The Inaugural 5 Day Test Match Report: Seddon Cricket Club vs Movember XI

The inaugural Movember test match between Seddon Cricket Club and Movember Sports Club was held over 5 days at the magnificent Tamahere Cricket Ground.

Hosts Seddon earned a well deserved 160-run win on the final morning on the back of a brilliant all-round performance from Guy Schwikkard. The all-round showing saw Schwikkard named Winger's Player of the Match.

Match Report:

The match started amid rain delays on Wednesday morning, allowing the two teams to enjoy a ceremonial brunch in which Fire and Emergency's Matiu Leonard and former Olympian Eric Murray spoke to the players about men's health and wellbeing. They urged the players to talk, to be resilient and to work with and take care of one another. Their words flowed to the ground as the clouds dispersed and a sodden pitch was made playable with the efforts of all 24 players drying the ground.

Movember captain Craig Bulloch dropped the ball at the toss, forgetting that tails never fails before electing heads. With the toss, overseen by match umpire Bryce Lawrence, won, Seddon skipper Dan Fenwick elected to bat on the damp wicket. While Movember had the early scalp of Darin Armstrong for the Test's only duck, that only proceeded to bring together two of the game's most prolific run scorers, in Corey Hyde and man of the match, Schwikkard. Hyde played a pure Test match innings opening the batting, making 72 from 169 balls across a more than three hour stint in the middle, while Schwikkard was more brisk, belting 128 from 101 balls in little more than two hours. By the time their partnership was ended, they had put on 196 runs together, leaving Seddon at 201-2 after 41 overs.

Mark Donovan continued to pile on the pressure as the day continued. Batting five, the Hamilton City Councillor was unbeaten overnight, and returned on day two to amass 115 from 106 balls, his first century for Seddon. Donovan was only able to bat after a sodden outfield was dried out by a helicopter early in the afternoon of day two, as well as the addition of two Super-Sopers to soak up moisture. He was joined at the crease by Ben Strang with the score 301-5 from 70 overs, and they proceeded to belt the ball to all parts. Donovan departed nine overs later after a 106-run partnership, while Strang continued to apply the pressure, amassing the highest score of the match, 129 from just 60 balls. His second 50 runs came from only 14 deliveries.

Logan Brown was the pick of the bowlers and wrapped up the innings with Strang's wicket, taking 4-67 from his 15.2 overs, at a miserly economy rate given the pace of scoring. Needing more than 300 runs to avoid the follow on, Movember lost fairly regular wickets throughout their innings, starting with captain Bulloch in the second over. However, a staunch resistance was put up by opening batter Jacob Babu (54 from 79 balls) and number four Robert Dunne (89 from 102). Both played classy innings under immense pressure from the Seddon bowlers, with Quinton De Bruin getting a sharp bounce out of the wicket, and the likes of Mitch Mace, Bryan King and Kent Currie finding swing with the pink ball.

Dunne, the man behind the Movember charity, showed all his class with a number of sweeps to the fence against the spinners, but fell just short of three figures as light faded at the end of day three. David Icke also kept things interesting, arriving batting five and belting 9 fours and three sixes in his 55 from 43 balls, while battling crippling back pain. Movember were eventually bowled out for 278, 25 short of the follow on, early on day four.

Fenwick elected not to enforce the follow on, instead sending his batters out to set Movember a target. Hyde changed tack in his second bat of the match, blasting 102 from just 62 balls as he got the monkey off the back. Schwikkard made 54 to add to his tally for the match, while Donovan (60 not out) and Ryan Preston (58 not out) put on an unbeaten 118 run partnership before Fenwick declared with a lead of 516.

Movember had a decision to make. Would they have a crack at an historic 500-plus chase, or attempt to bat out the overs for a drawn test. When they reached 110 runs without loss in just the 13th over, it seemed they were trying for the win. The Kennedy's, father Ben and son Luke, combined for a brutal opening salvo which had the Seddon bowlers scrambling and concerned 500 wasn't enough on a flat Tamahere wicket. It caused serious tension among the Seddon ranks, with some concern the batters were even doctoring the pitch while running between the wickets.

Mitch Mace stepped up to calm the nerves and remove Ben Kennedy for 79 from 47 balls in the 15th over, but young Luke continued to pressure the bowlers, dispatching anything slightly loose. He fought through to 73 from 74 balls when he was removed by Schwikkard in the 25th over. Babu scored his second 50 of the match with a patient 61 from 98 balls batting four, while skipper Bulloch notched 47 from 55 in a fine partnership.

The regular wickets wore down the Movember XI and they fought through to the close of play nine down. needing 180 to win. Luke Lennox, batting 9, and Matthew Butcher, at 11, combined for a 42-run, 18-over partnership for the last wicket in an attempt to hold out, but it was fitting that Schwikkard would end it, a yorker finally breaching the defences of Butcher.

While the cricket went to five days, the players raised more than $20,000 for Movember New Zealand during the course of the month. Colin Schaw won a special Movember bat to give thanks for raising the most funds of the players involved, with more than $3000 in donations. It wasn't lost on the captains the importance the match would have for men's health. In an emotional speech to close the game, Movember captain Craig Bulloch told the players the funds raised "would save lives".

Scores:

Seddon Cricket Club 503 - (Ben Strang 129, Guy Schwikkard 128, Mark Donovan 115, Corey Hyde 72; Logan Brown 4-67) and 291-4 declared (Corey Hyde 102, Mark Donovan 60*, Ryan Preston 58*, Guy Schwikkard 54) beat Movember XI 278 - (Robert Dunne 89, David Icke 55, Jacob Babu 54) and 356 (Ben Kennedy 79, Luke Kennedy 73, Jacob Babu 61; Guy Schwikkard 5-45, Bryan King 3-47) by 160 runs.

Credit: Mo Bro Ben Strang, Seddon player & RNZ reporter.