Wakatu's Devon Serrurier in action during his side's win over Nelson College at Victory Square on Saturday. Photo: Evan Barnes/Shuttersport.

Marlborough flexes its cricketing muscles

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BY PETER GRIGG

The Dolphins and the Falcons both had comfortable but contrasting victories in round nine of the TPL cricket competition on Saturday.

In the other low scoring match, Wakatu continued its recent resurgence.

The Falcons made short work of an understrength WTTU at Jubilee Park in a match that only lasted 39 overs and was completed before the lunch break.

Opening bowler Nick Weaver was dangerous at the top of the innings to begin the rout and Cameron Horton and Andrew McCaa picked up the treats through the middle and bottom of the order.

Skipper Matthew Stretch is making every post a winner this season and he seemed in a hurry to get home to Blenheim.

He bludgeoned 42 runs in boundaries to finish one short of a half century.

He did not appear to be too fazed by this however as the Falcons picked up valuable competition points.

While the stand out individual performance of the day came from Nelson College, it was not enough as they succumbed in their moderate run chase against Wakatu.

An inspired spell of quick bowling from the tall Jarrod McKay wreaked havoc amongst the Wakatu batting at Victory Square. With a second wicket partnership between Mason Robinson and Daniel Hooper ticking over fifty easily, things seemed serene.

Enter McKay – then everything changed.

He ripped out the middle of the innings, was rested and Wakatu countered with a solid ninth wicket stand, then came back and finished things off.

McKay bowled five maidens, taking seven wickets for ten runs in the best return for the season.

His efforts, however, were in vain as Nelson College’s batting woes continued against a solid and varied Wakatu bowling attack.

The Wakatu bowlers all chipped in and while it was a bit touch and go in the end they won relatively easily as the tail fell away quickly.

A brutal and relentless assault by the visiting Dolphins allowed them to reach a mammoth total that a brave Stoke Nayland found beyond them at Mardsen Rec.

After the loss of a couple relatively early, Josh Poole and Prabodha Arthavidu added 123 for the third wicket.

Once Arthavidu was dismissed, Jerry Lamb offered no respite as he too added a half century at better than a run a ball.

At the other end, Poole scored all around the wicket and his outstanding innings of 115 came off just 82 deliveries and included 13 boundaries and five big sixes.

In their turn at bat Stoke Nayland were not going to die wondering as Chris Dittmer immediately took the attack back to the Dolphins bowlers.

His 81 came off just 49 balls with 14 boundaries and two sixes.

However, the scoreboard pressure applied by the Dolphins meant that wickets kept falling at vital times as Poole completed an outstanding double by picking up three wickets, including the dangerous Dittmer.