New Plymouth Marist United have taken home the Revital Fertilisers Premier T20 title with a dominant display over Hawera United in the final.
The game ended after a torrential downpour 9 overs into Hawera’s innings, the result however was beyond doubt with Hawera in all sorts of trouble at 22 for 6.
NPMU won the toss and elected to bat first with openers Ryan Fleming and Dean Robinson getting them off to a good start, when Fleming was first to go for 23 NPMU were on 56 after nine overs. Next ball after Fleming’s dismissal Robinson was given a life by Ngoni Mupamba behind the stumps, Robinson would soon make them pay scoring 57 off 44 balls. Hawera did well to restrict NPMU to 114 for 4 with 21 balls to go. Hawera’s standards slipped and some sloppy fielding and hard hitting saw NPMU post 163 for 4, Jarred Cunningham (28) and Jacob Richards (34) doing the damage late.
All the momentum was with NPMU and they came out after the break and were relentless in the field, Adam Keene drove the fourth ball of the innings in the air straight to mid off, Mupamba was run out an over later from a sensational bit of fielding by Andy Kelly, when skipper Nick Walker was bowled Hawera found themselves 8 for 3, with thunder in the background and dark cloud rolling in over the trees NPMU were in a rush to get 5 overs bowled, in the process Daniel Bernet got through Rob Northcott’s defences and Josh Barrett picked up the wicket of Liam Fowler, Hawera were 9 for 5 and any chances of winning were dashed, with light drizzle now falling Hayden Birss clean bowled Liam Heibner as the heavens opened with Hawera 22 for 6.
Players came from the field followed by handshakes as NPMU won the title on duckworth lewis calculation.