Steve McMorran
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21st Match: Wellington v Canterbury at Wellington, 18 Jan 2002 Steve McMorran |
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Wellington innings:
Canterbury innings: Pre-game: |
The slow progress Wellington made to that point left them needing more than a run a ball through the last 15 overs of their innings to overtake what had seemed a moderate Canterbury total.
They lost Chris Nevin early, for two when they were 14, and were only 18-1 after 10 overs. The further loss of Richard Jones for 14, David Sales for 27 and Matthew Bell for 45 left them with a much larger task than they had anticipated.
Wellington were contained at first by Chris Martin, who bowled his first over of six spells at a cost of only three runs, and later by Aaron Redmond, Carl Anderson and Darron Reekers, who bowled through the middle of the innings.
Bell's partnership with Sales, which added 61 runs for the third wicket, offered Wellington some hope of preservation but their progress was always too measured.
The pitch was slow and its indifferent bounce made shot making difficult. Canterbury had experienced the same restraint and it was notable that the spinners, and Redmond particularly, achieved more turn than a one day pitch would usually allow.
Canterbury's total, which was built around a seventh-wicket partnership of 74 in 39 minutes between Warren Wisneski and Aaron Redmond, seemed easily approachable for a Wellington side in good batting form and leading the Shield competition.
But Martin gave away nothing in his first spell of six overs, bowling with the new ball and with the wind from the northern end of the Basin Reserve, conceding only three runs one of which was a wide.
Wellington had only 18 runs on the board after 10 overs and had lost the wicket of Chris Nevin, the dangerous wicketkeeper batsman, for two in the fifth over. Nevin drove a ball from Warren Wisneski, who operated in tandem with Martin in the opening overs, directly to Gary Stead at mid-off.
They had scored only four runs between the fifth over, when they were 14-1, and the 10th and there were o nly 15 runs between the fifth over and the 15th. Martin bowled two maidens and Wisneski and Stephen Cunis one each in that period.
Matthew Bell and Richard Jones, who came together when Nevin was out, seemed confident that the runs would come eventually as long as wickets were preserved. But their painstaking progress had almost erased any hope of Wellington achieving a bonus point in victory and made the victory itself less certain than it had once seemed.
Canterbury's scoring rate had seemed sluggish as well and they were 30-1 after 10 overs and 40-1 after 15.
At drinks, taken after 17 overs, Wellington were 41-1 with Bell 15 and Jones 13.
Penn was in his fifth over, the ninth of the match, when he was overcome by dizziness and nausea and was forced to retire to the dressing room. Despite his absence for the remainder of the innings, which affected Wellington's planned bowling rotation, they shackled Canterbury's scoring for most of the day.
Canterbury were 30-1 after 10 overs and 54-2 after 20. They were 75-3 at the midpoint of their innings, still puttering along at three runs per over, and 104-3 after 30 overs.
But a partnership of 74 for the seventh wicket in 39 minutes between Warren Wisneski, who made 44 and was out in the 49th over, and Aaron Redmond, who saw out the innings, unbeaten, for 43, helped Canterbury past 200 in the 48th over and to 219. Canterbury added 41 in the last five overs.
Wisneski began the season with a high-score in one-day matches of 43. He has topped that score already this season and came close to doing so again today in an innings which boosted Canterbury after they had been 135-6 in the 38th over when he came to the wicket.
His 44 runs today came in 39 minutes from 38 balls and with four fours and two sixes.
Redmond's 43 was more sedate and he had been at the crease 76 minutes, facing 54 balls, when the innings ended. He hit four fours.
Canterbury made a painstaking start to their innings, being led along in the early overs only by Michael papps who made 26 in 70 minutes and from 49 balls.
Penn's withdrawal from the attack seemed a blow to Wellington but Mayu Pasupati, who was called on to complete the ninth over, bowled Brad Doody with his first ball to leave Canterbury 28-1. Papps was then 15 and Doody had made only four runs in 40 minutes.
