First innings successes for the Championship and Div 2 Black sides, a washed out day for Div 2 Red, wins for Div 4 and Div 6 and a tight loss for the T20 side, while Div 7 and Masters had the week off. A couple of NWY reports to make up for a shortage of the usual accounts elsewhere!

Chairman's Cup this Sunday vs St Albans

We host St Albans in the first round of this season's Chairman's Cup, starting at 12pm on Sunday 24 November at Edgar Mac 1. Get down and support the side, which is led this season by Rory Hawes. Thanks to VIP Trade for sponsoring the side.

Subscriptions for the 2024/25 season – Save yourself money by getting things sorted!

10 days to go till the subs rates are increased. Get yourself paid up or get something arranged with the Treasurer in the next few days.

Senior club subscriptions for the 2024/25 season are set at $260 ($130 for students/apprentices) if paid, or if an AP is established in writing with the club's Treasurer, before 30 November 2024. Late subscription rates are charged at $360 (or $230 for students/apprentices). You are welcome to get in touch with the Treasurer, Michael Beattie, by speaking to him at the clubrooms, via a Facebook message to him or by email at beattie852@hotmail.co.nz if you need to make an arrangement around payments.

Players joining the club from high school in their first season are not required to pay a subscription.

As always when paying your subs by Internet Banking ...

• The club's bank account details are:
• Westpac 03 0866 0269318 000
• Merivale Papanui Cricket Club Inc
• When making a transfer please state your full name as a reference.

Thanks to our sponsors

A huge thank you to our club and team sponsors, Sporting Edge, BBS Timbers, Bombay Tandoor, The Brewers, Burger Station, ITM Dyers Road and VIP Trade for your continuing support of Merivale Papanui CC. Your generous help makes a massive difference to the cricketing experience we can provide to our junior and adult members this season.

Meat raffles at The Brewers

Every Friday evening during the season, MPCC is selling meat raffles at our sponsor, The Brewers, in Merivale. All teams will take a couple of turns doing the selling - this week Div 4 are on selling duty. All club members are encouraged to head down at 5.30 support the raffles and our sponsor and get in some pre-match predictions for Saturday's games.

MPCC Golf Day - save the date

This year's golf day has been scheduled for Sunday 26 January - further details to follow, but keep the date free!

Congratulations to Sporting Edge Championship player Leo Spilsbury, for the third week in a row. This week he’s set the early pace for the Pitcher Trophy by notching up 7-41 vs Halswell.

Congratulations to Mark Hume, who smashed 85 runs for Burger Station Div 2 Black during a guest appearance from his usual Masters side, to help set up a first innings win for the team.

Congratulations to skipper Glen Bellam, whose 5-56 restricted Sumner’s chase to ensure that lead.

Congratulations to Akki Ricky, whose 75 runs for Div 4 set up his team for a win over Burnside via DLS.

Congratulations to Andy Richards who scored 56 not out for his Div 6 Panthers side to lead them to victory over Parklands

Congratulations to NWY 1st XI skipper, Brayden MacLeod, for the second week running – this time for his 3-25 vs Christ’s College 2nds taking him to 50 wickets for the side.

Congratulations to Jasper Welford, whose 53 runs set up the NWY 1st XI’s successful run chase.

Congratulations to Ollie Fifield, whose 90 off 83 balls helped build a massive score for his NWY 2nd XI side in their victory over Sydenham.

Match Reports from Saturday 16th November

MP Sporting Edge Prems vs Halswell @ Edgar Mac 1 (Two Day – Day 1: 1st innings win)

We won the toss and chose to bowl first against Halswell. They got off to a strong start, reaching 45-1 after 11 overs. However, it wasn’t long before we regained control. Thanks to some excellent bowling from L. Spilsbury and L. Cameron-James, we managed to stem the flow of runs and pick up wickets at regular intervals. Having proper umpires this week worked in our favour, with a few key LBW decisions going our way. Eventually, we bowled Halswell out in the 49th over for 102—a fantastic turnaround considering their promising start. The standout performer was undoubtedly L. Spilsbury (16.5-3-41-7), who delivered a brilliant spell. He was well-supported by L. Cameron-James (15-8-23-2), although a late six slightly spoiled his figures.

