of the day came in Au’s third over. Off his own bowling, Au tried to field the ball and run Harper out, but succeeded only in pollaxing himself as he ran straight into the corrugated iron auto-wickie board at full pelt.
This cricket writer does not commonly stoop to the level of pun, but this is too good to pass up… “Au by name, ‘Ow’ by nature”
Au had another moment that is worthy of note. With Torrance looking dangerous, Porirua called the “no bowled, LBW or hit wicket” powerplay in his third over. Torrance duly knocked over Harpers’ stumps, which of course was not out. But that didn’t stop Au from jumping out of skin with a wild celebration, until someone reminded him of the circumstances.
Harper brought up the ton with a sweetly timed four to midwicket. All of Porirua stood as one to applaud his marvelous innings. He was looking in superlative touch and hoping to press on. How many more would this man have to his name before the day was out?
It was Au who undid him with an offcutter that saw Harper out caught behind. To rapturous applause, he left the ground with a job well done – 116 runs to his name.
Porirua had amassed 170, meaning Hutt Valley would require 165 runs to pull off the win. Not impossible, and with Williams andTorrance both experienced centurions it would be fair to expect the Hutt to have liked their chances.
Porirua must also have felt confident. Prior to the start of the bowling effort, Rose implored his charges for disciplined bowling and energy in the field to restrict the Hutt Valley. Finishing the huddle with a “1-2-3 … Porirua!”, the blue and golds were raring to go, and it was all on for young and old.
Denman opened the attack against Williams, conceding only two runs. Harper was given the opportunity for quick revenge against Au but couldn’t find a way through the Malaysian Maulers’ defenses. The opening pair of Williams and Au were proving stubborn, but scoring only time at the crease – not runs in any great quantity until Williams finally got cranking when McHugh bowled to him. Grabbing a six and a clever four.
Unbeknown to the Hutt, those two boundaries would prove to be the only times they would find the rope in the rest of the entire innings. McHugh laughed last in the over in the over as he grabbed the scalp of Williams with a snick, sparking the Porirua players into a frenzied group embrace. One down, four to go. Porirua had a sniff.
Lees and Rose both bowled maidens as Christophers again stonewalled at the crease. For a man who is trying to make a living out of running professionally, he didn’t seem too interested in anything of the sort with the willow in his paws. Denman put him out of his misery, producing a super delivery to send the timber flailing.
Rose called on McHugh to carry on where he left off. What followed will surely become the stuff of legend. Bowling over the wicket, McHugh cut out the middlemen and fire out the remaining Hutt batsmen in the most amazing manner possible.
Torrance – BOWLED. Au – BOWLED. Waring – BOWLED. And just like that, the match was over with Porirua 143 runs in the black. Words do not do justice to the ferocity of McHughs magnificent bowling in this spell, which, including the last ball of his first over, involved four dismissals in six balls!
You can argue until you’re blue in the face that cricket is a team game, but on this day it was the twin titans of Harper and McHugh that catapulted Porirua to their latest triumph. Never before has a player scored 100 on debut, and never before has a player taken four wickets in an innings, or six in a match.
Trying to select a man of the match out of these two is like a priests’ dick around a group of alter boys… very hard. But on a day where everyone struggled to make runs, Harper was the difference between the two sides. Apart from Harper, both batting lineups failed dismally and it was Harpers’ runs that proved crucial in the wash-up. Being a marquis player based overseas, Porirua will be unlikely to be able to rely much on this mans’ talents in the rest of the series or in future years, but what a performance. His and McHughs’ record-breaking deeds have given Porirua a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, a fact all the more remarkable when you consider the horrendous start to the day that Porirua suffered. Together, McHugh and Harper dragged Porirua out of the muck, and onto the winners’ dais.
Will the Hutt hit back? Join us when Game II revs into gear very soon.
What will the year serve up? Landmarks like these provide extra spice to a contest. Add some ‘meat’ in the form of Lees, and a ‘carrot’ with McHugh. Sprinkle in a little ‘unknown quantity’ with Harper on debut, and drop in a ‘spud’ prepared by Au. Finally, get Williams to ‘whip’ it all up and it is bound to make for a heady soup of cricketing action. Welcome to 2007/08.
Not since 2003/04 had a pitch looked as dry and firm as the strip prepared for this match. The outfield looked fast and the wicket a beauty for both bat and ball.
When Torrance called ‘heads’ and elected to bowl, Lees and Rose would have been licking their chops in anticipation of barring up to the Hutt attack on this day, with memories of their victory in last summers’ series still fresh.
Torrance took it upon himself to take up the challenge of knocking the top off the Porirua batting order. Bowling fast and accurately, he first got one to sharply duck back in to Lees to destroy the stumps – and then removed the run-scoring machine Sam Denman for a second-ball duck when he thickly edged one straight into the board. To say Porirua were stunned would be putting it mildly! The Hutt had just removed the blue and golds’ two most accomplished bats before the contest had even begun in earnest.
