HRV Cup Opener: Wellington seal 3 wicket win over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Otago-c829
Atewart Rhodes' 49 off 53 well complimented by Chris Nevin’s belligerent 17-ball 35 ensured a winning start for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864’s HRV Cup campaign as the Firebirds, in their chase, prevailed over the pugnacious endeavour from Aaron Redmond
and a late collapse, to upstage visiting Otago in an HRV Cup clash at Basin Reserve.
Jeetan Patel’s decision to bowl first was well supported by the left-arm medium pacer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dewayne-Bowden-c1364 as he removed Hamish Rutherford on the eighth ball of the match getting the Firebirds off to a strong stand. Rutherford could score
only one run after testing seven deliveries. His opening partner Aaron Redmond, however, faced the home attack quite confidently attacking from the outset. Redmond’s sparkling efforts were well supported by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Neil-Broom-c2090 as the duo shared a quick partnership
of 94 runs from just 65 deliveries, with the bulk coming from the former.
A double strike from the left-arm spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Stevens-c91368 this time. Stevens played a quick cameo of 14-ball 23 before Luke Wright broke his stumps
in the 18th over. The hosts came back into the game when Damian Wright removed Redmond on the first ball of the second last over of Otago’s innings. He scored whirlwind 88 off just 54 balls plundering six boundaries and four lofty sixes. Wright
struck back on the last ball of the same over to return with 2 for 10 from his spell of four overs as Otago amassed 153 at the loss of six wickets from their allotted 20 overs.
Neal Parlane's third ball duck set up the visitors for a fight, but a fearsome attack from Michael Pollard took the game away from Otago. He hammered four muscular sixes in 15-ball 32 to give the chase an early momentum before losing
his wicket to Neil Wagner on the last ball of the Power play, leaving Wellington 52 for 2 on the board. Pollard’s dismissal took http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Stewart-c91370 Rhodes who added 49 runs to the scorecard in a calm way with Luke Wright and Chris Nevin accelerating at the other end.
At 124-3 in the 15th over, the Firebirds were on their way to an easy win, but the visitors had some other plans to scare the home side. Three wickets in five balls without addition of a single run raised hopes of a back-door entry for the visitors.
Fluent Rhodes, however, kept the nerves in the tense situation taking the side to safe 141 for 6 before being caught by Redmond off McMillan. Wright and Dewayne Bowden finished things with two balls to spare to bag the side three wicket victory.
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