Our batting began on a positive note. Despite a slow outfield, the boys ran hard between the wickets. A. Lanekeshwar was the standout early on, scoring a composed 50 off 57 balls, with just two boundaries. Unfortunately, his run-out marked a turning point. Halswell’s spinners bowled tightly, and with a ring field in place, rotating the strike became increasingly difficult. As wickets began to fall at regular intervals, we found ourselves under pressure. The day was cut short by a misty rain that lingered around the ground during the final hour.

Looking ahead to next week, we’ll resume with about 20 overs left to bat, four wickets in hand, and a 13-run lead. We’re in a strong position but must ensure we capitalise on this advantage—something we’ve struggled with in the first few games. Finally, a big congratulations to Lingy on reaching 100 Senior appearances! It’s an incredible milestone that speaks volumes about his dedication and commitment to the team over the years. A truly impressive effort! If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the Facebook post for more about this fantastic achievement.

Sammy G

MP Sporting Edge Div.2 Red vs OBC @ Elmwood (Two Day, Day 1: no play)

No cricket for the seconds this week, as the team turned up to find a soaking wet pitch and outfield from someone having left the sprinklers on all night.

MP Div 2 Black vs Sumner @ St Leonards (Two Day, Day 1: first innings win)

No report this week, despite the side gaining a first innings win, with Humey hitting 85 and Bellsy claiming a 5-for. Bellsy promises a two-day epic for next week’s report.

MP Div 4 vs Burnside @ Burnside 2 (Win)

No report this week. Akki Ricky’s 75 set up an imposing total for his side. Burnside were 5-down chasing and lost the game via DLS.

MP Div 6 Panthers vs Ohoka @ Edgar Mac 2 (Win)

The Panthers marked their first home game of the season in style, securing a decisive win against top-of-the-table Ohoka on the back track at Edgar Mac. The day started under warm skies, but the looming rain clouds added an edge to proceedings. Captain Andy A, armed with insider knowledge about the pitch’s slow and low nature, had no hesitation in opting to field after winning the toss. The Ohoka openers struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions, cautiously navigating the early spells from Max and Andy A. Persistence paid off in the ninth over when Andy A found a delivery that stayed low, crashing into the leg stump. Max then turned the screws further, claiming two quick wickets in successive overs. Roger then entered the fray, striking with an LBW in the 19th over to leave Ohoka teetering at 4/49 at the drinks break. The second half of the innings saw disciplined bowling from Isuka, who was unlucky not to pick up a wicket in his extended spell, while Roger added another scalp to his tally. Sunny, despite initial struggles, found his rhythm and snared three late wickets, restricting Ohoka to 123 after their 40 overs.

Chasing 124 on a tricky wicket required composure, and the Panthers' top order delivered. Joel and Andy R opened the innings, but Joel was the first to fall to a delivery that kept low and nipped back, (a dismissal captured on camera by Patto!). Max joined Andy R at the crease, and the duo resumed their excellent form from the previous week. One of the day’s most bizarre moments came when Max struck a cover drive towards the boundary, only for the fielder to accidentally throw the ball over the boundary. Max, who had already run two, was awarded a further four runs for his efforts! Eventually, he was run out for 19, leaving the Panthers needing 71 runs off the final 13 overs. Enter Glen, whose aggressive intent turned the tide decisively. He unleashed a flurry of elegant lofted drives and powerful pull shots, amassing 41 runs off just 28 deliveries, including five boundaries and two sixes. At the other end, Andy R anchored the innings with his trademark calmness, notching his third consecutive half-century. The pair’s unbeaten stand carried the Panthers to victory in the 36th over. The win, sealed by a superb combination of tight bowling and disciplined batting, handed the Panthers their second consecutive triumph and a crucial victory over a strong Ohoka side. With momentum on their side, the team is already looking forward to next week’s challenge against Prebbleton.

