Red Star and Flight Centre Lansdowne will meet in the final of the Wairarapa Cricket Association's Bidwell Cup senior men's interclub competition.
Red Star's outright win over Wairarapa College on Saturday guaranteed their place and Lansdowne had already booked their spot before their latest fixture with Greytown, a match won outright
by Greytown.
Wairarapa College started the second day's play with Red Star at 114-4, chasing a first innings total of 229, and they were bowled out quickly for 142. Paceman Dean van Deventer did the damage, finishing with the superb figures of 4-4 off six overs. Top scorer for Wairarapa College was Tane Workman on 42.
Quick runs were the order of the day for Red Star in their second innings and they raced to 175-5 in 26 overs before the declaration was made. In-form Aaron Wilson played some excellent attacking strokes during his 50 off 53 balls, fellow opener Charlie Bevan made 30 from 38 balls and the icing on the cake came from Robbie Anderson, 49 off 27 balls, and van Deventer, 27 off nine balls.
Wairarapa College were left 263 runs to get in a minimum of 61 overs and were never a chance, being all out for 72. This time it was spinner Shay O'Gorman who spearheaded the Red Star bowling effort, taking 6-16 off eight overs, while van Deventer again chimed in with 3-12 off eight overs. Red Star won by 190 runs.
A brilliant 100 by Seth Rance steered Greytown to an outright win over Lansdowne, who set them a second innings target of 210 runs in 37 overs. Rance was particularly severe on the spinners as he smashed the ball to all parts of the boundary.
Just after reaching three figures he was bowled by Jamie Holmes. Earlier Lansdowne had scored 221 in their second innings with Robbie Speers leading the way with 62.
The finalists, Red Star and Lansdowne, will meet in the last of the Bidwell Cup preliminary round matches next weekend with the trophy at stake the following Saturday and Sunday.
