Red Star have established a clear lead in the Wairarapa Cricket Association's Bidwell Cup competition after completing an outright win over A1 Homes Kuranui Old Boys at the weekend.
That victory took Red Star to 49 points on the competition table, well ahead of Flight Centre Lansdowne on 28,Wairarapa College 27, Turkey Red Greytown 18, Newbolds Marist Old Boys 9 and Kuranui Old Boys 9.
The latest Red Star victory was based around an outstanding all-round performance by Josh Mann, who scored 37 and 53 not out with the bat and took 11 wickets with the ball, including a magnificent return of 7-22 when Kuranui Old Boys were all out for just 56 in their second innings.
Short scoreboard: Red Star 204 (Clinton-Baker 69, Mann 37, Stoneley 33; Russo 3-49), Curtis 3-46) and 146 (Mann 53 not out; Twogood 4-23, Patel 3-30) beat Kuranui Old Boys (195 (Curtis 97, Gregory 47; Deans 4-30, Mann 4-35) and 56 (Mann 7-22) by 99 runs.The batsmen largely called the tune in the match between Newbolds Marist Old Boys and Turkey Red Greytown which ended in a drew.
No fewer than three centuries were scored, Harry Greenwood (126) and Blake Lyford (109 not out) for Greytown and Robbie Speers (113) for Marist Old Boys.
Short scoreboard: Marist Old Boys 79 (Haxton 5-11, Quentin McKenna 4-17) and 264-5 (Speers 113, Dennes 81) drew with Greytown 284-6 (Greenwood 126, Lyford 109 not out; Speers 4-78) The Wairarapa College v Lansdowne match also ended in a draw.
The students made 210 and 262 while Lansdowne reached 291 in their first innings and were 60-2 at the close of play on the second day.
A century by Tim Howie highlighted the Marist Old Boys win over Lansdowne 3 in the open grade Twenty20 competition on Saturday. He retired on 103 in the 15th over after smashing the Lansdowne bowlers to all parts of the field. Marist Old Boys made 183 with Lansdowne replying with 103. Two youngsters in Drew Macdonald and Ryan James spearheaded the Marist Old Boys attack.
In another open grade fixture, Greytown 144-7 beat Wairarapa College 110 with Byron Hegglin's knock of 90 being the spur to the Greytown victory.
Competition points are: Lansdowne 2 8, Marist Old Boys 8, Greytown 8, Wairarapa College 0 and Lansdowne 3 0.
