It’s all about this bloke right now..

(click on image for report)

Chris Spring & Craig Cachopa today set a new record of 182 for the 4th wicket   www.karoricricket.org.nz/partnerships

The previous best of 166, held by Johanssen & Sigley, had stood  since 1952-53.

Spring (157) was joined by Cachopa (78) at 29-3 in reply to Collegians 115 all out. The pair added 182 in just over 25 overs to help put Karori in a commanding position heading into day 2/

Scorecard

Entry: $FREE                Registrations & Draw: 11.30 – to start at 12.00

Prizes:    GM Karori Kit Bag;  NZ vs SA Test Match Tickets;  Bar Tabs;   & more

BBQ & Booze available throughout at not-for-profit prices – Not via KCC bar – so bring cash!

Rules:   Each player bats & bowls for 1 x 8 ball over  (coin toss to decide order) .  The player who scores the most runs wins & proceeds to the next round.   The loser is eliminated.

There will be 6 fielders – 3 on each side of the wicket – the bowler can move the fielders as desired but he must have 3 on either side of the wicket.

Wides & no-balls – the first wide/nb in the over is worth 1 run & is re-bowled.  Thereafter each extra is worth 3 runs & is not re-bowled unless it is the last ball of the over.   (A wide will be judged as per T20 guidelines).  The ball following a no-ball shall be deemed a ‘free-hit’  (applies to height as well as over-stepping) 

Last ball bonus – if the last ball of the over is hit for 6 then a bonus of 4 runs is awarded to that player i.e he scores 10 runs.

If a wicket falls, then the player is deducted 5 runs. The over continues till its conclusion.

*Grade Handicap – a handicap of 2 runs per grade is awarded to the lower-grade player  (max 8 runs)

Upper Hutt  vs   Karori

Karori 250-8 dec;   Upper Hutt 74a/o & 72-8.   Karori win first innings points

Scorecard

Aside from the obvious loss of good looks & charm, when the Firebirds are on club duty a couple of things usually happen at Karori – the quality of soccer takes a dive, & the top order gets congested  with non-natural openers.

Harry Boam, with more & more Dolf Lundgren about him with each passing season, has been easily the best looking of our reps for some time now, but since recently turning 21 Harry now appears to have the semblance of a sense of humour that may yet see him develop into the most complete all-rounder the club has seen since Richard Petrie.  Richard of course always got the joke, but was seldom considered a good looking man.

Anyway, as the poll is all about good-looking sisters not ugly firebirds it matters not how they look so long as they entertain. & Boam did not disappoint.  With enormous shoes to fill, he stepped up with 72 from 50 balls in probably his best knock for the club to date.  Whilst his predecessor could pull crowds with his charisma alone, it would be unfair to draw comparisons.  A young Sampras knew he could never entertain like Agassi, so he instead worked hard on his game & didn’t try – Boam would be wise to do the same.

Cachopa however is a differnet story – instantly a web-editors dream,  matched Boam blow for blow by belting several big 6’s on his way to 55. Spring, Templeton & Baker also turned up to the party as the team tally reached 15 sixes.  250-8 after 35 overs certainly couldn’t be a considered a late declaration & with a couple of U/Hutt batsmen missing, the bowlers sniffed blood.

Edwards & Quarterman are undoubtedly one of the finest new-ball club pairings in living memory & by contrast are devilishly good looking to boot.  The pungent smell of Joop soon filled the Upper Hut dressing room as wickets tumbled regularly.    Scores of 74 all out & 72-8 throw question marks over whether an earlier declaration at 25 overs would have been enough to force the win,  or if going into the game without a specialist under the helmet was in the end too bigger gamble.

Elsewhere, Spurs beat Newcastle 5-0 but they’d have had a much harder time playing the Hazlette Oldies who were irresistible on a quick surface at Karori Park today.  With the skill of Beckham, Ginola & Redknapp,in the side today (as well as the looks),  its not hard to see why Jim & Alan turned up early this week.  Karori 190 a/o; University 85 a/o & 50-1.  Karori take first innings points.

Harry, don’t take the England job…why, when you can die a hero at White Hart Lane, would you want to die as the villain of the next world cup?

http://www.karoricricket.org.nz/gallery/

Karori 184-9 lost to Easts 185-3     Scorecard    Pictures

So it wasn’t to be a repeat of 2010-11, as the one day trophy is surrendered to old rival Easts.   Congrats to them as they were worthy winners on the day.

HRV Karori vs Easts – get along to the Basin this Sunday & support the Pearce Cup team as they defend the 50 over trophy!

Taita 56 ao & 180 vs HRV Karori 244 ao   Scorecard

Edwards  5-34.  Cachopa 43, Murdoch 42, Sewell 40.

With a new groundsman at KP who seems to know a thing or 2 about cricket pitches, the decks are starting to turn a correct call at the coin toss into big lunches & afternoon bowls for the lower order,  so with Bakes again under-flicking by 180°,  the cheery music in the home dressing room was quickly turned off as the daunting prospect of warm ham sandwiches at 1.30 meant deathly silence from the batters was now far more approriate. Even Siri agreed.  Whilst removing the iphone from its doc, Siri picked up a disparaging enquiry along the lines of ’bugger it,  who’s got the team screen then?’,  to which it piped up immediately with its perfect response:  ’Bloody Bakes, he’d have bowled on that anyway - Lugsy’s still got it from last week’.   Wow, Siri – you are smart.

Fortunately however, it didn’t take long to remember who we were playing & as Tiger knocked over the first wicket in over #1,  it soon became apparent that we might be batting at lunch after all.  & so it was,  at 12.50pm & Taita 56 all out, the groundsman might be forgiven for thinking he still has a lot of work to do before mid-March, but a 12% improvement on their first dig in 2011 is nothing to be ashamed of.

Sadly our guys didn’t quite show him what a road it was either, with almost everyone getting a start but failing to go on.  Full days of cricket without the mecury dipping below 20° or a bat being raised for passing 50, are few & far between at Karori Park & I doubt we’ll see another if the pitches remain at this standard.

More freaky than this though, was that our first innings total of just under 250 is also a net increase of about 12% on last years,  & although I can’t remember what they closed on overnight then, i’m pretty sure it was about 12% less than they have now..   So, if memory & math serve me correctly, then Taita might put up a bit more of a fight on day 2 & if so, then we might have to knock off about 25-30 sometime just after lunch – give or take 12% or so of course.  I can handle that D.Guetta

So given the 12% theory is still to be disproven,  Siri can i ask you to please open the bar at about 2.26pm & stock about 12% more bottles of cider than usual.  Thanks.   What’s that sorry Siri?   The first round is being donated to the team by the generous Baker family..  Well that is good news.  I’m glad i left out the bit about his missed run out in the last over of play now.

No bugs to fix here Apple.