LEAN PICKINGS – 18 JANUARY 2025
A second century in as many weeks was a welcome sight in a season marked by a scarcity of centuries to the norm so far. Richard McKinley’s impressive 114 for Hospital was a standout performance on an otherwise challenging Saturday for the club, with results offering little to celebrate.
The morning grade sides continued to struggle in their respective one-day competitions, remaining winless. The Premier Men’s team suffered another defeat, this time against Lancaster Park at Sydenham, while the Premier Women were unable to secure a victory in their first match back after the Christmas break. The Championship and Division 1 teams also had tough outings.
There was some positive news in the return of Premier Men’s player Matt Rowe, who made his season debut after some niggly injuries. Matt bowled superbly, taking 4-26 in a losing effort against Park. Youngster Josh Wedlake also shone with a 4-wicket haul at Halswell, where Akshan Gutai impressed with a confident 67 in just his second match. Division 1’s Nadun Seneviratne added to the tally of notable individual efforts with a 4-wicket haul in their loss to Park; the other notable event in that match was the five outfield catches taken by skipper Richard Howe.
In the afternoon grades, Richard McKinley’s century wasn’t enough to lift Hospital to victory against BWU, and the Cardinals saw their six-match winning streak come to an end with a loss to OBC at Elmwood. However, the Division 5 Tamils secured a win over Marist, thanks to a half-century from Arunravi Ravindranathan and a match-winning 5-17 from Niranjan Mani. The Division 4 Goats claimed a default victory, while the Cavalier Cardinals experienced the thrill of a tie in their match against Sumner at Barnett Park.
Some of the photos in this publication are also courtesy of Ash Hart’s Hartland Images.
Scott Insurance Brokers Insurance Premier Men
The Premier Men took on Lancaster Park on Sydenham 1, with Park winning the toss and electing to bat first. With little movement in the air and on an old strip having its last match, the slow wicket provided little encouragement to the bowlers as Park proceeded to get away to a good start, scoring 56 off the first eleven overs before Mitch Gardner finally trapped Challu LBW.
Matt Rowe takes one of his four wickets
Tom Agnew and Archie Goodrick added to the breakthroughs, including the crucial wicket of Sussex professional Hudson-Prentice, who had been batting fluently. However, Park recovered well from 69-3, stabilizing their innings at 111-3. Matt Rowe’s return spell proved pivotal, delivering two wickets in consecutive balls in his first over back and adding two more in his next. This left Park reeling at 127-7 in the 31st over. Despite the pressure, Park’s lower order rallied with a vital 51-run partnership for the eighth wicket, ultimately reaching a competitive total of 211-9 in their 50 overs.
With the wicket also proving to have little for the slower bowlers, 211 was, at best, a par score. However, a poor start saw both openers back in the pavilion after two overs at 16-2, and the innings faltered from there.
Aarush Bhagwat
A number of the middle-order batsmen got starts, but many fell to soft shots when they were reasonably set. Ryan Wallace failed to clear the inner circle on a sweep-pull, Aarush Bhagat was again looking in control but was then runout to a misjudged single, and Srirag Harish, who had looked perhaps the most comfortable, lobbed a meek catch to short backward square – it was one of those innings. When Matt Rowe was gone at 119-6, and then Srirag at 135-7, the writing was on the wall. The lower middle order and tail failed to fire as the side was bowled out for 139 in the 39th over.
Srirag Harish
Our thanks to umpires Matthew Hill and Andrew Moulton
The side’s next match is against Riccarton away at Riccarton Domain.
Full scoreboard & video highlights: https://live.nvplay.com/nz?tab=m_scorecard#m70b05b9d-18fa-4918-8e1c-d367002b00c8
The Birdwood Cafe Premier Women
Match report courtesy of Linda Pettigrew
Our Sydenham women met Lancaster Park to continue the 40 over competition. This is a 5 round comp which runs while player numbers are reduced due to Super Smash and summer holidays.
This week we welcomed back Eden Pettigrew, visiting from Blenheim, and Shizuka Miyaji, joining us from Japan. Lizzy Cohr won the toss and elected to bowl first. LPs innings was dominated by three key players who kept the score moving while other wickets were picked up for little or no contribution.
Eden Pettigrew
Sydenham bowlers Eden (1/31), Zu (1/12), Lizzy (2/42) and Boadicea Lynch (1/29) all had a good game, with economical figures. Part time bowler Emma Irwin also made a good contribution with 2/8 from her 2 overs. LP finished their overs with 171 on the board.
