Parnell Cricket Club Incorporated - Established 1858 Update No. 208 –Our Cups Runneth Over – and not just the America’s Cup! Jeff Crowe Cup Won by Prems & Reserves are One Day Champions And Individuals Andy Lane – 2 Stunning Centuries and 1,000+ Runs this Season Plus Superb Tons by Flynn McGregor-Sumpter and Ben Rae Before reviewing the Weekend, first note your Diaries for Friday, 9 April: Now the Weekend - First Saturday: Sat, 6 & 13/2 Hedley Howarth Trophy: Parnell vs Grafton United Shore Road 1. GRAFTON UNITED 221/8 dec. (52) A Edwards 32 (48), K Ruffell 31 (73), D Taylor 70 (74), J Dymond 46 (28), Ganesh Raynasabapathy 0/13 (4) Fanie de Villiers 0/20 (4), Lockie Ferguson 1/25 (8o 1m), Josh Fisher 4/67 (16o 2m), Nikith Perera 1/53 (8o 1m) Jack Parsons 1/9 (3o 1m), Aniket Parikh 1/33 (9) PARNELL 340/4 (43.4) Flynn McGregor-Sumpter 110 (98 – 13x4s, 3x6s), Andy Lane 143 (115 – 15x4s, 8x6s), Fanie de Villiers 65 (22 – 3x4s, 7x6s) RESULT: Match Drawn – 1st innings points of 16 to Parnell Just one round left, Suburbs NL with 89 points leads from North Shore, 78 and Parnell 74 DAY 1. No play – Lockdown Level 2. Then on Day 2. The heroes of the day Lockie – great to have you back on the field! Flynn – 110 off 98 balls & 3x6s Andy – 143 off 115 & 8xgs Fanie – 65 off 22 balls & 7x6s DAY 2. An astonishing day’s play! First, the Grafton openers weathered our pace attack including a fit again Lockie but Nikith, coming on for the 17th over, immediately had Edwards caught – 58/1 and then Josh struck twice – 64/3. The score crept to over 100, Jack removed Ruffell, the other opener, and Lockie came on for another spell and immediately yorked the newcomer. Nikith and Aniket had quietened the scoring and Josh came back, removed Taylor ( a very good 70) and Bhana and Aniket got a wicket – 154/8 indicating an easy chase for us. Dymond had other ideas, smacked 46 off 28 balls and, with Duffy took the total to 221. Our response was electrifying – Ben Rae was lbw at 21 but, much better than a run ball, Flynn and Andy took the Grafton attack apart. They added 221 off just 189 balls – just 30 short of the Club’s all time Premier 2nd wicket record held by Tim McIntosh and Akshay Reddy in 1999/2000. Then additional bonus points were secured by Fanie’s lightning knock of 65 off only 22 balls. 16 points earned for the second game in succession – superb work and truly exhilarating to watch! Great to welcome Lockie back after injury – even off 7 paces he was quicker than anyone else. We look forward to when he resumes his rightful place in the Black Caps. We also wish Lockie well when he turns out for Yorkshire in their white ball games this coming Northern season. Lockie will certainly soak up the wonderful traditions of Yorkshire cricket – one of the most successful of all English Counties. The Hedley Howarth - in the greater scheme of things, we are still 15 points behind Suburbs NL who trounced Takapuna outright. That leeway will be hard to make up with only a final game against Papatoetoe before the season ends on Saturday, 28 March. The game is at Papatoetoe but the lads will be trying! Now Sunday - the Jeff Crowe Cup Final Sunday, 14 March Parnell vs Howick Pakuranga Shore Road Reserve 1. An amazing gala day for the Club notwithstanding the overwhelming belief that the Jeff Crowe Final deserves to be played at Eden Park, the home of Auckland Cricket. Another exceedingly special feature of the day was that, for the very first time, Jeff Crowe himself was present to present the Cup to the winner – special ind The Jeff CroweCup Jeff Crowe explaining that this is the first time he had actually seen the Cup The Final – (Scoresheets by Jocelyn Goodger who also scored on-line and kept an eagle eye on the manual scoreboard): RESULT: Parnell Won by 109 Runs A gloriously fine day, the ground a picture – Carol Keane, our Groundsman’s wife, mowed the outfield twice (necessary because of a heavy dew) and Dave had prepared a cracker of a pitch, 561 runs scored on it Saturday and a further 509 about to be scored, Test match quality! DoC Phil lead a team of volunteers from daybreak erecting the marquee, tents, putting out the pickets and readying the Clubroom. TEAMS: we without Lockie Ferguson, Mark Chapman, Will Somerville, Ben Horne and Ollie Pringle (nor Corey Anderson this season) – Black Caps or Ace’ duties. Howick Pak. had Colin Munro back. Skipper Brad Rodden, back at the helm, won the toss and elected to bat. Our openers Flynn McGregor-Sumpter (above