Fired-up Easts savour victory

BY FRED WOODCOCK

Eastern Suburbs captain Lance Dry thanked critics for helping to inspire his team to an eighth successive Wellington premier cricket club title, saying the tense two-wicket win against Karori was easily the sweetest of all.

Easts came under fire last week and six premier clubs wanted them thrown out of the final for flouting the 14-day residency rule in their final round-robin match against Upper Hutt, when Australian Steve Spoljaric was flown in and out of the country for the two weekends of the match.

Cricket Wellington didn't go so far as to kick them out, as the truth is the rule has been waived for years, but they did rule Spoljaric ineligible to play in the three-day final, which Easts won by two wickets in a cliff-hanger finish yesterday at Petone Recreation Ground yesterday.

"This is by far and away the sweetest," Dry said after lifting the Pearce Cup again.

"People say that we're win-at-all-costs but I think you've seen the emotion that everyone else is showing. They're probably coming at it from the same perspective as well."

Dry said winning the title without Spoljaric was particularly pleasing, "considering that we've had an overseas player [Richard Pyrah] since the first ball of the season.

"He went home injured and we replaced him. [Spoljaric] wasn't here but we just showed we're capable without him. Point proved."

Dry took a swipe at critics who claimed Easts had no regard for the spirit of club cricket over the Spoljaric affair.

A comment piece in The Dominion Post last week sparked a vigorous public debate as emotions ran high and only added to Easts' motivation.

"After all the stuff that's been going on all week, no pun intended, especially the rubbish you guys have been writing ... it's very sweet. It certainly sticks it back up him," Dry said.

"If anything, it just worked against them and it just spurred us on.

"So thanks very much to all those people who gave us a hard time. It's been brilliant and bloody helpful."

There was no love lost between the two teams during the match but they were both gracious at the end, with Karori captain Simon Baker acknowledging the better team had won the final.

Easts' Ricky Joseph was the standout player of the match, backing up his first innings haul of 5-70 with 7-42 on Saturday as the champions skittled Karori for just 94 in their second turn at bat.

"Twelve wickets bowling into the wind non-stop, I think he bowled all but five overs from one end in the whole game," Dry said. "It was an outstanding effort."

It left Easts, who had replied to Karori's first innings 154 with 130, needing 119 to win a low-scoring final, which they achieved with eight wickets down, Dry hitting the winning runs off Baker.

"It was low-scoring but it was a bloody good game," Dry said.

"The wicket was good. I think it was more of a case of everyone knowing what was on the game."

In the senior grade Hazlett Trophy final, University beat top qualifiers Johnsonville by 113 runs, with Graham Murray the star performer for the victors.

Murray scored 41 and 74 and took 5-45 and 5-69 as Johnsonville fell well short of the 325 runs they required for victory yesterday.

- © Fairfax NZ News