da dobrowin： Canterbury’s 36-run over Wellington in a State Shield match at the Basin Reserve today, which ends Wellington’s unbeaten run after seven matches in the competition, may provide a feast for trivia buffs who will pick the carcass of the game in years
da bwin： Steve McMorran18-Jan-2002Canterbury’s 36-run over Wellington in a State Shield match at the Basin Reserve today, which ends Wellington’s unbeaten run after seven matches in the competition, may provide a feast for trivia buffs who will pick the carcass of the game in years to come.They may ask others to declare in what domestic limited overs match a player who took three catches in the field also kept wicket without either taking a catch or effecting a stumping? They will say name that player?And they may also ask in what match and against whom Canterbury employed three wicket-keepers within 48 overs and for what reason they were so profligate?And they may finally ask in what match a player who bowled six overs for 26 runs also kept wicket and took a catch and a stumping? Then they will again challenge others to name that player and they will ask in what other international field he has distinguished himself?The answer to the last question first, for those who fear they might be so assailed at some future social occasion and who might justifiably let the memory of this slow-moving match fade, is Darron Reekers – an extra point for spelling his first name correctly.Reekers scored 13 runs during Canterbury’s innings of 219/7 from 50 overs today – a total achieved after they had lost the toss and batted – then bowled with reasonable economy – six overs for 26 runs – when they held Wellington to 183 in 47.2 overs in reply.But Reekers also kept wicket for the last 18.2 overs as the third wicket-keeper Canterbury employed during Wellington’s innings, which also answers the second question.To answer the why: Canterbury lost wicket-keeper Michael Papps in the 13th over when he dived to field a ball down the left side and dislocated his left shoulder. Naturally, he could not continue and there is concern he will not play again this Shield season, or at least for some time.That might in turn lead on to another trivia question because Papps, who is enjoying an outstanding season with the bat, was also the third wicket-keeper Canterbury has employed this season after Ben Yock, who is suspended, and Gareth Hopkins, who has been injured. Hopkins is expected to return to the team as Papps’ immediate replacement.The answer to the first question is that Gary Stead, Canterbury’s captain, who immediately took the gloves from Papps and kept between the 14th and 29th overs, took three catches in the field before and after performing behind the stumps. He took the catch which dismissed Chris Nevin for two in the fifth over, another to remove David Sales in the 31st over, breaking a dangerous partnership between Sales and Matthew Bell, and a third to end the Wellington innings. The third dismissed Paul Hitchcock for 21 after the Wellington No 11, who faced only 15 balls, had prevented Canterbury embellishing their win with a bonus point.Stead took the gloves only long enough to allow Reekers to complete his six overs, which were then vital to Canterbury’s cause. He always intended to eventually hand the gloves to the talented all rounder.Now, more for trivia buffs.Why was Reekers the first choice to keep when Papps was injured?The reasons are manifold. He had been a wicket-keeper through most of his years as a Canterbury age-group representative. He gave up the gloves at under-20 level when he felt he had become too tall for the task. He then concentrated on his batting, which continued to earn him representative honours, and he developed his bowling to become a useful one-day all-rounder.But to answer another of the earlier trivia questions. Reekers has distinguished himself as an indoor cricket player and has been wicket-keeper for New Zealand in that sport. He kept wicket in six ‘Test’ matches for New Zealand on a tour of Australia and South Africa a few years ago.Reekers has also kept his hand in, so to speak, as a wicket-keeper on a social tour of England with a Dutch side and in regular social matches for a team, unfortunately called the Rats, for whom both he and his father have played.Reekers’ catch and stumping were both off left-arm spinner Carl Anderson who bowled superbly to take 5-34 from his 10 overs. The stumping removed Andrew Penn for three when Wellington was 141/6 and the catch dismissed Mark Gillespie for two when they were 153/9 and their winning chance had vanished.Anderson was able, along with Aaron Redmond, to exploit a great deal of turn in a fresh Basin Reserve wicket today and Reekers was delighted to have a close-up view of a spin bowler at the height of his powers.”Carl Anderson’s bowling was fantastic,” he said. “He turned it and he varied the pace and it was great fun keeping to him. He and Aaron Redmond were both getting a lot of turn and it was good to watch.”Chris Martin set up Canterbury for the win with an opening spell of six overs which conceded only three runs. His eight overs in the match were bowled at the paltry cost of 13 runs, two of which were wides.Canterbury’s scoring rate appeared pedestrian when they reached 30/1 after 10 overs and 54/2 after 20; 75/3 at three per over by the midpoint of their innings. They struggled through 100 in the 30th over and they were only 145/6 when the 40th over had been bowled.They were saved by Warren Wisneski who came to the wicket when they were 135/6 on Reekers’ dismissal and who battered 44 runs from 38 balls in the next 39 minutes. His partnership of 74 for the seventh wicket with Redmond was also match-winning.But Martin’s parsimony made Wellington’s reply even more hesitant and they were only 18/1, without Nevin, after 10 overs; 29/1 after 15.They were only a few runs behind Canterbury in the 20th and 25th overs and their 100 came up in similar time but they were simply unable to accelerate as Anderson, Redmond and Reekers put on the brakes.Bell and Sales’ third wicket partnership, which added 61 in 46 minutes, was vital. When Sales was out, caught by Stead off Stephen Cunis who bowled his 10 overs for 34 runs, the innings was in serious difficulty. When Bell ran himself out, wastefully, for 45 in the 33rd over they were struggling.The equally wasteful run out of Matthew Walker when they were 136/5 in the 38th over left them little hope of overhauling Canterbury’s total.Wellington had been struck a blow when they bowled on winning the toss by the loss of opening bowler Penn to sickness. Penn, who had been suffering from the flu, was in his fifth over, the ninth of the innings, when he was overcome by nausea and dizziness. He was forced to leave the field and didn’t bowl again in the innings. Mayu Pasupati, who completed the ninth over, bowled Brad Doody with his first ball – all of this grist to the trivia mill.”Canterbury simply got too many runs,” Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson said. “I thought about 180 would be reasonable and if we performed like we have previously this season we would have held them to that.”This loss crept up on us and I had said it might. We had a bad performance and we have no excuses.”Canterbury out-played us today not only with their skill but with their want.”A match like this was always going to happen and in hindsight it might not be a bad thing. We rested on our laurels today and this is a healthy reminder.”