Emma Irwin effects a run-out
Sydenham had a rough start to their batting innings, finding themselves two down in the second over, with Magicians bowler Jess Simmons looking dangerous. Eden (19) and Lizzy then combined for a good partnership to see off Jess’s first spell and create a platform. Eden’s dismissal opened an end which was halted by a brief flurry of runs by Boadicea (16) before both Boadicea and Lizzy were dismissed.
Elizabeth Cohr
Zu and Abby Laird then held on with a little cameo at the end to accumulate a solid 20 before Zu was removed and the match wrapped up 35 runs short. Lizzy top scored on 49 with the highlight of the innings being a ramped 4 off a free hit, Jess Simmons bouncer – absolute magic.
Thanks to umpire Mark Wood
Scott Insurance Brokers Championship
It was also a tough day out at Halswell Domain, where Sydenham, looking for its first 1-day win, took on Halswell. Sydenham won the toss and elected to bowl first. The visitors went into the match somewhat underpowered in the medium-paced bowling department, heavily reliant on the bowling leader and captain for the day, Carl Hooper, and the promising Josh Wedlake.
Josh Wedlake
Through necessity, they opened with young spinner Makenzie Thomson, who started well, claiming a wicket in his second over and having Halswell 13-1. But the batting side recovered well, losing their next to Josh Wedlake at 61-2 into the 8th over. Then disaster struck for Sydenham when Carl Hooper pulled up injured partway through his second over of the match. Halswell progressed nicely to 110-2 before losing their third and fourth wicket in the space of two overs. But their run rate was in the 7’s, and with only 16 overs gone, they were strongly placed.
Makenzie Thomson
Although they put on 110 for the next wicket, Sydenham, primarily through the efforts of Shevon Perera and Lucky Singh, initially did well to drag the run rate back to below five by the 30th over. However, Halswell finished strongly, and despite Josh’s latter three wickets, which took his figures to 4-69, the home side finished with a challenging 288-6. The Halswell effort was unfortunately assisted by the 39 wides and no balls conceded by the Sydenham bowlers.
In reply, Sydenham lost its first wicket in the second over at 6-1, but then Akshan Gulati and Sam Johns did an excellent job of creating a base for the innings with a 64-run second wicket partnership. Sam was out for 31 off 52 balls in the 20th over, but a steadily rising required run rate only climbed from there.PK Bhagat’s run-a-ball 33 tried to accelerate, but wickets were lost regularly, eventually including the inning’s anchor, Akshan, for 67 off 134 balls. The Sydenham eventually fell well short at 185-8.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202425/mens-championship/game-centre/6c8b5b23
Division 1
Match report courtesy of Richard Howe
Sydenham won the toss and decided to bowl on a wicket that looked OK but had previously been a bit up and down. Cooper Hemmingway (youngest bro of Jacko, playing in Wellington this year) had joined us as a late replacement for his debut game was offered the chance to open bowling along with Isaiah Prasad, after Potiki Hamilton-Morrison said his back wasn’t up to it.
Cooper Hemingway
Cooper bowled a great first spell, causing some issues for the Park batters. Unfortunately, his first spell was short (2 overs), as he also caught a case of fast bowlers sore back syndrome. He came back for 3 overs later, finishing with 5-31-0. Gaurav Jadhav entered the attack and enticed a mistimed drive which resulted in a simple catch and Park 1 down for 61, but going along at a good run rate. Nadun Seneviratne was introduced, would a change of pace help? He bowled well and soon picked up our 2nd wicket on his way to figures of 7.4 overs 43-4. Youth wicket keeper Will Herd picking up a sharp catch as well as one in the outfield when he got a chance to stretch his legs, as Andy Rynolds had the keeper role for the game.
The skipper, Richard Howe, takes one on the boundary
Henry Hood was arguably the pick of the bowlers with his off spin netting 9-40-3. There were also at least 6 dropped catches, 2 or 3 of those of Henry’s bowling. Isaiah Prasad 9-66-1 also suffered from the team’s dropsies, with Gaurav Jadhav picking up 2 wickets for 45 from his 8 overs. Despite too many critical dropped catches, there were 9 wickets from catches, and just one bowled, the captain selfishly choosing the best spot to take 5 of them. Andy Reynold’s had a very tidy and athletic game behind the stumps, that gym work paying dividends! Park all out for 277 in the 44th over, a challenging run chase ahead.
