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Game II of Season 2007/08
Saturday 19th January 2008
Conditions: Sunny and Hot
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Porirua won by an Innings & 32 Runs
Man of the Match: Sam Denman
Saturday 19th January 2008
Conditions: Sunny and Hot
Toss: Hutt Valley (elected to field)
Result: Porirua won by an Innings & 32 Runs
Man of the Match: Sam Denman
"Another colossal century from Denman allowed Porirua to set attacking fields all day long thereafter. The follow-on was able to be enforced by the barest of margins, and without a similarly dominant innings, the Hutt were always behind in this game."
After the crushing result inflicted in Game I, Porirua and the Hutt Valley converged on the Rosebowl with their psychic energies in very different places. Porirua were cock-a-hoop and ready to wrap up a second glorious victory in as many seasons. The Hutt Valley on the other hand found themselves in the unfamiliar position as rank underdogs, and arrived with a steel in their glare, ready for vengeance. Which side would history show as the winner?
Glory. Vengance. History. It’s Haywards Shield action at its finest.
The controversy and gamesmanship began before the batsmen had even padded up. Calling the fall of the coin, Williams of the HuttValley initially called “tail-heads” - a very confusing call! Common sense prevailed when the coin was re-tossed: a first in Haywards Shield cricket. Williams guessed right the second time around and put Porirua in.
Williams himself bowled the first over to the Porirua captain. Picking up an early maiden proved no problem for Williams – much like in real life! Rose was happy to have seen off the Hutts’ best bowler of the day, and must have let go to his head as he got on strike next over. When Au bowled a peach of a delivery, Rose tried to go the tonk, and the result was never in doubt. Rose bowled for a duck.
This brought Lees to the crease on a very important day for the man they call the ‘Beast’. With his girlfriend Kristen Meagher in attendance, and coming off a pair of ducks, Lees had plenty to prove. The first over he faced, against Waring was solidly blocked out for a maiden. Calls of “dot balls build the pressure!” echoed throughout the Rosebowl as Kristen looked singularly bored with the whole affair.
Sometimes it only takes one over to kickstart an innings into life. Porirua got that key over when Kirker bowled next. Denman mercilessly clobbered everything dished out to him - and with Kirker having major no-ball problems, it produced the most expensive over in the history of the Haywards shield. It went like this: 6(NB), 4, 4(NB), wide, 6, wide, 6, dot ball, wide, dot ball, 6(NB), 6(NB), 6. That’s FIFTY-ONE runs off a single over – a record in all shield cricket. In this over alone, Denman went from being six not out, to reach the half-century mark for the fourth time in his illustrious career.
At the other end, Lees toiled. The Hutt bowlers were landing it in good places, but Lees was determined to put a good show on for his missus – even if her head was buried in a magazine. A high point was when he clobbered his former flatmate Eu-Ving Au over the straight boundary fence for six with a mammoth blow. Wild applause from Kristen followed.
At the other end, Denman was taking full toll of the Hutt bowling. Too slow, too short, too easy for the Denmanator. He had whet his appetite and decided that this was the day to fill his boots. Unfortunately he soon lost both his remaining partners. Lees departed against Kirker for 22 when he skied one to Au at cover. Au is not noted for his ability to catch the ball, but on this occasion he held on to it – grabbing it in his arms like a rugby ball. Spencer lasted two balls before plonking one back to Williams with a caught and bowled dismissal.
So just Denman left. With the sideshows of Rose, Lees and Spencer done with, it was time for the feature performance. Cuts, pulls, sweeps, and drives were all features of Denman’s magnificent third Haywards shield century. He took 25 off Warings’ third over, and with the “no bowled, LBW or hit wicket” powerplay, grabbed 24 from Kirker.
Closing in on his own record, Waring stopped the carnage when Denman spooned one up to Kirker at midwicket. The ball was a filthy full toss – the sort that Denman had dispatched with distain countless times, but this time it was his undoing. Leaving the crease with a wonderful 141 to his name, Denman had provided the backbone for the Porirua tally.
Denman’s innings was spectacular, worth the price of admission alone. With 177 runs in the bank, Porirua would have been fairly satisfied with their ability to defend. Out came Williams and Au to face the music. Rose decided to start the symphony himself, and did it with aplomb. Aside from one big six that was lashed away off a no-ball, Rose had Williams jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof. Off the last ball of the over, Rose put the icing on the cake by securing a fine edge from the Hutt captain, putting the onus back on the rest of the Valley batsmen.
