Stratford White Cricket

25th March 2010

STRATFORD White are Taranaki Third grade champions, after winning their final at Pukekura Park on Sunday against Fitzroy falcons by five wickets.
The victory enabled the team to be back to back champions after last year’s success as well.
With the team meeting at 9am and the skipper arriving after being on a stag-do all night (looking like he’d been sleeping on a park bench for two hours), we made our journey to New Plymouth.
On arrival at the park Captain Aaron Moore won the toss and elected to bowl.
Stratford were rewarded by dismissing their opener cheaply, however Fitzroy batted for long periods without dominating the ball. Ross Williams kept the boys on their toes with his positive barking behind the stumps.
All the Stratford bowlers bowled well, which frustrated the batters, and wickets began to fall.
Greg Hughes, showing signs of wear and tear, and fatigue from bowling, was replaced in the field by 12th man, Cameron Coombes.
Ian Patterson showed his finals experience by claiming a five wicket bag and was well supported by fellow wicket takers Aaron Moore (2), Andrew Jolly, Duncan MacDonald and Brendon Gernhoefer.
Fitzroy were bowled out in the 45th over for 179.
Going into the halftime break Stratford were quietly confident of overhauling the target. 
Ali Wickstead and Gareth Edwards opened the batting with Wickstead firing right from the first ball hitting it to the boundary.