Back (l to r):- Pat Baker (Team Sponsor), Vena Niutao, Peter Connell, Jack Anderson,
Luke Georgeson, Ben Orton, Fraser Colson, Lauchie Johns, Sean Joseph (Team Manager),
Ricky Joseph, Jimad Khan, Gordon Dry (Club Manager), Cath Shields (Scorer)
Front (l to r):- Andrew Fullerton-Smith, Lance Dry(c), Oscar Dry (Captains son),
James Price, Jamie Gibson, Matt Ansell
Absent :- Ankur Bassi, BJ Barnett
2017 PEARCE CUP CHAMPIONS !!!!!
The Drys have become accustomed to Pearce Cup celebrations with Eastern Suburbs, but this year’s effort will be extra special.
As premier team captain Lance Dry lifted the coveted trophy at the Basin Reserve on Sunday for the 14th time in 16 years, his father and longtime club manager, Gordon Dry, took his usual position: at the back and slightly off to one side. Never one to court the limelight, Gordon Dry was thrust into it last Thursday when he was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Cricket award at the New Zealand Cricket awards.
So while the players deserved a lot of credit for their six-wicket win over Karori in the final, it was the 75-year-old who came in for special mention from his son after the match.
"Obviously we’ve had a lot of on-field success, but it’s only really been generated through the hard work he’s done," Lance Dry said.
"We recruit well, but everything runs smoothly in the background and a lot of the players don’t have to get too heavily involved in organising anything other than the expectation to turn up and do well."
Gordon Dry’s award recognised his contribution over more than 20 years at the club, including boosting the number of adult teams from 12 to 25, making Easts the biggest adult cricket club in New Zealand. Their win in the 50-over Ewen Chatfield Trophy earlier this year meant they would be off to defend their national club title in Auckland, starting on Tuesday, but that wouldn’t stop them enjoying their Pearce Cup win.
"We’ll have a bit of fun tonight and go away tomorrow," Lance Dry said.
"We’re dead keen to defend that title, well, go and win it again to be honest. We’ve only got a couple of guys who haven’t been there before, so hopefully the weather plays its part."
Gordon Dry said seeing the club honoured on the national stage through his award, and the chance to defend the club title, made working unpaid for seven days a week over summer worth it.
"It was an honour of course, I was pretty stoked to receive it, but you don’t do these things for awards.
"It was nice to get recognition like that and it was a nice honour for the club as well. That’s my main focus, the honour bestowed on the club and bringing the club further into recognition nationally."
As for the final, Easts sent Karori into bat and Jamie Gibson took 4-52 to help dismiss them for 194.
There were contributions all around from Easts in their first dig of 311. In keeping with their season where no batsman has scored a century, Jimad Khan top-scored with 74. It looked like Easts would complete a comfortable win when reducing Karori to 112-5 in their second dig, but battling knocks from Zankrut Desai (66) and Daniel Pile (47) got them through to 258 and meant Easts needed 142 to win.
They started poorly at 8-2, but half centuries to James Price and Matt Ansell saw them home.
"We played pretty well for most of it, but they fought hard this morning [Sunday] and turned what could of been an easy victory into a really hard-fought one," Lance Dry said.
SHORT SCOREBOARD
Karori 194 (J Banicevich 70, J Sewell 40; J Gibson 4-52, P Connell 3-62) and 258 (Z Desai 66, D Pile 47, J Sewell 35; J Gibson 5-53, P Connell 4-67) lost to Eastern Suburbs 311 (J Khan 72, L Georgeson 48, J Price 46, L Johns 42; J Sole 4-43, H King 3-79) and 144-4 (M Ansell 53, J Price 52) by six wickets.
- Stuff LIAM HYSLOP, April 2 2017
The MIGHTY EASTS PREMIER TEAM were top qualifiers to play in the PEARCE CUP FINAL They played against Karori in the 3 day final at the Basin Reserve on Friday 31st March to Sunday 2nd April 2017.
OUTRIGHT WIN TO EASTERN SUBURBS EL CHEAPO CARS by 6 wickets
Karori 194-10 & 258-10
(Peter Connell 3-62 & 4-67, Jamie Gibson 4-52 & 5-53, Lance Dry 2-34,
Ricky Joseph 1-44)
Easts 311-10 & 144-4
(Luke Georgeson 48, James Price 46 & 52, Jamie Gibson 24, Lauchie Johns 42,
Jimad Khan 74, Matt Ansell 53)
Cricket Wgtn Prematch - "Pearce cup final preview"
Cricket Wellington - "Pearce cup final re-cap"
Easts have made it to the Pearce Cup Final 16 times since 2001/2002 and have won the trophy in 13 of those finals. Lets make it 14 wins !!!!
They have also defended the Cookshield for another year. We have held this trophy since 2008 after 53 challengers in home and away 2 day games. Fantastic performance once again to the MIGHTY EASTS PREMIER TEAM !!!. Refer to the Cookshield page for details of challenges.
For the 16th year in a row the Easts Premier Men team have qualified for the 2 day "Rothbury Wilkinson PEARCE CUP COMPETITION" for 2017. The first game is against Johnsonville followed by Upper Hutt, Taita, Hutt Districts and Karori.
Current Pearce Cup champions Onslow missed the cut this year.
Easts have made it to the Pearce Cup Final 16 times in 16 years and have won the trophy in 13 of those finals since 2001/2002 season. Win here and it will be 14 from 16 !!!!
Best of luck lads for another successful campaign.
The One Day Ewen Chatfield Trophy Final will be played against Karori on Sunday 29th January 2017 at Kilbirnie Park.
The Cook Shield for 2 day home & away games is also to be defended and starts with the first game against Johnsonville. Currently undefeated after 48 challengers.
GO THE MIGHTY EASTS !!!!!
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 2017 The MIGHTY EASTS team won it back by beating Karori by 6 wickets in the final !!!.
Now FOURTEEN from SIXTEEN !!!!
Season | Team 1 | Team 2 | Result |
2016/2017 | Easts | Karori | Easts won by 6 wickets |
2015/2016 | Easts | Onslow | Onslow won as top qualifier - Drawn game |
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 |