With an opener spot available after Sam Johns’ late promotion to Champs, it was Andy Reynolds who put up his hand to partner Manish Rawat. The game was pretty much done at 25 for 4 with more than 10 overs gone, Cam Spriggs (19 off 35) and Nadun Seneviratne (who looked very composed in his 21 off 19) were the only ones who made double figures as we crawled to a pitiful 84 all out. Lancaster Park deserved the win, outplaying us in all facets of the game.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202425/mens-division-1/game-centre/bd11b0da
Division 4 Goats – WON
The Goats won by default to OBC
Division 5 All-Stars – LOST
Match report courtesy of Abe Atherton
The Sydenham Allstars took on the Halswell Kabul Lions on Sydenham Park #3. With regular captain Atherton sidelined due to injury, the leadership duties for the Sydenham Allstars fell to J. Koster. Winning the toss, Koster opted to bat first. However, the Allstars faced a challenging start, with Koster and J. Ward falling to spectacular one-handed catches early on.
The struggles continued as T. Elliott stood helpless at the non-striker’s end while the next three batters departed without troubling the scorers. At 20/5, the Allstars were in dire straits.
Tom Elliott
A much-needed partnership developed between S. Senaratha and T. Elliott, who added 39 runs for the seventh wicket. Senaratha contributed a gritty 11 runs from 41 balls, providing crucial support as Elliott worked to stabilize the innings.
C. Hatcher joined Elliott and together they put on another vital partnership of 41 runs for the eighth wicket. Elliott’s innings was a masterclass in resilience, scoring a hard-fought 52 runs off 81 deliveries, including just three boundaries, two fours and one six. After Elliott’s dismissal, Hatcher continued to chip away, eventually reaching his highest score of the season with a determined 17 runs off 39 balls.
The Allstars finished their 40 overs at 118/9, a total that gave them something to bowl at but left little margin for error.
Sumedha Senarathna
J. Koster and M. Flowerday opened the bowling for the Allstars, with Halswell swinging aggressively from the first ball. Despite the flurry of boundaries, the Allstars managed to take early wickets. Flowerday struck with two wickets in two balls, offering a glimmer of hope.
C. Hatcher and McCormick were introduced as the first and second change bowlers, both making immediate impacts. Hatcher picked up two wickets, while McCormick added another to his tally. A brilliant piece of fielding from T. Elliott resulted in a direct-hit run-out from the boundary, further stalling Halswell’s momentum.
With six wickets down, the Allstars fought valiantly, with Koster and Elliott contributing crucial catches in the field. However, Halswell’s aggressive approach eventually paid off, as they chased down the target in just 21 overs.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202425/mens-division-5/game-centre/df862164
Division 5 Tamils XI– WON
Match report courtesy of Chid Palaniappan
Sydenham played Marist Purple Goannas at Centennial Park. Marist won the toss and put Sydenham into. The side got off to a solid start, losing just one wicket by the 20-over mark and scoring 81 runs. Arun Ravindranathan played a superb innings of 67, while Niranjan added a valuable 29, putting us in a strong position. Although they lost a few wickets after the break, Jagannath’s quick-fire 49 helped set a competitive total of 189.
In the chase, the opposition were under pressure from the very first ball, with runs coming at a slow pace. The spin duo of Bhalaji (2 for 34) and Niranjan (5 for 17) bowled brilliantly, bundling them out for 138. This marked Niranjan’s second five-wicket haul of the season. Jagannath was named Player of the Match for his quick 49. It’s been a fantastic start to the new year with two back-to-back wins against strong teams. We’re eager to keep the momentum going.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/cmca-adult-summer-202425/mens-division-5/game-centre/88614ae2
Cavaliers Cardinals – TIE
Match report courtesy of Jamie Livingstone
Cardinals played Sumner on Barnett Park 1. The Cardinals rolled up to a sun kissed Barnett Park to face league leaders Sumner with a solid 9 in place and a good track record against the table topping Sumner.
Captain Stokes lost his second toss of 2025 and Sumner opted to bat on what looked a pretty moist wicket. Bam and Wolfy took the new ball and put early pressure on the Sumner openers with Wolfy eventually gaining the reward picking up two key wickets. Keza and Geo came on first change and kept the pressure up with Keza snaffling an excellent caught and bowled. This brought the Sumner skipper to the wicket who proceeded to put the foot down. The Cardinals stayed in the fight, literally putting their bodies on the line in the field. Stokesy was the fifth bowler used and he picked up three excellent late wickets seeing Sumner bowled out for 118.
