The Waikoikoi cricket team has proved yet again it is a force to be reckoned with in the T20 format of the game.
On Sunday the team won the Southland Cricket competition with a 36-run win over Appleby.
Captain Liam McFaul said Waikoikoi won the toss and elected to bat.
At the end of 20 overs the score was 129 for nine, which was a defendable total but not as high as he would have liked.
‘‘We got off to a pretty good start . . . but then we lost our middle and tail order pretty easily which is a wee bit disappointing.’’
Fill-in batsman Rhuebyn Prattley top-scored on 42.
His knock included five fours and three sixes.
‘‘He’s pretty handy.’’
Kurt Thompson also put together a valuable innings of 30.
‘‘When we were losing heaps of wickets he basically held us, otherwise we could have been bowled out for about 90.’’
The team’s fielding also made all the difference to the result, McFaul said.
‘‘We didn’t drop any catches and we fielded very well.
‘‘That’s why we bowled them out for 90.’’
Nick Reed (three for 24) and Ashleigh Harrison (three for 15) bowled accurately.
While the win looked comprehensive on the scoresheet, it was different on the field.
‘‘I wouldn’t have said it felt comfortable during the game.’’
It was the fourth time in five years the team won the title and it had played in the final eight times.
The format of the game suited the batsmen who were ‘‘pretty aggressive’’.
The players were also used to playing finals, which helped.
Earlier in the semifinal, the team beat Marist in a rain-affected game.
Todd Thayer batted well to score 60.
McFaul snared four wickets in four balls.
‘‘Got a hat-trick and then one more for good luck.’’