Denman and Lees kept it tight, with only one run coming from their overs combined. Spencer nearly got Poriruas’ second wicket when he fooled Au into a sweep which went wrong. Rose made a good diving effort to his left, but couldn’t quite reach it.
Amends were made when the Porirua skipper bowled to Au next over. Rose was bowling a very tight line and length, offering nothing Au could score runs from. On the final ball of the over, the rubbery foreskin of the shaft of Au’s blade brushed against the ball. After a loud appeal Au was toast.
The Hutt were looking seriously sick and sorry at 2 for not much. What could Waring and Kirker conjure up against the powerful Porirua attack?
With Lees and Denman proving very miserly, and Rose bowling out of his skin, Spencer was an obvious target for the run-starved partnership. 17 runs were put in the bank from him, with a couple of nicely timed sixes the features. But soon, that good work was undone as Rose got his third wicket in his third over. Kirker scooped a smutty shot right back to Rose’s grasp who took a sharp caught and bowled, diving away to his left.
At this point, the Hutt Valley were in danger of not making enough runs to avoid the follow on. Waring was the only man left, and needed plenty to avoid the ignomy. Rose did his best to wrap it up the Hutt’s first dig, but fell short. Denman and Lees battled along with their respective overs, still keeping it very tight but unable to get the dismissal necessary. Spencer came in to bowl with the field up, and Waring must have decided to go for his shots. 22 runs came off the over, and by the end of it the Hutt were only 4 runs short of the follow-on-avoidance-milestone.
It seemed inevitable that Porirua would not get to enforce the follow on, until a heaven-sent fly was swallowed in the field by Denman. Whatever nutrients that fly contained, it should be studied, synthesized, made into a sports drink and marketed to kids. It was just the tonic Denman needed to force Waring into a mistake – second ball of the over, Waring chipped a ball to midwicket and into the hands of Lees who made a tremendous dive forwards to take the wicket. Porirua were jubilant, as they now had the option of enforcing the follow-on.
But would Porirua enforce the follow on? Does a bear shit in the woods?!
Second innings commences, and it was open slather as Porirua closed in on what would be a third shield triumph. Rose and Lees continued to keep an excellent line, but this time it was Denman who wielded the wrecking ball. Facing arch-nemesis Luke Williams for the first time in the game, Denman didn’t muck around with any foreplay – he just bowled Williams and sent him on his way with a minimum of fuss first ball.
Kirker guided a few fours to the square-leg fence, one of which was helped by a misfield from Rose. The Porirua captains’ annoyance with his poor fielding turned to ecstasy when the very next ball Kirker skied an absolute sitter which was happily swallowed. Even though his over went for 24, Spencer proved that sometimes, to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs. With a large lead, Porirua were not as concerned about conceding runs as they were about wrapping up the game as quickly and ruthlessly as possible.
The next wicket came with a modicum of controversy. Denman bowled a full toss to Waring, who got out of the way and left the ball, only to see it clamor into his stumps. The umpire ruled ‘out’, despite Waring protesting that the ball must surely have passed his body at above waist height. Tell your story walking, pal. It’s fair to say it had no bearing on the result – by this stage the Hutt were being well and truly crushed.
One wicket to go. Lees bowled his fourth maiden of the game, keeping it as tight as a ducks’ butt. Au was sticking around, and in Spencer’s second over the Malaysian mauler called for the fielders-off powerplay. It was as useless as a double-ended condom in the grand scheme – 14 runs were scored, but by now the fat lady was well into the chorus. Porirua supporters were dancing in the stands, sipping champagne and chucking high-fives, in anticipation of the final wicket.
It came, as it had to. The obvious man-of-the-match, Sam Denman took his fourth wicket of the day by having Au caught behind for 28. The Porirua players could celebrate back-to-back shield titles for the first time in their history.
Porirua dominated all over the park, and thoroughly deserve their win. Not just in this game, but across the whole series it was men against boys. The Hutt never fired a shot – no Hutt player ever reached fifty in two games, no bowler stamped their authority on the series, and there were some questions over the desire to win of the red-white-and-blues. Porirua, by contrast, had a tremendous team spirit, and whenever the team was in trouble, someone always stood up to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
There will be no third game this year, so this match marks the end of the 2007/08 series. While Porirua will be thrilled by the result, the continual decline of the Hutt Valley brings into question the entire Haywards Shield concept. Both their captain and vice-captain (Kachwalla and Cockburn) didn’t manage to play a single game this season, and have played only one game each in the past two years. The unavailability of key players has become a major issue for organizers, crowds, sponsors, and pay television alike. The lack of celebration after some of the wickets by Porirua hammered home the point that both sides knew in their gut that this match was not a fair fight, and it’s sad in some ways to see the Hutt Valley reduced to the state they find themselves in today – always struggling for players, always being not just beaten, but thrashed. Perhaps the shield needs a revamp? We shall see. As many people have pointed out, you can draw a lot of parallels between this Hutt Valley side, and Porirua in 2004/05. Maybe a new dawn is just around the corner for the men from over the hill.
