DAY FIVE
Suburbs New Lynn (Auckland) v Kaikorai (Otago)
Suburbs New Lynn 251/9 (Mitchell Murray 36, Max Montgomery 49, Dane Watson 48, Josh Presland 41 off 19; Jack Nuttall 10-5-18-5) beat Kaikorai 174 all out in 15.2 overs (Matt Hunter 33, Iain Robertson 46 off 21; Josh Presland 7-59, Dane Watson 3-73) by 77 runs
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Better known for his role with the ball, strong young Josh Presland fired up with a tailend 41 off 19 — then stormed to a match-winning seven-for in a vital win for Suburbs New Lynn against embattled Kaikorai.
The big, fast victory was exactly what Suburbs needed if they were to be a chance of making the glamour match against top qualifiers St Albans on the last day tomorrow. Likewise, Kaikorai needed to win in double quick time to enhance their position.
Kaikorai, surprisingly with just one win under their belt coming into day five, came away bruised and battered after being routed in just 15.2 overs, yet they had been right in the game after Suburbs had a middle order ’mare in the first innings.
Openers Tem Hodson and Mitchell Murray had put on 35 for the first wicket before Hodson’s wicket triggered a period of strife for the Auckland lads.
He was the first victim in Jack Nuttall’s outstanding five for 15 — Jack being the identical twin brother of Canterbury paceman Ed Nuttall.
Nuttall ripped through all five of Suburbs’ top strokemakers, sending their usual rock James Parslow, captain Michael Barry and Jonny Bassett-Graham all back to the clubhouse for ducks.
With Murray’s run-a-ball 36 threatening to be the top score, the rearguard came in with attitude, determined to give themselves something to bowl at.
Max Montgomery started the salvage job with an admirable 49, caught by Josh Finnie just shy of his milestone after four boundaries, three sixes and some key graft.
Dane Watson kept his composure for a cool-headed 48 before he was run out, the pair having got their team from 68/6 to 158/7.
But that kind of target still wasn’t enough to satisfy Josh Presland, a strongly built medium pacer capable of giving the ball a good nudge. He blasted three sixes and four boundaries in his 19-ball 41 to ensure Suburbs got up to a respectable score in the region of 250.
Having batted alongside Dane Watson, the two then joined forces with the ball to make Kaikorai’s day even less pleasant.
Opening the bowling, Presland was made to work hard for his first wicket on a ground that had frustrated him just a couple of days earlier, SBS Bank Otago Volt Iain Robertson and Matt Hunter putting on 81 for the first wicket in just 6.3 overs, taking advantage of Cornwall Park number three’s shorter boundaries.
But things were rapidly about to go pear-shaped for the Dunedin visitors. Presland and Watson combined in a giant-killing spree that saw Kaikorai plummet from 100/2 to 143/5, Kaikorai sending up catches in search of the tantalising short ropes.
Presland then took care of the back half of the order virtually on his own, going from 4-56 to 6-56 in a blink as the wickets of Robertson and Michael Fraser — both bowled — put him on a hat-trick.
The hat-trick went begging but the scorecard had begun to look like a desperate comedy of wickets and sixes, and not much else in between, as Presland zeroed in again for his seventh scalp.
He finished with a fine 7-59 off his eight overs on the tiny ground, Dane Watson taking the remainder of the wickets with 3-73. Suburbs had needed just three bowlers (with Anas Patel, above) to wrap up a 77-run landslide in just 15.2 overs.
The first finish of the day, remaining results would see Eastern Suburbs confirmed as the finalist that would join St Albans in the 1v2 Final tomorrow. Suburbs had done enough to ensure they would meet Napier Tech in the third place playoff.
Points after day five.
St Albans – 12
Eastern Suburbs – 12
Napier Old Boys Tech – 9
Suburbs New Lynn – 9
Kaikorai – 3
Manukau City – 0
