National Club Championships, Auckland April 2009

Mission Accomplished by John Coffey (Manager)

A steely determination to prove something to themselves and their club, and to boost the flagging reputation of Canterbury club cricket, drove the Lancaster Park-Woolston premier men to their emphatic victory in the 2009 National Club Championships at Auckland’s Cornwall Park.

Their six-match unbeaten sequence restored credibility to club cricket in Christchurch after this season’s local 50-overs and two-day competitions ended controversially, and previous Canterbury representatives had struggled to make an impact at national club level.

During the welcome function, the Cornwall club spokesman praised the past performances of clubs from Auckland, Otago, Wellington, Central Districts and Northern Districts – and then pointed out that no Canterbury club had won the title outright in its 15-year history.

The LPW players were listening. One only had to look at the glint in captain Andrew Ellis’ eyes to know that he was not spending a week in Auckland to relax after a tough campaign with the Canterbury Wizards.

Not that coach Garry MacDonald ever had any doubts about the outcome – he had been planning and plotting for weeks as the local season unwound – despite the withdrawal of all-rounder Ben McCord and unavailability of new recruit BJ Barnett.

During the early days of the tournament Mac would take a stroll around the other games, inevitably coming back to report that “we are going to win this bloody thing”.

Mac’s belief was absolute, even in the opening game when Cadets (ND) reached 181 for three with Llorne Howell in full flight. Off-spinner James Baxendale, who had shared the new ball, came back for a second spell and, with Andrew Ellis, caused Cadets to lose their last seven wickets for 25 runs. Solid batting, highlighted by Andrew Duncan’s unbeaten half-century, got LPW home by five wickets with 18 overs to spare.

Albion (Otago) had not lost a one-day game all season but could not prevent Ellis making the highest individual score (93) of the tournament. Despite a 73-run opening stand, Albion could not cope with Marty Kain’s left-arm spinners, before Jimmy Winstanley and Ryan McCone ripped out the middle order in a 52-run victory.

Rain caused the abandonment of round-three, after Hutt District (Wellington) had made early inroads to the LPW batting. They were to keep for the final.

Central’s Napier Tech Old Boys provided the biggest threat to LPW’s unbeaten sequence. Ellis and Kain did most to restrict Tech Old Boys to 134. But this was a devilishly seaming pitch and LPW slumped to 99 for eight before McCone and Winstanley saw the side home. McCone was dropped twice and bowled by a no-ball. But bold stroke play in his 52 not out blended perfectly with Winstanley’s straight bat at the other end.

Howick-Pakuranga, the Auckland champion, was seen as the biggest hurdle. But their heads dropped when big-hitting Luke Vivian holed out off Marty Kain and H-P managed only 143 from its 42 overs. Simon Allen and Duncan shared a 102-run partnership to steer LPW home by four wickets with 10 overs unbowled.

While LPW easily topped the round-robin table with maximum points, four of the other five teams – all provincial and districts champions – were scrapping for the second final berth. Hutt was the surprise qualifier, thanks to an innings of 64 off 45 balls by Andrew Nightingale.

But the final was a one-sided affair, completed by mid-afternoon. This time Nightingale spent two overs failing to even get a bat on one of Kain’s deliveries. He tried defence, he tried attack, he tried slogging, he tried reverse sweeping, before finally chipping a catch to complete one of the worst ducks in New Zealand cricket history.

It did not help the poor fellow that Kain cheerfully reminded him Sky television was filming the final to make a later documentary. Marty finished with figures of four for eight from 10 overs as Hutt mustered  only 120 runs off 47.1 overs.

“Why don’t we make it exciting for the Sky viewers by losing seven or eight wickets?” chirped Kain between innings. Not surprisingly, Mac did not agree with those tactics.

The championship was clinched by positive batting. Keryn Ambler carried off the Man of the Match award with a fluent 60 not out, with Ellis, Shaun Coffey, Allen and Duncan chipping in at the other end. Duncan finished it off with an imperious six over mid-wicket. Only 23 overs were needed to reach 121 for three.

Thanks to Lancaster Park-Woolston, whichever club travels north in 2010 will not have to be told that Canterbury has never won the trophy outright. Instead, they will hear that the LPW class 2009 was one of only three teams to go through the entire week unbeaten.