And with Au bowling, it was a case of ‘out of the frying pan and into the wok’ as Rose was surrendered his own wicket soon afterward. Half-playing a wide long hop on the offside from Au, he succeeded only in edging it and leaving for just one run to his name. At 11-3, the game had all the makings of being a red-letter day for the men from across the hill. It would be down to McHugh and Harper to rescue the situation and provide a modicum of respectability to the Porirua tally.
No-one really knew what Harper was capable of, but in the first over of that Waring bowled we soon found out. Two sixes and two fours kicked the blue and gold total into gear at long last.
McHugh was also keen to get amongst the runs. And together, the two formed a very classy combo. Torrance in particular was looking threatening, and his next over was seen off for a maiden. Runs from all the other bowlers came with seeming consummate ease – 18 runs from Au and 18 from Waring in their second overs. However, McHugh was given a life when dropped by Torrance at midwicket.
Christophers was the man who brought the McHugh and Harper juggernaut to a shuddering halt. McHugh, who was looking to attack, sent one straight to Au at square leg to depart for 35. Harper made for the second victim of the Christophers onslaught as he simply missed a straight one that kept low – his tally, an impressive 66 out of a Porirua total of 111.
In pursuit of this modest target, the Hutt opened with Williams and Au and hoed into the runs right from the get-go. Denman bowling against his nemesis Luke Williams first sent down a massive full toss that missed the backboard on the full! The next two were punished for six and four by the belligerent pocket-rocket they call “Big Willy”. He was certainly giving a lesson in ballsy shots as he hit massive strokes to the onside with power and panache in equal doses.
McHugh was the man who sent Williams on his way back to the pavilion when Williams could only edge one behind to his bowling.
Au was proving more difficult to dislodge than his record might have suggested. To say he was dominating would be overstating things, but he was staying at the crease and scoring runs! Sledges to Au from Lees, Rose and Denman rang a little hollow given their own lack of exploits with the blade.
Although Au was in a mood to stick around, Lees was in no mood to let it happen when he singularly removed his flatmate of two years by bowling him. Still, his 21 runs were a bonus to the Hutt cause. What could the rest of the lineup conjure up?
After a couple of overs where Christophers blocked and left to good effect, the new man Waring came on strike to face McHugh. Showing an appetite for a challenge, he proceeded to begin a three course meal against the fiery pace of the man they call Jase. For an entrée, a four. For the main course, another four. And for dessert… you guessed it, four more. It was all well and good in the Hutt camp until McHugh reminded the red-white-and-blues that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The bill was duly delivered as Waring sent one high up into the wild blue yonder, and under it was Harper as it came down from the clouds. Three down, and the Hutt still yet to pass Porirua’s 111.
Torrance was the next man in, and Rose of all people knew the importance of nabbing him early, given the damage the blond fluffy-haired tyro was capable of inflicting. Rose directed Denman to try and get the breakthrough, but couldn’t. Nor could McHugh, despite some very close calls with the ball beating the bat. Rose himself was finally forced to bowl, and his very first delivery was sent byTorrance straight in the Denman direction. Denman did not have to take a step either way as the ball zeroed in on him and straight into his gleeful clutches. If Denman was in the doghouse before, due to his costly first innings dismissal for zero, he would have been barking with joy after Torrance departed for just 16.
Denman further proved himself to be a ‘good boy’ when he ‘un-LEASH-ed’ the ball that ended the Hutt innings by skittling the stoic Christophers.
The game was on a knife-edge. At the innings break, the Hutt was just 4 runs ahead… nothing in the grand scheme of things. With the match so delicately poised, Porirua and the Hutt both knew they still had their work cut out for them as the sun shone hotter, and Porirua commenced their second dig.
Torrance was seen off by Rose for a maiden, leaving Lees to face Williams. Unfortunately for Lees, Williams forced him into chipping one to short square leg where Christophers was waiting. Lees had himself a pair of ducks, becoming just the third player to suffer this ignomy (after Spencer and Rose).
Denman was keen not the become the fourth. He belted a six from the second ball he faced, making his intentions clear. But it was Waring who brought an abrupt end to Denmans’ tilt. Giving up a rather obvious caught behind, Denman was frogmarched from the crease.
Rose made it a trifecta of double-failure from the top three Porirua batsmen. He hit three fours all to square-leg/fine-leg before being asked to see out another Torrance over. He survived for five balls before again half-playing at a wide one to depart for 12. Deja vu - it would be once more up to McHugh and Harper to save the day.