The Cardinals reply got off to an inauspicious start with AB opting to leave the first ball of the innings and having his stumps cleaned up as a result. Camo, Keza Wolfy and Bam all got starts before departing leaving the Cardinals relatively deep in the brown stuff at 50 odd for 5. Stokesy and Cole came together for the 7th wicket and proceeded to put on a 50 run partnership with Stokesy smashing the ball to all parts and Cole nurdling 1&2s. When Cole run himself out and Stokesy retired things got tense with the Cardinals needing 7 off the last over. Jez swung valiantly and got out bringing Stokesy back out with the game going down to the last ball. The Cardinals need two to win but could only manage a scrambled one and the game ending in a tie.
A moral victory that felt like a loss was probably the best way to sum up the mood in the Cardinals camp at the end of the game. Still a pretty decent way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202425/cavaliers-section-red-t20/game-centre/319e5008
Masters Cardinals – LOST
Match report courtesy of Paul Mathews
A surprisingly summer-like day greeted the players as Sydenham took on New Brighton at Rawhiti Domain. I have no idea who won the toss because I arrived late but did arrive in time to see Ralph Winder take a great return catch to remove the dangerous Chivers. A patient second wicket partnership was broken by Fleming who had Seaton LBW and another two balls later brilliantly caught by Raptor Rapley at cover. Winder, Julian and Fleming combined to keep New Brighton to 71 for 3 at drinks on a reasonable pitch and a very fast outfield.
Samuel Wild started with a maiden after drinks. Another patient partnership was broken by Rapley. At this point New Brighton was 133 for 4 after 32 overs and the Cardinals looked on top. However, K. Smith accelerated while Mercer and Saunderson played hard hitting cameos. The last 8 overs went for 74. The last over went for 16 as Smith ended with 82 and New Brighton finished on 207. New Brighton showed that playing straight and being patient was critical on this pitch.
The pick of the bowlers was Ken Julian who bowled through injury but went for just 30 in his 8 overs but did not look as threatening as usual due to being hampered by an injury. Samuel Wild and Mathews got through 8 overs between them for 32.
Mathews got off the mark with a six over midwicket and then took 10 off Chivers second over which sparked a sledge fest. Mathews, now returning the verbals, and Ross, never short of a word when batting, saw off the angry opening bowlers and took the score to 71 for 1 after 12 overs. Mathews brought up his 50 in the 14th over but was becalmed by off spinner Sharlick and fell to a good catch at cover by Seaton. Ross continued to defend well and put away the bad ball and steered Cardinals to 99 for 2 at drinks.
After drinks the Cardinals lost wickets in the 22nd (Rapley), 23rd (S. Wild) and 25th (Winder) overs to be 110 for 5. Ross was still flourishing having got to 50 off 62 balls and only needed someone to stay with him. Lumb and P Smith threatened too but the scoring rate dropped, and Ross eventually fell for 59 trying to hit over the top. Fifteen minutes later, when Bert Walker ran out the less than happy Fleming Cardinals had lost 8 wickets for 51 to be all out for 159. Narbey, as he was last year, the chief destroyer with 3 for 19. He and Sharlick (2-19) removed both Mathews and Ross and stemmed the runs that had flowed from the faster bowlers.
Sydenham were ahead in this match for probably 50 of the 77 overs but their last 8 overs of bowling and the 5 overs batting after drinks meant that they were well beaten by a more disciplined cricket team, although the discipline did not extend to their conduct in the field with some histrionics and uncalled for comments. Despite this, drinks were had between the sides in good spirits.
Ross was the man of the match for Cardinals with an excellent 59, left stranded by his middle order. Highlights of the day were Winder’s caught and bowled, Rapley’s delivery that bounced twice before bowling the bemused batsmen and Mathews asking the fielding side why they had gone so quiet after he hit back-to-back boundaries.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202425/joes-garage-masters/game-centre/8cd2e929
Masters Hospital – LOST
Match report courtesy of Bruce Day
Hospital v Burnside Robbies Burnside won toss and chose to bat on a good-looking track They started at a steady clip and basically carried on at a good rate to be 166 for 1 at the 30 over Mark than proceeded to 273 for 1 in 40 overs. We tried 7 bowlers Jim Simpson the only one with any success with 1 for 31. Burnside opener finished on 162 apparently his 4th 100 of the season.
As much as we tried, we couldn’t score enough boundaries and fell short with 195, highlight being a century to Richard McKinley finishing with 114, out just before end of the innings
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