Wellington kept up the pressure on Canterbury through most of the first 40 overs with regular and intelligent bowling changes. Matthew Walker, particularly, put the brakes on Canterbury's scoring in the middle of the innings and he discharged his 10 overs in a series of short spells at a cost of 36 runs and with three wickets.
Walker dismissed Shannon Stewart, who took over the senior role in the innings after Papps' departure, and made 40 from 66 balls. He also claimed the wickets of Gary Stead for 15, before he became dangerous, and Wisneski to end his threat late in the innings.
Stewart batted with composure and intelligence and his 40 was well compiled. He had only three fours but he worked the ball well for singles and kept up a steady scoring tempo when Canterbury's run-rate had begun to wane dangerously.
He was their fifth man out in the 34th over when they were 115-5.
The loss of Papps at 49, Stead at 69, Jarrod Englefield at 104, Stewart at 115 and Darron Reekers at 135 hampered Canterbury's scoring. The burly Wisneski was the first to break the shackles.
Stewart, batting at No 3, had been the strength of the Canterbury innings till he was out for 40 after 33.3 overs, caught by Chris Nevin off Matthew Walker. His dismissal gave wicketkeeper Nevin his third catch of the innings. He had previously participated in the dismissals of Michael Papps for 26 and Gary Stead for 15.
The loss of Stewart at a crucial stage of the innings was a heavy blow to Canterbury who had batted after losing the toss. He had done more than any other batwsman to promote their scoring rate which was being limited by regular wicketfalls.
Canterbury lost Brad Doody for four when they were 29, Papps, who was the earlier leader of their scoring, for 26 when they were 49, Stead at 69, Jarrod Englefield for 11 at 104 and Stewart immediately prior to drinks.
Stewart's dismissal left Aaron Redmond at the wicket on five and brought Darren Reekers to the crease.
Walker had 2-10 from six overs at drinks.
After 25 overs Canterbury were 75-3, batting first after losing the toss, and had lost openers Michael papps and Brad Doody and their captain Gary Stead.
Canterbury had made a reasonably comfortable start wand were 25-0 after eight overs. But the loss of Doody in the ninth over, when they were 28, led to a slowdown in their scoring and they were struggling at exactly three per over when 25 overs were bowled.
Doody fell to Mayu Pasupati in the ninth over when Pasupati stepped in to complete the over begun by Andrew Penn, who had the leave the field because of illness. Penn was unable to complete the over, his fifth, when he was overcome with sickness and nausea.
Pasupati's first ball produced Doody's wicket when the Canterbury left-hander dragged a ball out side off stump onto his wicket.
Canterbury were 49 in the 17th over when Papps, who had been their leading scorer, fell for 26, caught by wicketkeeper Chris Nevin off Mark Gillespie.
Stead was out in the 24th over when Canterbury ws 69, caught by Nevin off Matthew Walker.
Wellington used Matthew Walker and Mark Jefferson effectively to slow Canterbury's scoring rate. Walker, in his first spell of four overs, took one wicket for eight runs.
Penn was relieved after four balls of his fifth over, the ninth of the innings, when he showed signs of dizziness and nausea. His bowling had previously been erratic and his 4.4 overs, one of which was a maiden, had included four wides and two no balls.
Penn's retirement to the dressing rooms had a fortunate sequel for Wellington. Mayu Pasupati was called on to complete the ninth over, which had included two wides, and bowled Canterbury opener Brad Doody with his first delivery.
The wicket was Wellington's first of the innings after they had won the toss and bowled.
Canterbury had earlier played with some freedom on a pitch, the newness of which, had encouraged Wellington to field first on winning the toss. Previous new strips at the Basin Reserve this season have offered some early assistance to seam bowlers.
Penn began his first over with a wide and a no ball and Mark Gillespie, from the southern end, had also opened with a wide as Wellington's new ball bowlers struggled to impose pressure on the Canterbury batsmen.
