A new Pearce Cup champion will be crowned this weekend as Johnsonville host Taita District in the three-day final at Alex Moore Park.

Neither side has ever lifted the coveted Pearce Cup trophy so both sides head in to the final with the opportunity to etch their names in their club’s history.

Johnsonville clinched hosting rights to the final with an outright win over Karori last weekend and come into the final full of confidence off the back of some very special individual performances.

Gareth Severin continued his impressive summer with the bat with 128 in the first innings of that match, while youngster Devan Vishvaka and captain Raki Weerasundara sit second and fourth respectively on the top run-scorer ladder.

Vishvaka has been a standout in his first full season for Johnsonville. The Wellington College old boy has 365 runs from nine innings with an average of 40.56 and was unlucky not to register his first Pearce Cup century with a well-made 98 against Hutt District in round four.

The hosts have been equally impressive with the ball and have two of the most prolific wicket-takers in this season’s competition in their bowling arsenal.

Zac Ringrose has continued to show why he is one of the best bowlers in Wellington club cricket. The 26-year-old has led the Johnsonville attack and sits second on the wicket-taking charts with 27, just one behind Taita’s Matt Kelly.

Josh Mann sits in third on the wicket-taking charts with 25. The Wellington A seamer averages just over 15 with the ball in two-day cricket this summer and picked up best figures of 5-26 against Onslow in round three.

Dom Macalister and Wellington A spinner Jeremy Benton make up an impressive bowling attack for the hosts.

Johnsonville captain Raki Weerasundara said he was looking forward to the final getting underway tomorrow.

“We're privileged to be hosting the Pearce Cup Final at Alex Moore Park this year and compete for what is the most prized piece of silverware in Wellington senior cricket,” he said.

“It should be a great three days of cricket with two quality sides going up against each other.

“We’re excited at the opportunity to compete against Taita again and we’ll be looking to even the ledger after losing to them in the Ewen Chatfield Trophy final earlier in the season."

Taita will be looking to cap off what has already been a memorable season for the red and black.

Nik Swain’s side come into their third grand final of the summer with plenty of confidence having lifted the Ewen Chatfield Trophy back in January.

Tomorrow will be just their second appearance in the Pearce Cup final, the first came back in 2014-15 against Eastern Suburbs and captain Swain said his side were relishing the opportunity to lift the trophy.

“We’re excited to be back in a Pearce Cup Final after six years since our first appearance,” he said.

“Only three of us remain from that game and we know how hard it is to win so will want to take the opportunity with both hands.

“After winning the Ewen Chatfield Trophy final and making the T20 final, winning this one would top off our most successful season.”

Taita have match-winners throughout their line-up with a host of batsman and bowlers looking to cap off impressive individual summers.

Matt Kelly has led Taita’s red ball attack and tops the wicket-taking charts with 28. The right-armer has picked up three five-wicket bags so far in the competition and came away with 10 wickets in a match against Upper Hutt United in round four.

Kieran McComb has also been a standout – the left-arm orthodox sits on 49 wickets for the summer and could become the first Taita bowler since 2002 to reach 50 wickets in a season this weekend.

McComb’s form was rewarded with a call-up to the Wellington Men’s A side for a three-day match against Canterbury last month, and his partnership with Kelly could prove the difference for Taita this weekend.

Left-arm seamer Pat Smith and right-arm seamer Liam Sullivan make up a strong Taita bowling attack. Sullivan returned to Taita from a stint in the UK at the start of the summer and brought up a centurion of matches for the club earlier in the season.

With the bat, Taita possess the talents of former Wellington Firebird Deepak Joon and up and coming youngster Nick Greenwood.

Joon has 305 runs to his name in the Pearce Cup and averages a touch over 50, while Greenwood comes into the final off the back of a century for Wellington A against Canterbury and 108 for Taita in last weekend’s single wicket victory over Hutt District.

Swain said he was hoping his side’s hard work throughout the season would pay off with a victory this weekend.

“Doing the double with a win this weekend would be really special,” he said.

“Johnsonville have been the form team of the red ball season and will be tough to beat with a quality new ball attack and a strong top order.

“They are well rounded and know how to succeed at Alex Moore Park so we will have to be at our best.”

Play gets underway from Alex Moore Park at 11.00am tomorrow. All three days will be live streamed through the Cricket Wellington social media channels.

TEAMS
Johnsonville | Raki Weerasundara (c), Jeremy Benton, David Hudson, Dom Macalister, Josh Mann, Scott Mudgway, Joseph Puthuchery, Zac Ringrose, Gareth Severin, Hareen Silva, Jagdeep Singh, Devan Vishvaka

Taita District | Nik Swain (c), Toby Barton, Nick Greenwood, Will Greenwood, Deepak Joon, Matt Kelly, Kieran McComb, Chander Ravi, Mitchell Scott, Patrick Smith, Liam Sullivan, Henry Walsh

UMPIRES
Jeremy Busby and Kiran Challa

PEARCE CUP GRAND FINAL
Johnsonville v Taita District
Friday 26 – Sunday 28 March | 11:00am
Alex Moore Park

Article added: Thursday 25 March 2021