Red Star nab cup in upset win

MISSED: Red Star skipper Chris Wenden unsuccessfully attempts to catch the ball hit by Greytown batsman Paul Lyttle.

Nobody could begrudge Red Star their upset six-wicket win over Turkey Red Greytown in the final of Cricket Wairarapa's Bidwill Cup competition played at Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton over the weekend.

The plain truth was that Red Star out-batted and out-bowled a Greytown side which was looking to complete the treble, having already won the Umpires Cup one-day and The Rock Twenty20 competitions and qualified for the national one-day finals to be played in Auckland early next month along the way.

On this occasion, however, the writing was pretty much on the wall for Greytown come the end of the first day's play. Trailing Red Star by 59 runs on the first innings they commenced Sunday's action at 9-1 in their second, not a significant arrears in normal circumstances but with the pitch playing tricks and showers always likely to cause delays in play the task was uphill, to say the least.

With that in mind Greytown's effort to reach 185 at their second turn at bat was not without merit. Leading the way were experienced campaigners Steve Coleman and Tim Lucas, Coleman's 44 coming from 68 balls and including seven fours and Lucas making 40 from 50 balls, including two fours and one six. It was a handy double for Lucas who had top scored with 35 in Greytown's first innings of 85.

Outstanding with the ball for Red Star was medium pacer Nik Karaitiana whose ability to main a steady line and length was rewarded with the excellent figures of 5-37 from 13.5 overs.

Needing 129 runs for the outright win Red Star lost just the four wickets in reaching their target. Opener Richard French made up for his "duck" in the first innings by reaching 41 off 57 balls, including eight fours, and Troy Burling was unbeaten on 45. He faced 59 balls and struck seven fours. Bowling for Greytown Lucas took 2-13 from seven overs.

Short scoreboard:

Greytown 85 (Ross 7, Lyttle 6, Childs 0, Coleman 2, Speers 2, Lucas 35, Reisima 8, James 0, Haxton 13, Smith 1, Osborne 7 not out, extras 6; fall of wickets, 11, 13, 14, 14, 16, 37, 37, 61, 78, 85; Anderson 14.4-5-27-5, Watt 12-5-25-4, Jarvis 7-2-4-1, Sigvertson 6-2-16-0, Karaitiana 2-1-5-0, Wilson 2-1-4-0) and 187 ( Ross 4, Lyttle 17, Coleman 44, Speers 19, Lucas 40, Reisima 5, Thayer 14, Haxton 0, James 8, Smith 15 not out, McKenna 13, extras 8; fall of wickets, 9, 35, 77, 102, 108, 150, 150, 150, 166, 187; Anderson 14-3-36-1, Watt 19-5-42-2, Jarvis 6-0-30-1, Karaitiana 13.5-1-37-5, Sigvertson 6-0-19-0, Burling 2-0-15-0) lost to Red Star 144 (French 0, Burling 8, Stoneley 17, Anderson 41, Deans 7, Wenden 0, Jarvis 8, Karaitiana 29, Watt 10, Sigvertson 0, Wilson 9 not out, extras 15; fall of wickets, 0, 22, 44, 77, 77, 77, 95, 107, 118, 144; James 14-4-35-3, Reisima 5-1-23-1, Coleman 18.2-6-30-5, Haxton 8-3-39-1, Smith 2-0-6-0) and 132-4 (French 41, Payton 16, Burling 45 not out, Stoneley 1, Anderson 7, Deans 13 not out, extras 9; fall of wickets, 31, 96, 98, 106; McKenna 7-2-27-1, James 3-0-18-0, Coleman 4-1-17-0, Haxton 1-0-16-0, Reisima 7.5-0-32-1, Lucas 7-4-13-2) by six wickets.