Ripley - Sunday, 22nd July 2001

Records tumble at Ripley, Believe it!

Records tumbled; milestones were past and when the dust settled we said goodbye to a fond friend.

But first the cricket.

Having lost this fixture more often than I could care to remember against this our longest serving fixture, strong-arm tactics were employed from the start. Negotiations had begun earlier in the week to amend the days play to a 50 over per side game.

Upon careful inspection of the wicket it was felt 250 would be a competitive total. Failing to remember when we have indeed batted first this year, not quite with the full accompaniment of players and a full bar open by 11:30am, batting seemed the restful option.

‘Adder’ Single-ton and forced from three years of exile/retirement John Hawk-eye opened the batting. Runs flowed freely from the middle of both bats as the track offered rare bounce to the seamer.

The first of 3 fine feasts came at lunch with LNZ 75-1 after 14 overs. Adders gear bag packing monopoly seemed broken with a clubbed 48. This had ominously set the trend for the pack to follow.

Once ‘Jo’ Fanning was severed from the fine offerings of cakes. he found gaps over the boundary rope with radar precision, clearing strategically positioned fielders by yards above their head. Hawkeye was given out for the first of few dodgie umpiring decisions, given by team-mates keen to get amongst the onslaught. Justin Murray back from a three year wilderness of baby production joined Jo, complete with pitching wedge and produced an innings of 22, notable for his cover drive for 6. Burg, jet lagged and hungover was taken from his alcohol topping up, chimed in with 44 before dancing down the wicket head aloft reminiscent to the previous nights raving, swung and missed the ball. However it was his pirouette that brought accolades of the punters about his endeavour to regain his ground. This became the talking point of his slip cordon conversation for ensuing overs of the game.

This brought Mur in his final outing for LNZ before taking up residence at Coronet Peak, after 8 years service and over 100 appearances to the crease. Twenty-three runs later ensured that Mur wouldn’t mark his final appearance with the gear packing duty. Somewhere within innings brought the greatest cheer from the contingent. It was a memorable flat charge that sent the ball back over the bowler’s head for 6. This shot bought about the braking of clubs highest team score set in 1995.

Shaun Perkinson topped up the anti by lustful blows at the end. His 25 included only one scoring shot that wasn’t a boundary.

After 50 overs LNZ had scored 372-5. Jo remained unbeaten, unlike the bowlers on 149 with the small matter of 20,4’s and 7,6’s

Worse was yet to come for Ripley.

In the 12 overs before the second feast of the day, Sam Martin putting aside a days cricket at Sir Paul Gettie's establishment sent fear into the full body of armour-wearing batsmen, by claiming 3-5. One batsman in an attempt to get his bat down on his first delivery, a yoker, ended up flat on his face chewing soil as his castle had been comprehensively skittled. A fine memorable image.

Calls within the slip cordon immediately turned to acquiring proof that this man was indeed born in the South…

Ripley indicated little want to join us out in the middle after tea, but as the rain stopped and street lights looked less reminiscent of fog lights, the carnage resumed.

Mur was encouraged to bowl to the Auzie-esque slip cordon by coming off his long run. Mur apologetically retorted that 4 paces were as lengthy as it gets.

Bartle Singleton and Stead wooed the opposition to chime in with wickets with the help of John Claw Hawk and I accepted two charitable tail enders.

Sam’s five-for came off ten overs for the cost of 16 runs through the half team that resided within the slip cordon. Ripley had clawed their way to 172. A win of 200 runs, which could have quite easily been 300 when they were perilously poised at 60-7.

A fine day, a superlative result, some great food and some splendid company.

It will be D Fanning that appears on the Man of the Match cup that LNZ donated to Ripley to commemorate their 250^th anniversary in 1999.

Lastly Mur.  you have been a fine servant of the club, game and country, enjoy, we have.

Scoreboard   LNZ 372-5 (50 Overs) Ripley 172 All Out LNZ win by 200 Runs

Batting

                      Runs           4s   6s

Mike Singleton         48

Dave Fanning          149*           20    7

Bowling

                  Overs       Runs    Wickets

Sam Martin          10         16        5