But it was a couple of regulars at the top of the order who defied the same Paraparaumu bowlers who dismissed champions Levin Old Boys so cheaply the previous week — Zeb Small (74 from 118 balls) and Greg Smith (93 from 94) making a superb 175-run opening stand.
The grafter Small sent six deliveries to the boundary, while stroke-maker Smith collected 15 of them, setting United up for the slog in the latter overs.
In his last game before returning to university, representative player Daniel Burgess (44 from 45) took up the mantle, though with United trying to go for it, chances were offered and taken by Paraparaumu — the home side losing nine wickets for 87 more runs to finish 262-9.
Kamal Patel (2-29) and Jayden Keats (2-50) were the main recipients in an innings where the fielders secured three run-outs.
In reply, Paraparaumu lost early wickets to the pacemen in Slight and Badger, and then United went right to their stacked spin bowling attack — using no fewer than four of them.
Surviving opener Stanley Northcutt (33 from 118) held up his end, but could not get on top of United or at least anchor the chase so others could get the runs.
Lance had Northcutt’s measure — sending down three maiden overs as part of a measly 1-17 from the full 10, while on the other end of the scale, Robbie Power (3-51) copped punishment from Paraparaumu’s lower order but still caught them out when swinging once too many.
Patel (27 from 18) hit the game’s only six but was then caught off Power on the boundary by Slight to make it 93-5.
From there, despite some lower-order defiance from James Logan (18 not out from 15), the spinners cleaned up the tail with Aidan Muir, Power and James Woodford (2-6) doing the honours.
Down at Paraparaumu Domain, Marist would not have been so confident of defending their total in a tense match with Kāpiti where the momentum swung back and forth.
Losing early wickets to Tristan Cloete (3-43) and Michael Newell (2-19), Marist’s surviving top-order batsman, Joel Clark (55 from 92), finally found support from Tom Dempster (101 from 116).
Dempster struck eight boundaries and a six, and after Clark finally fell to Zack Benton (2-40), Hadleigh O’Leary (29 from 48) took over as the support player — he and Dempster nearly seeing Marist through to the end of the innings before Benton and Cloete collected them.
Marist’s 248-7 was a good recovery, helped immeasurably by Kāpiti’s bowlers giving up 25 runs in wides.
In reply, Kāpiti also lost early wickets to Ross Kinnerley (4-35) and Shaun O’Leary, but then skipper Jayden Rose-Miles (114 from 137) and Cloete (44 from 68) began the slow but steady climb towards their target, leading Kaāpiti towards the last 100 runs required for the loss of only two wickets.
But finally, in the 33rd over, the returning Kinnerley got the breakthrough, shattering Cloete’s stumps, and then the swing-and-spinner combination of Kinnerley and Clark (3-35) began to put the pressure on the incoming batsmen as the required run rate grew.
With Kinnerley bowled out, Connor O’Leary returned and finally had the prize scalp of Rose-Miles, leaving Kāpiti needing 43 runs off the last five overs with three wickets in hand.
Clark would hold his nerve, pinning down the tail to keep them to a run a ball or less and secure Marist the crucial road victory.
In the other game, there was a real surprise as Burger King Red Star are now clear on top of the table after handing champions Levin Old Boys a second consecutive defeat, somehow defending 159 for a 21-run victory at Rathkeale College.
Cricket Whanganui’s Premier 2 40-over competition had table leaders Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens make a big statement with a narrow two-wicket victory over fellow contenders the Whanganui Renegades at Centennial Park.
At the school grounds, Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI couldn’t put up enough runs to prevent Wicket Warriors Whanganui securing a straightforward five-wicket win, while at Victoria, Whanganui High School 1st XI strolled to an eight-wicket win over Property Brokers United P2′s.
In Premier 3 30-over, the Kaitoke Knight Riders had a comfortable 55-run win over Whanganui High School P3s, while Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI hung on for a six-run win over Whanganui Collegiate P3s.
Results, February 10
Coastal Challenge
Property Brokers United 262-9 (G Smith 93, Z Small 74, D Burgess 44; K Patel 2-29, J Keats 2-50) bt Roofbox Paraparaumu 134 (S Northcott 33, K Patel 27; R Power 3-51, J Woodford 2-6) by 128 runs.
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 248-7 (T Dempster 101, J Clark 55, H O’Leary 29; T Cloete 3-43, M Newell 2-19, Z Benton 2-40) bt Kāpiti Old Boys 228-9 (J Rose-Miles 114, T Cloete 44; R Kinnerley 4-35, J Clark 3-35) by 20 runs.
Burger King Red Star 159 (G Deans 58, N Elliot 23; J Bishop 4-31, A O’Malley 2-34, D Kennett 2-37) bt Levin Old Boys 138 (A Halbert 52, B Te Tomo 23, C Maclachlan 22; P Wootton 3-13, E Childs 3-29, P Sigvertsen 2-40) by 21 runs
P2-40
Whanganui Renegades 171-9 (M Deighton 46, J Trillo 36, A Thomas 23no; B Galpin 3-38, D Ford 2-29, T Westwood 2-29) lost to Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 172-8 (D Rayner 34, L Cox 31no, T Westwood 23; R Donaldson 2-17, L Brennan 2-36) by two wickets.
Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI 99 (J Keenan 22; L Varghese 3-29, S Rajagopalan Nair 2-25) lost to Wicket Warriors Whanganui 100-5 (L Cherian 45; J Mack 3-31) by five wickets.
Property Brokers United P2s 172-7 (M Pennefather 39no, K Bremer 30, B Whiteman 25; M Comrie 2-40) lost to Whanganui High School 175-2 (R Meredith 58no, C Meredith 48, N Burroughs 28no) by eight wickets.
P3-30
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI 126 (A Manoussos 27no, J Baldwin 23; J White 3-18, E Marshall 2-3) bt Whanganui Collegiate P3s 120-9 (F Cairncross 28, T McMurray 28, H Lithgow 20; R Tofa 2-6, J Baldwin 2-11, K Watkin 2-26) by six runs.
Kaitoke Knight Riders 205-9 (D Campbell 67, F Edwards 28, M Tongotea 26, D Holly 21; O Butcher 3-33, R Luoni 2-21) bt Whanganui High School P3s 150 (T Pike 46, L Meijer 24, L McKerras 21; B Mathew 2-5, F Edwards 2-14; M Slade 2-26) by 55 runs.