left) and Ben Rae (right) started briskly and confidently but Munro had Flynn caught – 33/1. In the 9th over. Munro also took the next wicket – Ben’s, not not before he and Andy Lane had taken the score to 182 and 33 overs gone. A suberb start – Ben dominated the scoring and his 114 came off only 107 balls, a truly magnificent innings full of powerful shots all round the wicket. Andy was on 47 when Ben was caught. Heading to his second century of the weekend, Andy was scoring with a series of beautifully timed drives. Meantime Fanie de Villiers, Brad Rodden and Aniket all had quick but useful cameos, wickets fell but Andy completed his brilliant ton and, at 50 overs, we had 309 on the board. Ben Rae stroking one to leg and heading for, and the reaching of, his ton Andy – one of those glorious raking drives and acknowledging applause on reaching 100 – his second for the wekend Luncheon Chairman Craig Presland welcoming our guests who included Councillor Desley Simpson, Iain Laxon, CEO of Auckland Cricket, Umpires Doug Cowie and Roger Woolmer, the Howick Pak. Board, Parnell CC Sponsors and our Life Members and Hon. Vice Presidents. Huge thanks to the volunteers who prepared the food and worked the kitchen, particularly Gill Lane, Donna Trott, Maryanne Fisher, Liz Hurdley and Tracey Presland. Thanks, too, to Andrew Hickman and his mates, Liam and Peter, who manned the canteen and bar so very ably through the afternoon and evening. Back for Howick Pakuranga’s Innings – Set 310 to Win: Skipper Brad leads Parnell onto the field to defend our 309 – great Junior support outside the boundary Fanie opened the attack to Bill Walsh – 5 dots and a 4 off the first over 2nd over from the seaward end – Ganesh to Colin Munro, the former Black Cap and T20 specialist – dot ball, 4, another dot then JOY OF JOYs, ‘keeper Harry Miller holds the catch! Exit Munro! Colin Munro out – hugely important, the man who can tear an attack apart in no time. Andy Morrison joined Bill Walsh and the score reached 45 in the 12th over, Brad, with Harry’s help, ran out Morrison Howick Pak’s form batsman through the Club season. Dean had replaced Fanie and Josh had a short spell before Nikith, left arm orthodox, and Aniket came on whith his off spin. 21 overs gone and the total 80, well below the required rate. Aniket (left above) immediately struck having Walsh caught and bowled in his first over and D Winn caught by Josh Fisher in his second – 87/4. The spinners were dictating terms – Nikith (right above) was bowling very tidily, too, and whilst Grobbelaar (46), L Winn (19) and Jones (20) all got started, Nikith winkled all 3 of them out. Never collared, Nikith, in his 10 overs, only had 2 boundaries hit off him – one 4 and one 6. Great support from Aniket but then Dean and Josh came back on to tidy up the rest: From 140/4 Howick Pak. lost their last 6 wickets for 60 runs – Dean van Deventer (above left) picking up 2 before Josh Fisher (above right) took the last and the Jeff Crowe Cup was Parnell’s once more! Jeff Crowe Cup Presentation Andy Morrison, HP Skipper congratulating Parnell & thanking ACA Umpires Phil Jones & Jim Birchell honoured Iain Laxon, CEO Auckland Cricket watches as Jeff Crowe presents Brad with the Cup Jeff Crowe & full Parnell Team including Coach Ian West, Scorer Jocelyn Goodger & Manager John Fisher And the corks are popped! The Finale – Two Victorious Teams Our Prems with the Jeff Crowe Cup and our Premier Reserves, One Champions of Their Grade Huge Thanks To Our Supporters and Volunteers! Andy with his admirers The Rose Garden and Hospitality Tents Gill Lane and Donna Trott who worked so hard in the kitchen Our Prem Reserves, back from winning their Final vs Eden Roskill at Keith Hay Park Nathan Robinson who flew from Wellington to play in the Reserves’ Final and top scored with 78 Lorraine and Roger Woolmer And three Black Caps – Phil Horne, Jeff Crowe and Lockie Ferguson And so ended a superb gala day at Shore Road Auckland Cricket Premier Reserve Grade One Day Final An exceedingly decisive win to our Team led by Giacomo Lamplough. Very good to see our top order all had some success with the bat though only Nathan Robinson went on to better 50. Special mention of Nathan, now at Victoria University, he had flown up at his own cost to play in this game and your Editor has been told that Nathan batted exceptionally well. Having set Eden Roskill a competitive 224 to chase, Jack Parsons then utterly demolished their batting line up.