McHugh was again dropped by the Hutt, as he offered up a difficult chance to Au at forward point. Why is it that the ball always seems to follow Au about? It looked at first as though Au had just pulled off the greatest catch in the history of the shield with a valient dive to his left, but falling to the ground it slipped out. Luckily for the Hutt it didn’t prove awfully costly as Christophers took his second catch of the innings.
Harper was the only Porirua batsmen left, and a defendable total was still a long way off. Sometimes in these situations, the pressure can get to a player. It can prove all too much for even the broadest shoulders to carry the hopes of an entire city in the pressure cooker of the Rosebowl.
But not today.
Harper set about his work with a glint in his eye and a bat in his hand. He looked to score in every possible manner – playing both the huge hooks, the massive slaps over cover, the sublime straight drives… and even the quick single, usually so rare in shield cricket.
His main targets of the big shots were Au, Waring and Christophers. From Christophers he hit 25 runs the first time he faced him, and 27 in his second over including an unbelievable reverse slog sweep over backward point for six to send a clear message to one and all. Harper was booking a one-way ticket to the century club.
One of the lighter moments of the day came in Au’s third over. Off his own bowling, Au tried to field the ball and run Harper out, but succeeded only in pollaxing himself as he ran straight into the corrugated iron auto-wickie board at full pelt.
This cricket writer does not commonly stoop to the level of pun, but this is too good to pass up… “Au by name, ‘Ow’ by nature”
Au had another moment that is worthy of note. With Torrance looking dangerous, Porirua called the “no bowled, LBW or hit wicket” powerplay in his third over. Torrance duly knocked over Harpers’ stumps, which of course was not out. But that didn’t stop Au from jumping out of skin with a wild celebration, until someone reminded him of the circumstances.
Harper brought up the ton with a sweetly timed four to midwicket. All of Porirua stood as one to applaud his marvelous innings. He was looking in superlative touch and hoping to press on. How many more would this man have to his name before the day was out?
It was Au who undid him with an offcutter that saw Harper out caught behind. To rapturous applause, he left the ground with a job well done – 116 runs to his name.
Porirua had amassed 170, meaning Hutt Valley would require 165 runs to pull off the win. Not impossible, and with Williams andTorrance both experienced centurions it would be fair to expect the Hutt to have liked their chances.
Porirua must also have felt confident. Prior to the start of the bowling effort, Rose implored his charges for disciplined bowling and energy in the field to restrict the Hutt Valley. Finishing the huddle with a “1-2-3 … Porirua!”, the blue and golds were raring to go, and it was all on for young and old.
Denman opened the attack against Williams, conceding only two runs. Harper was given the opportunity for quick revenge against Au but couldn’t find a way through the Malaysian Maulers’ defenses. The opening pair of Williams and Au were proving stubborn, but scoring only time at the crease – not runs in any great quantity until Williams finally got cranking when McHugh bowled to him. Grabbing a six and a clever four.
Unbeknown to the Hutt, those two boundaries would prove to be the only times they would find the rope in the rest of the entire innings. McHugh laughed last in the over in the over as he grabbed the scalp of Williams with a snick, sparking the Porirua players into a frenzied group embrace. One down, four to go. Porirua had a sniff.
Lees and Rose both bowled maidens as Christophers again stonewalled at the crease. For a man who is trying to make a living out of running professionally, he didn’t seem too interested in anything of the sort with the willow in his paws. Denman put him out of his misery, producing a super delivery to send the timber flailing.
Rose called on McHugh to carry on where he left off. What followed will surely become the stuff of legend. Bowling over the wicket, McHugh cut out the middlemen and fire out the remaining Hutt batsmen in the most amazing manner possible.
Torrance – BOWLED. Au – BOWLED. Waring – BOWLED. And just like that, the match was over with Porirua 143 runs in the black. Words do not do justice to the ferocity of McHughs magnificent bowling in this spell, which, including the last ball of his first over, involved four dismissals in six balls!
You can argue until you’re blue in the face that cricket is a team game, but on this day it was the twin titans of Harper and McHugh that catapulted Porirua to their latest triumph. Never before has a player scored 100 on debut, and never before has a player taken four wickets in an innings, or six in a match.
Trying to select a man of the match out of these two is like a priests’ dick around a group of alter boys… very hard. But on a day where everyone struggled to make runs, Harper was the difference between the two sides. Apart from Harper, both batting lineups failed dismally and it was Harpers’ runs that proved crucial in the wash-up. Being a marquis player based overseas, Porirua will be unlikely to be able to rely much on this mans’ talents in the rest of the series or in future years, but what a performance. His and McHughs’ record-breaking deeds have given Porirua a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, a fact all the more remarkable when you consider the horrendous start to the day that Porirua suffered. Together, McHugh and Harper dragged Porirua out of the muck, and onto the winners’ dais.
Will the Hutt hit back? Join us when Game II revs into gear very soon.
