2023/24 Ford Trophy - Round 4 Match Report

The Firebirds turned the tables on early season conquerors Canterbury in convincing fashion as the return fixture was played under a sunny sky on Thursday.  

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They started strongly after being asked to bat first and reached 40-1 in 10 overs.  Nick Greenwood and Troy Johnson batted confidently to add 79 for the second wicket, which was followed by a period of consolidation.  A total of 52 runs came from the final seven overs as Muhammed Abbas on Ford Trophy debut, Callum McLachlan, Logan van Beek and Adam Milne hit out effectively and all passed 20.  Best of the Canterbury bowlers, with 3-34, was new BLACKCAPS’ selection Will O’Rourke, an opening bowler like his father, Patrick, who played for Wellington from 1989 to 1993.

Recent BLACKCAPS’ ODI and T20I opener Chad Bowes, hit 6 fours and a six in his 47 at the start of Canterbury’s reply, but once he was deceived and bowled by Peter Younghusband at 76-3, his side lost four wickets for 39 runs in 14 overs to be in some difficulty.  The visitors’ did reach 145-6 in the 35th over, but tight bowling restricted them over the following nine overs as Milne and Nathan Smith proved particularly hard to score from.  The only other batter to prosper was South African-born Bevon Jacobs who made 31, and the end came after just 44 overs with the Firebirds picking up their first Ford Trophy victory and gaining a bonus point.

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Short scoreboard

Wellington Firebirds 247-8 in 50 overs (Greenwood 64, Johnson 30, McLachlan 26, van Beek 26, Milne 24) beat Canterbury 192 in 44 overs (Milne 3-23, Smith 3-32) by 55 runs.

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