Petone were left red faced on Saturday when informed post match they were in fact playing Taita Cricket Club and not having an open net training against Petone team mates. When contacted BJ feeling Crook said "lol, I still don't understand, we read the draw that we were playing Petone Taita, we assumed that was us. So are you telling me we lost to Taita? Who’s Petone Taita then? lol"
Earlier that day Taita were pleased to be back on Fraser Park Alluvial soil. Greeted with the sound of fireworks going off at 10am, fresh gangski paintings on the clubrooms and the sight of mini motorbikes doing mean skids across Fraser Park - life was good.
Taita won the warms ups and the toss electing to bat on the 6a belter. The innings started well with James ‘Bondi Vet’ Crowley purring along with a considered 68. The top four all contributed with the bat, but in the latter stages Taita’s twitch emerged, Taita losing 57 runs for 7 wickets, setting Petone 188.
With the vet barking nothing but motivation, Andrew ‘Alfy’ Sturt was inspirational with the new pearl, putting the first 4 Petone settlers in a boat home. After the onslaught of Alfy, Petone re-established their innings led by Captain Crook, but with all bowlers showing good discipline, Taita took wickets at key stages of the match.
The blossoming ‘Mutcha’ Blomfield took a good catch and snared the wicked of Scott Jones who looked dangerous, sending a couple of lusties over the whitewash.
At 181/7 with 8 more needed for Petone to take the dubya, Mutcha rattled the settlers with jibes about the 1855 Petone earthquake and resulting floods. With the Petone batsman clearly nervous/confused, Taita took 3 wickets in 2 overs, Petone handing the 4 points to their namesake.
The Premier Reserves played Hutt Districts in the TMP microclimate. The conditions best summarised by Jake ‘Flake’ Johnstone saying he felt “soooo fatigued”, team mates weren’t sure if this was because of the weather or rather the fact Flake had left an all-night Resenes paint party to come to cricket.
The Taita warriors were in high spirits with their new replica coloured kit and started well when electing to bat. Lush TMP chewing fescue restricted the early run flow, but promising signs were shown with the bat, as 5 batsman made over 19. Taita seeing out their allotted 50 overs, setting Hutt Districts 159 for the win.
Taita lost concentration over the forty minute break, Matt Pepper Spray and Patrick ‘Glugsy’ Smith took the new ball. With Glugsy still chaffed about getting a pork riblet sub rather than his preferred veggie patty and Pepper Spray still haunted by taunts from yester years, the start was far from desirable for captain/teacher Jason ‘Wolf’ Doyle. Aaaaaooooooh made it clear to the pack early he wanted discipline, Patrick Horton heard the howls and produced pinpoint A++ bowling to put the brakes on the scorecard.
Unfortunately, further wayward bowling meant Hutt accumulated easy runs. The curse of the Kennedy’s wasn’t enough to distract Matt who knocked the rest of the runs off for Hutt, who went home with the bacon.
In other games, Grade 1 kicked off their season with a win. Taita 235 beat Eastbourne 100/AO. Andrew Tait 67, Bede Jordan 5-20, Sam Borne 4-24
The senior women had a loss, but could grab some positives out of their first game against Johnsonville. Taita 56/AO lost to Johnsonville 58/2. Marie Jones 1-10, Carol Graham 13, 1-15.