Raro resists blazing guns from Aitutaki

Aitutaki champion cricket team the Tautu Blues came out all guns blazing on Saturday when they took on a Rarotonga club selection at the Turangi oval.

And they certainly had plenty of support from the local community with blue and yellow shirts evident all around.

Skipper for the Blues and current Telecom high performance squad member Daniel Tutai lost the toss and his team was put in to field in 30-plus degree temperatures on what was a truly magnificent day for cricket.

A moment’s silence was observed for Papa Orometua Charlie Teopenga, who passed away recently and who was instrumental in arranging this trip for his team.

Rarotonga openers, Vane Tangimetua and Ray Roumanu, got the home side off to a reasonable start with Tangimetua displaying why he was the top runs scorer in the Computer Man’s men’s competition with well timed shots to the boundary.

Tautu’s bowlers kept applying pressure and were rewarded with the prize wicket of Tangimetua.

Enter 15-year-old Avatiu Nikao sensation Tom Wicks, who made the most of his promotion up the batting order with a fantastic innings of 68, which included a couple of boomtown sixes which got the home team buzzing.

The Blues were made to pay for loose bowling as the Rarotonga side finished with 181 runs off their allotted 20 overs.

In reply, top scorer for the Tautu Blues in Aitutaki, Teararo Pokoina, looked to chase the score down in a hurry.

However, the home team managed to bowl consistently and had the Blues reeling.

Losing wickets too regularly and despite some big hitting from captain Tutai Tautu, they were eventually all bowled out for 96 runs.

Presentations were made after the match function, with recognition being made to Twin Ruarangi for all her efforts in arranging this event along with Cook Islands Cricket’s general manager Alister Stevic.

After the end of match formalities, the Tautu team were treated to a kaikai by the Rarotonga based players, where everyone managed to get together and enjoy some food and laughs.

Cook Islands Cricket would like to say a big meitaki atupaka to Air Rarotonga for their support with getting the Tautu Blues to Rarotonga, Tony Tou Ariki of the Hospitality Trade Training Centre for the use of their facilities, Turangi cricketing community for the use of the field and to everyone who came down and enjoyed some great cricketing action by our current and future stars of Cook Islands Cricket.