Penn's third over contained two wides and a no ball - the only runs from the over - and after five overs Canterbury were 17-0 and six of their runs were extras.
Doody fell in the ninth over for four when Canterbury was 28 and Michael Papps, who was settled and scoring freely, was 15. He sparred at Pasupati's first ball, outside off stump, and dragged the ball back onto his wicket.
After 10 overs, Canterbury was 30-1 and Papps, then 15, had been joined by Shannon Stewart.
Gillespie reverted to the northern end in the 11th over and, after conceding five runs in his first over from that end, bowled the first of consecutive maiden overs. Paul Hitchcock's next over from the southern end was also a maiden and Canterbury were briefly stalled at 36-1.
After 15 overs, Canterbury had moved on to 40-1 and Papps was 21, Stewart 6. Papps had attempted on several occasions to pull the ball through the lean on-side field but his timing was awry. His best shots were two powerful drives through cover for four.
The dismissal of Papps by Mark Gillespie with the first ball of the 17th over heralded the first drinks break of the innings. Papps drove at the ball outside off stump and edged to wicketkeeper Chris Nevin when he was 26 and Canterbury were 49.
It has become a convention among Wellington players, stemming from harsh experience, never to talk about such things too early in any season, even when a propitious breeze appears to be blowing at their backs.
Wellington have promised often in the past, with good starts in one-day competitions, to claim home semifinals and, by the quality of their performances throughout the regular season, to win those championships.
Yet time and again success has eluded Wellington. The cruellest among us would say they have choked and there is some truth in the belief they have fallen apart in crucial matches, particularly in playoffs.
Wellington have simply failed to round off good beginnings and this year they are determined not to succumb to that fate. Their domination of the Shield competition to date has been total. They are unbeaten in six matches and have 25 points, leaving them well clear, at the top of the table, of a field scrambling for the other semifinal places.
The confidence they have begun to express publicly is well-placed. Most elements of their game are functioning well and yet they have the capacity to achieve well-timed improvement.
The element of their performance which played a large part in making them Shell Trophy champions last season is evident again this year. When one member of the Wellington team fails, even a crucial member, another steps up to take his place.
At various times this season every member of the team has contributed and they feel comfortable in the knowledge that all of their number have shown form at some stage.
Canterbury have been a bogey team for Wellington sides in the past, particularly in one-day matches, but Canterbury have leant many of their leading players to the New Zealand team in Australia and their confidence has been damaged by their mixed recent form.
Wellington were given more cause for confidence this morning when they won the toss and were able to ask Canterbury to bat first on a new pitch on the southern side of the Basin Reserve wicket block. The evidence of the past is that these new pitches are inclined to support the quick bowlers early on and Wellington felt they would lose nothing in taking the chance to give their bowlers first use of the strip.
Wellington once again named off spinner Jeetan Patel 12th man, retaining the 11 that beat Northern Districts at Smallbone Park on Wednesday.
Canterbury also omitted a spinner, naming former international Paul Wiseman 12th man and leaving the 13th member of their touring squad, Ryan Burson, out of their matchday combination.
The weather in Wellington is brightly sunny as the match begins though there is a surly bank of grey clouds encroaching on the ground from the southwest. The forecast is for showers later in the day, preceding a wet weekend.
Teams:
Wellington: Matthew Bell (captain), Grant Donaldson, Mark Gillespie, Paul Hitchcock, Mark Jefferson, Richard Jones, Chris Nevin , Mayu Pasupati, Andrew Penn, David Sales, Matthew Walker, Jeetan Patel (12th man).
Canterbury: Gary Stead (captain), Brad Doody, Jarrod Englefield, Michael Papps, Shannon Stewart, Darron Reekers, Carl Anderson, Stephen Cunis, Chris Martin, Warren Wisneski, Aaron Redmond, Paul Wiseman (12th man), Ryan Burson (13th).
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 18 Jan2002 - 10:32