New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Blundell dismissed Bevon Jacobs bowling off-spin, in a change of role during the Ford Trophy game between Auckland and Wellington today (February 10).
Bowling for the first time in List A cricket, Blundell trapped Jacobs leg before to pick up his maiden wicket in the format. All-rounder Peter Younghusband kept wicket in his stead, while himself bowling his full quota of 10 overs in the game, and picking up a wicket.
Auckland batted first at the Eden Park Outer Oval and enjoyed a solid start. Openers Dale Phillips and Sean Solia, both reached 40, while adding 85 runs for the first wicket. But Phillips’s dismissal in the 18th over triggered a collapse as the home side went from 85-0 to 106-4 in almost nine overs.
Jacobs and Lachlan Stackpole wrested some momentum back, constructing a 58-run stand for the fifth wicket before the latter fell 10 overs later. The sidelined New Zealand T20I opener couldn’t hang around for long, with Blundell dismissing him lbw with just the second ball of his spell.
Jacobs' departure completely derailed the Auckland innings, and they were only able to reach 240-8 in their 50 overs. Nick Greenwood and Jesse Tashkoff both took three wickets each, while also opening the batting for Wellington.
Greenwood fell in the fifth over with just 20 runs on the board, while Taskhoff departed in the eighth. Oscar Jackson, however, played a quickfire knock of 57 off 27 from No.3, reducing the impact of the early departures of the Wellington openers.
Muhammad Abbas (53*) and Blundell (49*) remained unbeaten until the end to ensure there were no further hiccups, adding 68 runs for the sixth wicket to take the team through. The win took Wellington to third in the points table, while Auckland remained fifth with a fifth loss in eight games.
Match 22, Auckland Aces vs Wellington Firebirds
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Notably, while this was his first time bowling in List A cricket, Blundell has previously bowled in first-class and Test cricket, and also has an FC wicket to his name.
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