In the meantime, it has been a pleasure bringing this match to you. Porirua - 2007/08 Haywards Shield Champions!
Glory. Vengance. History. It’s Haywards Shield action at its finest.
The controversy and gamesmanship began before the batsmen had even padded up. Calling the fall of the coin, Williams of the HuttValley initially called “tail-heads” - a very confusing call! Common sense prevailed when the coin was re-tossed: a first in Haywards Shield cricket. Williams guessed right the second time around and put Porirua in.
Williams himself bowled the first over to the Porirua captain. Picking up an early maiden proved no problem for Williams – much like in real life! Rose was happy to have seen off the Hutts’ best bowler of the day, and must have let go to his head as he got on strike next over. When Au bowled a peach of a delivery, Rose tried to go the tonk, and the result was never in doubt. Rose bowled for a duck.
This brought Lees to the crease on a very important day for the man they call the ‘Beast’. With his girlfriend Kristen Meagher in attendance, and coming off a pair of ducks, Lees had plenty to prove. The first over he faced, against Waring was solidly blocked out for a maiden. Calls of “dot balls build the pressure!” echoed throughout the Rosebowl as Kristen looked singularly bored with the whole affair.
Sometimes it only takes one over to kickstart an innings into life. Porirua got that key over when Kirker bowled next. Denman mercilessly clobbered everything dished out to him - and with Kirker having major no-ball problems, it produced the most expensive over in the history of the Haywards shield. It went like this: 6(NB), 4, 4(NB), wide, 6, wide, 6, dot ball, wide, dot ball, 6(NB), 6(NB), 6. That’s FIFTY-ONE runs off a single over – a record in all shield cricket. In this over alone, Denman went from being six not out, to reach the half-century mark for the fourth time in his illustrious career.
At the other end, Lees toiled. The Hutt bowlers were landing it in good places, but Lees was determined to put a good show on for his missus – even if her head was buried in a magazine. A high point was when he clobbered his former flatmate Eu-Ving Au over the straight boundary fence for six with a mammoth blow. Wild applause from Kristen followed.
At the other end, Denman was taking full toll of the Hutt bowling. Too slow, too short, too easy for the Denmanator. He had whet his appetite and decided that this was the day to fill his boots. Unfortunately he soon lost both his remaining partners. Lees departed against Kirker for 22 when he skied one to Au at cover. Au is not noted for his ability to catch the ball, but on this occasion he held on to it – grabbing it in his arms like a rugby ball. Spencer lasted two balls before plonking one back to Williams with a caught and bowled dismissal.
So just Denman left. With the sideshows of Rose, Lees and Spencer done with, it was time for the feature performance. Cuts, pulls, sweeps, and drives were all features of Denman’s magnificent third Haywards shield century. He took 25 off Warings’ third over, and with the “no bowled, LBW or hit wicket” powerplay, grabbed 24 from Kirker.
Closing in on his own record, Waring stopped the carnage when Denman spooned one up to Kirker at midwicket. The ball was a filthy full toss – the sort that Denman had dispatched with distain countless times, but this time it was his undoing. Leaving the crease with a wonderful 141 to his name, Denman had provided the backbone for the Porirua tally.
Denman’s innings was spectacular, worth the price of admission alone. With 177 runs in the bank, Porirua would have been fairly satisfied with their ability to defend. Out came Williams and Au to face the music. Rose decided to start the symphony himself, and did it with aplomb. Aside from one big six that was lashed away off a no-ball, Rose had Williams jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof. Off the last ball of the over, Rose put the icing on the cake by securing a fine edge from the Hutt captain, putting the onus back on the rest of the Valley batsmen.
Denman and Lees kept it tight, with only one run coming from their overs combined. Spencer nearly got Poriruas’ second wicket when he fooled Au into a sweep which went wrong. Rose made a good diving effort to his left, but couldn’t quite reach it.
Amends were made when the Porirua skipper bowled to Au next over. Rose was bowling a very tight line and length, offering nothing Au could score runs from. On the final ball of the over, the rubbery foreskin of the shaft of Au’s blade brushed against the ball. After a loud appeal Au was toast.
The Hutt were looking seriously sick and sorry at 2 for not much. What could Waring and Kirker conjure up against the powerful Porirua attack?
