Ashburton College Cricket 1st XI 2020. Photo supplied.A fired-up Christ’s College 1st XI got even with their AshColl counterparts during the final one day hit-out of the year.

Ashburton College’s Ara Championship campaign came to an end at the Ashburton Domain with a 42 run loss to the prominent Christchurch school on the competition’s finals day.

The plucky Mid Canterbury outfit again were more than serviceable with the ball, as they again restricted Christ’s with the bat as they failed to bat out their allotted overs.

However there would be no repeat of AshColl’s clinical batting effort from two weeks prior when they tipped up College.

Instead, their middle order crumbled in search of 162, to be all out for 119 in the 33rd over.

AshColl again were more than worthy competitors in their final competition game and enjoyed an emphatic beginning to the game when Wil Jemmett rattled Thomas McClean’s stumps with the very first delivery of the match.

Christ’s lost Caleb Manson in the 6th over to have them teetering, as AshColl applied the blowtorch with the ball across the first 10 overs.

The hosts ratcheted up the pressure by claiming two more wickets before the 15th over mark as Christ’s stumbled to 43/4 – Angus Jemmett’s spin causing all sorts of niggle for their top order.

Monty Rookes and George Anderson proceeded to wrestle back some momentum for the visitors, putting on 55 runs for the 5th wicket, solidifying proceedings for a time.

Devon Flannery broke the stand when he had Anderson adjudged leg before in the 24th over with the score at 98.

Rookes, meanwhile, was fearless during an action-packed knock for Christ’s as he cleared the boundary several times en route to a half century.

He went soon after, bringing up the milestone as AshColl found themselves on top once again.

Another two wickets had Christ’s innings hanging by a thread, however the final two wickets proved elusive for AshColl, with Benjamin Breitmeyer and Harrison Lund frustrating the hosts by adding 32 valuable runs to the tally.

It was left to Liam Sullivan to eventually finish things off, his two late strikes leaving him with figures of 3-23.

AshColl suffered an early setback when they lost rep star Flannery in the second over for 4.

Jemmett and Isaac Bazley were watchful at the crease, as they guided the side past the 10-over mark, albeit at a sluggish scoring rate.

Breitmeyer claimed the scalps of both batsmen in a matter of overs, in what was a major blow to AshColl’s prospects.

There was still batting to come, however once the visitors removed Jonty Small, Lachie Jemmett and Sam Cuttle in quick succession, the forecast looked grim, with the side reeling at 58/6 by the 21st over mark.

Gus Casey-Solly also followed suit as Christ’s continued to strangle.

To their credit, AshColl did not throw in the towel.

Sullivan fought hard coming in at number eight by taking the attack to Christ’s late, as he and Wil Jemmett (15) added 30. Jemmett’s cameo ended in the 30th over as the score approached three figures.

Christ’s wrapped the result up a few overs later in a match where the hosts scrapped and persevered but, in the end, came up short.

By Adam Burns © The Ashburton Guardian - 10 December 2020