Andy A

MP BBS Timbers Div 7 (week off)

No game for Div 7 this week, with the country teams keen to take Show Weekend off

MP Masters (week off)

The Masters grade also takes Show Weekend off!

MP Bombay Tandoor T20 vs Parklands @ Bishopdale (Loss)

No report this week, but the T20 guys suffered a tight loss.

North West Youth Cricket Results

NWY 1st XI vs Christ’s College 2nd XI (Win)

NWYC 1st XI headed into our game against Christ’s College 2nd XI knowing that a comprehensive win was the only option if we were to remain on target for promotion at the end of the season. We arrived to find the covers on the Christ’s number 2 pitch had failed to do their job properly leaving a number of damp patches on the pitch and in the bowlers landing area. This was far from ideal however both teams were keen to get the game going on time and push ahead for a result.

Brayden won the toss and opted to bowl. Some planning was required to avoid the wet areas and this meant that we could only bowl our left arm bowlers from the Riccarton Avenue end of the ground. Dilan and Austin opened up and Austin soon had our first wicket bowling their opener with a Jaffa which angled in and then jagged away taking middle stump. The Christ’s College upper and middle order began putting together a number of small partnerships but nothing of any significance which would threaten an imposing total. Aroon picked up a couple of key wickets both caught behind by Jordan. This along with a couple of run outs soon had them at 79 for 5. From this position we were pretty keen to keep them to a total of around 100. We had been guilty over the last couple of weeks of letting lower order partnerships get away on us. Kaden picked up a wicket and then Thomas coming on as our 7th bowler and bowling at a far gentler pace than usual due to a side strain also managed to pick up a wicket again caught behind. Their tail was mopped up pretty quickly by Brayden and another well taken run out. The end of the Christ’s College innings concluded on 111 a small but rather niggly total.

The boys enjoyed a fantastic burger courtesy of the Christs College fundraising barbecue for lunch while we contemplated our chase. Our chase started positively with some good running between the wickets while being well supported by a number of wides bowled by the Christ’s opening bowlers. Unfortunately, on 14 we lost our first wicket with Harrison getting through his shot a little early and getting caught at cover. Harrison’s dismissal brought Jordan to the crease. Jasper and Jordan had had a number of promising partnerships this season but had never quite kicked on together to build something substantial but perhaps this could be the day. They both started promisingly hitting gaps and putting away the loose ball. Alongside a number of wides they were cruising along at 6 runs an over and under very little pressure. The introduction of spin did reduce the run rate and we reached drinks at 17 overs at 86 for 1 requiring another 26 runs for victory. With Jasper on 36 and Jordan on 30 there was added interest in whether either of these batsman would be able to reach 50. Jasper managed to control the strike and successfully picked up runs at the end of each over. Entering the 22nd over we required 14 more runs. With Jasper hitting 7 runs off the first three deliveries he moved into 49 but had handed the strike over to Jordan with 7 runs required for victory. Jordan had been eyeing up the straight boundary for a few overs and finally got one on his zone and proceeded to launch the ball into the upper branches of the trees stationed at long on. This left us needing one run for victory and Jasper one run short of his 50. Messages were hurriedly sent from the sideline for Jordan to defend the last two balls of the over with the hope the Jasper would be able to get his 50. Thankfully the messages got through and Jordan defended the last two deliveries. Jasper defended his first delivery and then calmly placed the ball between the keeper and first slip to bring up his 50 and also a 100 run partnership between the two of them.

This was a well deserved victory and a fairly complete performance from all involved. Next week brings an all important game against CBHS 2nd XI with the winner moving into the top 6 alongside Timaru Boys High School.

