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Over 42,000 people have turned out to watch the inaugural HRV Cup Twenty20 competition during the first five rounds. They saw 139 sixes being smashed, 311 fours reaching the boundary, 261 wickets, 16 half centuries and one ton scored.
The Ross Taylor show
You could say the HRV Cup has turned into the Ross Taylor show, with the BLACKCAP hitting the most sixes and fours during the first half of the competition.
He has blasted 12 sixes and 20 fours in total and scored two half centuries; his first was 53 off 32 balls against the Northern Knights and the second was 53 off 27 in the latest game against the Canterbury Wizards. He also hit 40 off 19 balls against the Volts, and a 47 off 25. With that impressive batting display, it’s no wonder the Central Stags are firmly at the top of the HRV Cup table.
Taylor is thrilled with being the top six hitter; however he remains focused on the next five rounds of HRV Cup competition. “Scoring lots of runs feels good. The art of Twenty20 cricket is that you’ve got to react to the ball and the situation dictates how you play. Quite often you are trying to clear the ropes. That’s enjoyable for me,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s a team sport and the main thing is the team continues winning games.”
Spectacular sixes
During the first five rounds of the HRV Cup, 139 sixes have been recorded, with the Auckland Aces leading the pack for the most sixes hit by a single team. The Aces have hit 32 sixes so far, with Lou Vincent smashing eight of them. In his most recent performance against the Wellington Firebirds, Vincent hit six sixes on his way to making 105.
International import Owais Shah, who is playing for the Wellington Firebirds, scored seven sixes against the Canterbury Wizards. It is the highest amount of hit over the fence by one batsman in one game so far during the HRV Cup. In the same game Wizard’s batsman Shanan Stewart lashed five on his way to 57.
Fabulous fours
311 balls have been smashed to the boundary rope during the first five rounds of the HRV Cup with the Stags leading the table, hitting 79 collectively.
It was also a Stags batsman who hit the most fours in one game with Mathew Sinclair reaching 10 fours on his way to 69 off 54 against the Aces. Stags opener Peter Ingram follows closely behind, hitting nine fours in one game against the Wellington Firebirds.
Centuries
Auckland Aces batsman Lou Vincent was out to prove he still has the “it” factor, booming 105 off 60 balls against the Wellington Firebirds in the latest round of the HRV Cup. On his way to the milestone Vincent hit eight fours and six sixes.
Half Centuries
There have been 16 half centuries reached over the last two weeks, with the biggest coming from Neil Parlane who struck 85 off 50 against the Aces.
The Stags have five half centuries with Taylor and Sinclair scoring two each and Peter Ingram making 70 off 59 against the Wellington Firebirds.
Martin Guptill, Aranu Kitchen, Vincent and Ravi Bopara have all passed 50 for the Aces.
Best Bowling
Across the first 14 games of the HRV Cup 261 wickets have fallen. Two five wicket bags and one four wicket haul have occurred, including the best Twenty20 bowling figures by a New Zealander.
That record is now held by Stags bowler Jake Oram who sneered 5 for 14 off four overs against the Otago Volts. Canterbury Wizards all-rounder and spinner Rob Nicol was the other to take a rare five wicket bag with 5 for 22 against the Northern Knights.
Ryan Burson, also from the Canterbury Wizards, returned four for 16 from against the Otago Volts.
Crowds
The 2010 HRV Cup Twenty20 competition has seen record crowds. From the Mount to Invercargill the HRV Cup has been right around the country.
Over 42,000 people have turned up to the grounds to watch all the action. The biggest crowd so far was in Mt Maunganui where more than 5000 came to watch the Northern Knights battle the Otago Volts.
