Absent :- Jeetan Patel, Liam Crisp, Scott Golder, Ankur Bassi, Peter Connell
Eastern Suburbs did it again, winning their thirteenth Pearce Cup title in the last 14 years, at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
LANCE DRY and Eastern Suburbs have their detractors; they’ve also got the Pearce Cup in the cabinet for another offseason. You can say what you like about Easts, but you can’t deny their numbers. Sunday’s fivewicket win over top qualifiers Taita in the Pearce Cup final meant Dry and company are Wellington club champions for the thirteenth time in 14 years. They were beaten finalists the other time. It’s a pretty decent run by any standard, although not one Easts often get a lot of credit for.
"Thirteen out of 14, that’s pretty good eh?" Dry said after Andrew Fullerton-Smith sealed victory with four runs through cover.
The streak won’t last forever. Dry’s 40 in December and will give the game away eventually. Right now, though, it remains "good fun" and something he’s still good at. When Dry caught and bowled Kieran McComb in Taita’s first innings of 136, it was the 700th wicket of the legspinner’s 21-year career. Again, like the 13 titles, 700 is a number that demands a bit of respect. But Dry had been wary about this final. Taita, in his estimation, had been the best side this summer with Easts having "flattered to deceive" for most of the campaign. Dry tires of one-day and Twenty20 cricket and primes Easts for the two day stuff, where all the points and prestige are. They left their run toward the top of the a little late this time and qualifying second meant having to win the three day decider outright. That can be difficult, but Dry felt Taita’s unfamiliarity with this stage proved critical in the final.
"It’s tricky when you’re first and you haven’t been first; it’s hard to know how hard you should go. Getting to bowl first and to put the pressure on them really made the difference for us," said Dry.
Having shot Taita out for 136 in just 36.4 overs, Easts replied with 323. Jamie Gibson made 117 and there were good contributions from Ronald Karaitiana (40), Lauchie Johns (39) and Dry himself (36).
Sam Le Gros’ 131 enabled Taita to produce 315 second time round. But, despite some decent last innings bowling from Andrew Sturt and Mark Houghton, 129 wasn’t a particularly formidable total for Easts to chase.
"I got a bit nervous and we’ve had a good collapse every now and then and the batters haven’t covered themselves in glory," Dry said. But Johns’ 58 got Easts most of the way there, leaving Fullerton-Smith and Jimad Khan to finish the job.
Dry can’t, or won’t, rank the 13 titles but did say this "was a good one".
- The Dominion Post 6 Apr 2015 - HAMISH BIDWELL
Taita 136-10 & 315-10 and Easts 323-10 & 129-5, OUTRIGHT WIN BY 5 WICKETS
Once again the Easts Premier Men team have qualified for the 3 day "Rothbury Wilkinson PEARCE CUP FINAL" to be played at the Basin Reserve on Friday 3rd April to Sunday 5th April 2015.
Taita ended up the leaders in the 2 day Pearce Cup competition and therefore it is a MUST for EASTS to WIN to retain the trophy for another year. Let’s get down to the Basin and support the Premier team.
History shows that we can achieve this so "GO THE MIGHTY EASTS !!!!!"
Finals format was introduced in 2005/2006 and prior to that the winner was determined by competition points at the end of the season
The Pearce Cup Cup was decided by the accummulation of competition points in the 1 and 2 Day games during the season
but this year the two top teams would play a 3 day final against each other. The outright winner would win the Pearce Cup but if the game
ending up as a draw then the top qualifier would be crowned the winner.
In 2015 The MIGHTY EASTS team won it again by beating Taita by 5 wickets in the final !!!.
Now THIRTEEN from FOURTEEN !!!!
Season | Team 1 | Team 2 | Result |
2014/2015 | Easts | Taita | Easts won by 5 wickets |
2013/2014 | Easts | Hutt Districts | Easts won as top qualifier - Drawn game |
2012/2013 | Easts | Karori | Easts won by 9 wickets |
2011/2012 | Easts | Naenae | Easts won by 9 wickets |
2010/2011 | Easts | Karori | Karori won by 108 runs |
2009/2010 | Easts | Karori | Easts won by 8 wickets |
2008/2009 | Easts | Karori | Easts won by 2 wickets |
2007/2008 | Easts | North City | Easts won by 7 wickets |
2006/2007 | Easts | Naenae | Easts won by 9 wickets |
2005/2006 | Easts | Karori | Easts won as top qualifier - Final abandoned (rain) |
2004/2005 | Easts | Easts won by 20.26 points | |
2003/2004 | Easts | Easts won by 14.92 points | |
2002/2003 | Easts | Easts won by 2.15 points | |
2001/2002 | Easts | Easts won by 6.93 points |