NWY 2nd XI vs Sydenham 2nd XI (Win)

A solid win for us the week prior, we went into the game full of confidence. Incredibly, it was the 2nd Xi's 3rd game at home in 3 years, at the same rate as the number of hatricks for the team in that time at 1 per year. Starting the week with 12, we found ourselves with 10 as injury and sickness ruled out the Sam's. Losing the toss we were asked to bat, but it was what we wanted to do in the first place. Aditya and Ollie opened up, putting on 64 together in no time with Aditya being the main aggressor as the pitch was a little sticky, and tough to get started on. Unfortunately, both him and then Bosilu walked past the flighty off spinner whose deliveries came down with snow on them. Ollie started getting into a grove, playing aerially over the infield and picking up a spray of boundaries while Olly got into his innings. Partnerships of 31 with Bosilu and then 32 with Olly, before he tucked one to early and got a leading edge. Ben joined Ollie and continued building partnerships with his opening batter, putting on 42 with Ollie before he was bowled. Ethan and Ollie then put on 35 together for the 5th wicket, for 5 30+ partnerships in a row, the only time this year we had done such a feat. Ollie’s innings was finally brought to an end on 90 off just 83 balls with 15 boundaries to his name. It was made all the more impressive by the fact that he is still recovering from a slight MCL tear and was barely able to run after he crossed 50. When Ethan fell shortly after, Alex G and Hadley were together in the middle with the score on 216-6 with still 19 overs left in the innings and with only 10, we were in danger of not batting our overs and wasting a great start, but the pair of them batted superbly and with patience. With them at the crease, 250 seemed possible, and before we knew it, we had flown by. Hadley planted back to back 6’s down the ground, clearing the boundary with ease as the pair put 79. Unfortunately, that was our last runs as our final 3 wickets fell for 0 and we had posted an impressive 295-9 in 45 overs.

We started very well with the ball, but poor in the field, dropping 2 catches in the slips in the first over and a 3rd in the 4th over before Alex grabbed a sharp caught and bowled, the first of his catches. Then, a piece of brilliance. Lee Anne Martin. A girl in one our North West women's sides, who graciously fielded for us to give us 11, took a catch at point off Ethan. She would field all day for us to help us out and it was truly awesome. Sydenham went hard as they tried to chase our score down, offering opportunities and Alex snaffled his second catch, one handed at short cover off Ethan. Jesse got his first wicket off a towering catch by Hadley at mid on, who took a great catch in the swirling wind. Ollie then made his way off as his knee was extremely sore and Josh Van Amelsfort from the colts filled in in the field for him, so thanks to him for that. Alex then grabbed his 3rd, and most impressive catch of the day. Fielding at long on, and not really paying attention to the game as he was fixing the scoreboard, Bosilu was hit down the ground. Alex reacted late, threw the number cards in his hands to the ground, sprinted to his left and took the catch. He then had to update the scoreboard again. A couple more wickets fell in quick time as a leg stump yorker by Jesse took out the stumps and then Alex grabbed his 4th catch in at short cover in the same over, his second with one hand. In the last over of his 6 over spell, Jesse bowled another victim, taking 4-26 in his spell, which put the game firmly in our favour. Alex incredibly picked up his 5th catch and his second caught and bowled, with his 3rd one handed catch as we closed in on the win and should have finished it 2 balls later, when an obvious nick was turned down. Frustratingly, we allowed Sydenham to profit from this and a big partnership of 64 for the last wicket allowed Sydenham to bring the game close, but in the end, we closed out an 80 run win with Hadley bowling their last batsman. Lee Anne had bowled a couple of over as well in search of a deserving wicket, but was unfortunate not to get one.

A great win and an all round great team performance.

NWYC 2nd Xi 295-9 45.1ov

Ollie 90 (83) 15x4

Hadley 37 (46) 3x4 2x6

Alex 29 (44) 3x4

Aditya 26 (34) 3x4

Sydenham 2nd Xi 215-10 43.3ov

Jesse 8ov 4-42

Ethan 7ov 2-24

Alex 8ov 2-35 5 Catches

Hadley 1.3ov 1-9

Bosilu 9ov 1-49

NWY Colts vs STAC (Loss)

NWY 107 (F. Winsley 33)

STAC 108/8 (J. Moore 4/22; R. Siddiqui 3/22)

NWY 3rd XI Green (No game)

NWY 3rd XI Black (No game)

NWY Year 9A (No game)

NWY Year 9B (No game)

NWY Year 9C (No game)

Article added: Wednesday 20 November 2024