United Cricket Club (Counties Manukau) Incorporated

United Cricket Club's Senior A team started the 2008-09 season on a winning note, with a comfortable victory over Manukau Cricket Club on Saturday, 18th October '08 at Memorial Park, Manurewa.

United's captain Matthew Forrest won the toss & elected to field first. Their opening bowler Bruce Page was on a roll & started with a burst of 5/12 off 6 overs. Manukau's recovery was led by batsmen Vaughn (32) & Ash Herwels (52), ably assisted by the last wicket partnership that took the total to 190 all out in the 46th over. Bruce Page ended up with figures of 10-1-29-5 and skipper Matthew Forrest chipped in with 6.4-1-16-3.

United's reply started in great style, with both the openers getting half centuries; Russell Harvey (who struck 59 in his first outing for the club) and Bruce Page (51) added 114 runs for the first wicket. With the next three wickets falling cheaply, Manukau fancied their chances at 149/4. But United captain Matthew Forrest (27) had different ideas & combined with 14-year-old debutant Rajat Malhotra (15) to add 40 runs for the fifth wicket to assure an easy victory for United with more than 15 overs to spare. The pair fell within a few balls of each-other, with 2 runs needed for victory & the task was completed by the not out batsmen Matthew Mudford & Shane Lovell.

Perfect start to the season for United Cricket Club with this 4-wicket victory!