Wairarapa players key to close win

Wairarapa players took centre stage as Manawatu scored an exciting one-wicket win over Hawke's Bay in their representative women's limited-overs match last weekend.

Esther Lanser, Eimear Richardson, Jessie Bennett, Briar Cloake, Anlo van Deventer and Melissa Hansen made up more than half the Manawatu line-up and they were prominent with both bat and ball.

Four of those players - Lanser, Richardson, Cloake and Bennett - are playing their club cricket for the Lansdowne No 2 men's team in the Wairarapa open grade competition, while van Deventer is at St Mathew's Collegiate and Hansen at Wairarapa College.

Lanser, the Manawatu captain and Netherlands international, lost the toss and Hawke's Bay elected to bat first.

They reached 243-8, with New Zealand wicketkeeper batswoman Rachel Priest making 85 off 61 balls before being splendidly caught by van Deventer at deep midwicket. Other useful knocks came from Michelle Frey (52) and Aroha Northover, whose 56 came off 40 balls.

Lanser led from the front for Manawatu at the bowling crease, claiming 3-49 off seven overs. Player-coach Richardson, a member of Ireland's national side, was economical in conceding 39 runs from her 10 overs, as was Bennett, whose four overs cost just 12 runs.

Originally chasing 244 for victory, Manawatu had their target reduced to 225 by rain delays and they got home with the last pair, including Hansen, at the wicket.

Richardson top-scored with 66 off 56 balls, while Lanser completed an excellent all-round effort in making 55 off 73 balls, Cloake made 7 off 15 balls and van Deventer looked good in a brief stay before holing out in the deep.

However, it was Hansen who had the final say. Manawatu were still nine runs short of victory when she and Hannah Rowe came together in what was to be a vital last wicket stand. It was Hansen who pulled a short ball to the boundary to bring up the winning runs with just eight balls left to be bowled.

Manawatu will be without Lanser and Richardson when they play Wellington in Palmerston North this Sunday as they will both be involved in World Cup qualifying matches in Bangladesh.

-The Wairarapa under-14 boys cricket squad for the 2011-12 season was announced today.

-It is: Liam Burling (captain), Nathan Elliott, Zac Caldwell, Ben Clatworthy, Keegan Curtis, Jack Forrester, Luis Garnett, Brad Griffith, Miller Payton, William Payton, Guy Percy and Gus Wakeling.