Ludick stars on debut with bat and ball
Nelson’s Willem Ludick stepped up to the plate in brilliant style for Central Districts A by blasting a T20 century on CD A debut in the opening round of this season’s annual North Island T20 Tournament in Taupo today.
Fewer than two years ago, the strong, 20-year-old right-arm allrounder was playing on the opposite side to his now CD A and Nelson teammates Josh Clarkson and Felix Murray, and fellow CD A allrounder Christian Leopard (Hawke’s Bay) at the 2016 ICC World Under-19 Cup in Bangladesh — where Ludick was representing South Africa and Clarkson, Murray and Leopard (whom be bowled as South Africa swept to victory on that occasion), New Zealand.
Ludick moved to New Zealand at the beginning of 2017 and is committed to advancing his career within New Zealand cricket, helping the Nelson Griffins secure their first Hawke Cup challenge in five years last summer in his first appearance in the Zone 3 competition, before travelling to Mt Maunganui with the team to take on Bay of Plenty in the Hawke Cup itself.
Coming in with CD A at 49/3, Ludick’s aggressive maiden century in Taupo was against a quality ND A attack that included first-class players Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton and spinner Joe Walker as he set about a 99-run stand for the fourth wicket with Taranaki youngster Kaylum Boshier (47 off 37).
Ludick ultimately scored 54 per cent of the CD A tally of 187 for five, pelting 20 runs off Gibson in the penultimate over (including two sixes) before reaching his century off Gibson’s final ball, sealed with a boundary as his maiden milestone came up off just 47 deliveries (9 x 4, 6 x 6).
Dismissed on 101 with just four balls remaining in the innings, he then opened the bowling alongside Central Stags allrounder Ben Wheeler.
Finding themselves five down and still needing 56 off the final four overs, ND A’s Peter Bocock and Henry Cooper needed a big effort to match Ludick’s fireworks at the death, and the ND pair was going well until Cooper was caught off Ludick in the penultimate over and the momentum was summarily halted, CD A closing out the win by 19 runs.
In the afternoon match against Wellington A, Ludick again out his stamp on the match — this time with the ball.
After CD A captain Mattie Thomas had opted bat, Josh Clarkson top-scored with 69 off 43 balls before a chaotic collapse saw the team bowled out in 19 overs, setting the strong Wellingtonians a target of 137 to win.
However, CD A’s attack kept the pressure on, with Ludick accounting for both veteran Wellington Firebird Hamish Marshall and dangerous South African first-class left-hander Devon Conway cheaply at the top, in the space of three deliveries, before coming back into the attack to put himself on a hat-trick with the wickets of Malcolm Nofal and Sam Noster to sit on figures of 4-10 off three overs.
Wellington now five down with the required rate escalating towards double figures, CD continued to exert the pressure until a further four wickets in the space of 10 balls put their opponents on the brink, still some 60 runs from their target.
Cue Ludick’s return to the crease in the 17th over, however he would be denied a five-for by the tailenders, conceding a further two singles for a final haul of 4-12 before Wheeler wrapped up proceedings for a 44-run victory.
One of Ludick’s former South Africa Under-19 teammates at the 2016 World Cup, Dean Foxcroft, is also establishing himself in the CD region, having scored his first Furlong Cup century for Hawke’s Bay on the weekend.
The quadrangular 2017 North Island T20 Tournament also features Auckland A; scorecards at Click here throughout the three-day tournament.
