The Falcons picked up the first Tasman Premier League cricket victory of the season by a Marlborough side during round two on Saturday.
For the second week in a row both Marlborough-based sides were at Horton Park, the Falcons beating WTTU Tigers by 95 runs on the No3 wicket while the Dolphins lost by four wickets to Stoke Nayland on the main wicket.
The Falcons innings of 251-7 was based around an unbeaten 115 by former rep batsman Matthew Stretch, his ton coming from 136 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. He had good support from opener Hamish O’Brien, 40 from 81, Harry Boyce with 23 from 16 and Greg Stretch with 23 from 15.
Jack Aldridge, Daniel Wightman and Logan Andrews picked up two wickets apiece.
The Tigers reply started well, the visitors well placed at 109-3 at the halfway mark, before the Falcons bowlers began to get on top.
Rep seamer Sam Boyce claimed a couple of wickets while Matthew Stretch completed a very satisfying outing by snaring the key scalp of opener Lucky Singh, who top-scored with 63 from 81. O’Brien wrapped up the tail, taking 5-8 from 4.3 overs, the match ending in the 42nd over.
On the adjoining ground a below par batting effort meant Dolphins were chasing the game throughout.
They could only put 94 on the board, being dismissed on the 40th over. Josh Poole top scored with 31 from 52 balls. Both Tom Sutherland and Luke Holdaway scored 15. For Stoke, Tim Muir bagged 4-17 from 10 while Jared Silvester took 3-19.
The visitors stuttered in reply, sitting at 38-6 before an unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 59 between Muir and Hayden Vallance got them over the line in the 30th over, finishing at 97-6. Jaden Adams, who claimed 4-23 from 10, and Holdaway, 1-14 from eight, were the pick of the local attack.