With Lees and Denman proving very miserly, and Rose bowling out of his skin, Spencer was an obvious target for the run-starved partnership. 17 runs were put in the bank from him, with a couple of nicely timed sixes the features. But soon, that good work was undone as Rose got his third wicket in his third over. Kirker scooped a smutty shot right back to Rose’s grasp who took a sharp caught and bowled, diving away to his left.
At this point, the Hutt Valley were in danger of not making enough runs to avoid the follow on. Waring was the only man left, and needed plenty to avoid the ignomy. Rose did his best to wrap it up the Hutt’s first dig, but fell short. Denman and Lees battled along with their respective overs, still keeping it very tight but unable to get the dismissal necessary. Spencer came in to bowl with the field up, and Waring must have decided to go for his shots. 22 runs came off the over, and by the end of it the Hutt were only 4 runs short of the follow-on-avoidance-milestone.
It seemed inevitable that Porirua would not get to enforce the follow on, until a heaven-sent fly was swallowed in the field by Denman. Whatever nutrients that fly contained, it should be studied, synthesized, made into a sports drink and marketed to kids. It was just the tonic Denman needed to force Waring into a mistake – second ball of the over, Waring chipped a ball to midwicket and into the hands of Lees who made a tremendous dive forwards to take the wicket. Porirua were jubilant, as they now had the option of enforcing the follow-on.
But would Porirua enforce the follow on? Does a bear shit in the woods?!
Second innings commences, and it was open slather as Porirua closed in on what would be a third shield triumph. Rose and Lees continued to keep an excellent line, but this time it was Denman who wielded the wrecking ball. Facing arch-nemesis Luke Williams for the first time in the game, Denman didn’t muck around with any foreplay – he just bowled Williams and sent him on his way with a minimum of fuss first ball.
Kirker guided a few fours to the square-leg fence, one of which was helped by a misfield from Rose. The Porirua captains’ annoyance with his poor fielding turned to ecstasy when the very next ball Kirker skied an absolute sitter which was happily swallowed. Even though his over went for 24, Spencer proved that sometimes, to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs. With a large lead, Porirua were not as concerned about conceding runs as they were about wrapping up the game as quickly and ruthlessly as possible.
The next wicket came with a modicum of controversy. Denman bowled a full toss to Waring, who got out of the way and left the ball, only to see it clamor into his stumps. The umpire ruled ‘out’, despite Waring protesting that the ball must surely have passed his body at above waist height. Tell your story walking, pal. It’s fair to say it had no bearing on the result – by this stage the Hutt were being well and truly crushed.
One wicket to go. Lees bowled his fourth maiden of the game, keeping it as tight as a ducks’ butt. Au was sticking around, and in Spencer’s second over the Malaysian mauler called for the fielders-off powerplay. It was as useless as a double-ended condom in the grand scheme – 14 runs were scored, but by now the fat lady was well into the chorus. Porirua supporters were dancing in the stands, sipping champagne and chucking high-fives, in anticipation of the final wicket.
It came, as it had to. The obvious man-of-the-match, Sam Denman took his fourth wicket of the day by having Au caught behind for 28. The Porirua players could celebrate back-to-back shield titles for the first time in their history.
Porirua dominated all over the park, and thoroughly deserve their win. Not just in this game, but across the whole series it was men against boys. The Hutt never fired a shot – no Hutt player ever reached fifty in two games, no bowler stamped their authority on the series, and there were some questions over the desire to win of the red-white-and-blues. Porirua, by contrast, had a tremendous team spirit, and whenever the team was in trouble, someone always stood up to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
There will be no third game this year, so this match marks the end of the 2007/08 series. While Porirua will be thrilled by the result, the continual decline of the Hutt Valley brings into question the entire Haywards Shield concept. Both their captain and vice-captain (Kachwalla and Cockburn) didn’t manage to play a single game this season, and have played only one game each in the past two years. The unavailability of key players has become a major issue for organizers, crowds, sponsors, and pay television alike. The lack of celebration after some of the wickets by Porirua hammered home the point that both sides knew in their gut that this match was not a fair fight, and it’s sad in some ways to see the Hutt Valley reduced to the state they find themselves in today – always struggling for players, always being not just beaten, but thrashed. Perhaps the shield needs a revamp? We shall see. As many people have pointed out, you can draw a lot of parallels between this Hutt Valley side, and Porirua in 2004/05. Maybe a new dawn is just around the corner for the men from over the hill.
In the meantime, it has been a pleasure bringing this match to you. Porirua - 2007/08 Haywards Shield Champions!
