King’s vanquish MAGS in battle to secure top spot on competition ladder

In the fifth round of this eight-team competition (Premier Boys Limited Overs 2021) the only remaining unbeaten teams faced off at Mt Albert Grammar School. The match was delayed by fifteen minutes due to a partially sodden wicket, so the overs were reduced to 48. Winning the toss was vital, under these circumstances and King’s was lucky to call correctly and chose to bowl.

The MAGS opening batsmen faced a torrid onslaught from the King’s opening pair of Muhammad Abbas and Louis Anderson, but they weathered the early storm through grit, determination and a thick slice of luck. The King’s opening bowlers were virtually unplayable as the ball kept missing the outside edge of the bat and the first scoring shot occurred in the fourth over. At the end of the 10^th over the score showed 11 runs and MAGS only breached the 2 RPO mark in the 19^th over. The opening partnership was broken in the 10^th over with the score on 11 and 56 balls being used up. Anderson struck twice in this over, bringing in the much-heralded #4 batsman who was in good form. Nick Tapper replaced Abbas in the 11^th over and Seb Macdonald replaced Anderson in the 14^th over. Seb Macdonald, the skipper, showed wonderful control and has developed into a crafty bowler in spite of his lack of pace. Such was his control that he allowed himself six overs on the trot before bringing on the spin of Max Chaplin in the 26^th over. Patrick Maher replaced Tapper who claimed the third wicket, that of the opposition king-pin for just six runs. Amidst all this turmoil, the other opener was still there, patiently building an innings and willing his team mates to show some resolve, but the King’s game plan gave them no respite. Maher secured the 4^th wicket to break a 31-run partnership.

The 5^th wicket partnership showed signs of durability and was beginning to cause slight concern so it was time for Toby Irvine to show his skills. Irvine and Chaplin bowled in tandem for the next 13 overs and three more batsmen were sent back. One of them was the opening batsman who had got to his half-century and was looking untroubled until he pulled Chaplin to the mid-wicket boundary and as the ball was seemingly sailing safely in no man’s land destined for at least four runs, Liam Denny on debut came into the picture –sprinting 20 metres, then diving before pulling off a magical catch at full stretch and MAGS were jolted once again at 118/7 in the 44^th over. Just before this significant juncture Irvine had broken another niggly partnership – that for the 5^th wicket for 45 runs in 14 overs as MAGS were beginning to flex some muscle. Anderson came back in the 46^th over and pulled off a stunning caught and bowled effort to have the opposition reeling at 118/8. The only real blemish came in the final over bowled by Anderson when he conceded 10 runs allowing MAGS to reach a slightly respectable 133/8 in 48 overs.

The second half started with the usual intensity between these two competitive teams as the on-field chatter resumed from where it left off before lunch. The much-vaunted home team spin attack always back themselves to defend small totals, especially on familiar turf that caters for their strengths. The openers Achindra Molamure and Macdonald were despatched after making tiny inroads but a lot was left to the inexperienced Karl Wallace, in at #3 and the veteran Abbas to take King’s across the line. After an understandably nervous and tentative start Wallace soon settled in the company of Abbas and they began to resurrect the King’s run-chase. They came together in the 9^th over and with the RRR being a non-issue they gave themselves sufficient time to get comfortable by being wonderfully patient and playing each ball on its merit. With the condition of the wicket and the relentless spin onslaught this building of a partnership was intriguingly breath-taking. Wallace unfurled some glorious drives on both sides of the wicket whilst Abbas focussed on rotating the strike and encouraging his partner to enjoy his time out in the middle. After 5 overs of watchful batting the duo started showing their class and brought up the fifty partnership in the 23^rd over with the total on 79/3 – still a long way from victory. The bowling attack started running out of ideas and with the RRR plummeting, all they could do was hope. It didn’t come as Abbas and Wallace took the score into triple figures in 28^th over and brought up their century partnership in the 32^nd over. The victory was achieved in the 34^th over  with 14 overs to spare and ensured that King’s College was the only unbeaten team in the competition.

Debut:  Liam Denny

King’s win by 8 wickets