Whanganui cricket: Marist and United building Coastal Challenge momentum with victories over Horowhenua-Kāpiti sides

Angus Dinwiddie picked up two wickets for Marist.

Wanganui Vet Services Marist showed they can win without some proven stars, while Property Brokers United showed how important such veterans can be, with their respective Coastal Challenge victories on Saturday.

Despite a completely re-jigged bowling attack, Marist lifted off the bottom of the table (on net run rate) up to a semifinal spot with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over two-time defending champions Levin Old Boys at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park.

United made their way to the Weraroa Domain where their three Riverview Motel Whanganui captains, past and present, showed a lot of grit with the bat to emerge with a three-wicket win over the White Herons, maintaining their undefeated streak and moving to the top of the points table.

One could imagine that any team without their usual pace attack of Ross Kinnerley and Nick Harding (injured) along with Connor O’Leary (unavailable) and the departed Shaun O’Leary (university) would struggle, but Marist’s bowlers ripped through Levin Old Boys for just 115 in 26 overs.

Opening with returning pace bowler Angus Dinwiddie (2-38) and spinner Joel Clark (4-27), Marist overcame giving away a few extras which probably brought Levin’s guard down, as a host of their best batsmen got out swinging to leave them 51-4.

The experienced Matt Good (36 from 29 balls) eventually found support from representative batsmen Andre Halbert (31 from 49), but then the spinners returned as Hadleigh O’Leary (3-18, two maidens) and Clark tore through the stumps of a lower order consisting of players who have been the backbone of Levin’s title-run.

While his older brothers were unavailable, Marist welcomed Tim O’Leary (29 from 39) back into the fold from Whanganui Collegiate, as he and Clark had the side off to a comfortable start.

Pace bowlers Daemon Kennett and Jesse Parker looked to fire the ball in and eventually had the openers dismissed by 70-2, but that just brought together the veteran Chris Stewart (29 not out from 49) and talented newcomer Tom Dempster (29 not out from 35).

Dempster’s stroke play was very crisp, and while Levin managed to slow their run-rate around the 18th over, as spits of rain began to appear at Victoria, the Marist pair stayed the course and stroked shots across the park to lead their side to a quick victory for the maximum points.

Facing Weraroa on their home pitch, momentum swung throughout United’s game, as they are now the sole unbeaten side in the competition.

After pace bowler Ryan Slight (4-47) provided an early breakthrough, Weraroa settled through Jamie Marshall (36 from 69) and Prabodha Liyanage (36 from 48).

Eventually, allrounder Brendon Walker (2-33) and representative spinner James Woodford got the break-throughs, as each of United’s six bowlers would pick up a wicket, with a number of Weraroa batsmen getting starts but not carrying on.

Caleb O’Connell (46 from 58) linked up with Sean Finlayson (26 from 31), and then the tailenders just got their side over the 200-run mark before the returning Slight cleaned them up in the 48th over.

In reply, incumbent Whanganui skipper Greg Smith (77 from 80) continued his good form, supported by youngster Nick Burroughs to have United’s chase off to solid start – until Keegan MacLachan (3-37), Shane Weldon and Huka Kahu ran through the rest of the top order.

Striking a dozen boundaries, Smith looked to keep going, finding support from former Whanganui skipper Max Carroll (68 not out from 84), but then Smith fell to MacLachan and the wickets kept tumbling as O’Connell (2-52) stepped up – United having three ducks.

Seven wickets down with over 70 runs still needed, United were in trouble, but yet another former Whanganui captain and current club skipper Simon Badger (28 not out from 41) joined Carroll and together the pair batted with composure to blunt Weraroa’s momentum and keep accumulating the runs.

Scoring 12 boundaries between them, Carroll and Badger then pushed a multitude of singles off the death bowlers to get their side home at the start of the 46th over.

There was a bit of history in the other game of the round as table leaders Burger King Red Star lost their unbeaten tag to Kapiti Old Boys by seven wickets in the unlikely venue of Sky Stadium – the ‘Cake Tin’ itself.

With Kapiti having groundsman connections to the stadium, the clubs were able to play on the same pitch as the New Zealand-Australia Twenty20 match on Wednesday.

Coastal Challenge, February 24

Levin Old Boys 115 (M. Good 36, A. Halbert 31; J. Clark 4-27, H. O’Leary 3-18, A. Dinwiddie 2-38) lost to Wanganui Vet Services Marist 117-2 (T. Dempster 29no, C. Stewart 29no, T. O’Leary 29) by eight wickets.

Weraroa CC 202 (C. O’Connell 46, P. Liyanage 36, J. Marshall 36, S. Finlayson 26; R. Slight 4-47, B. Walker 2-33) lost to Property Brokers United 203-7 (G. Smith 77, M. Carroll 68no, S. Badger 28no; K. MacLachan 3-37, C. O’Connell 2-52) by three wickets.

Burger King Red Star 119 (T. Bidois 44; M. Harrison 3-12, M. Newell 3-29, T. Cloete 2-3, C. Andrews 2-27) lost to Kapiti Old Boys 123-3 (T. Cloete 57no, T. Halbert 49no; G. Deans 2-33) by seven wickets.

Premier 2

The race to secure a spot in the top two of the Cricket Whanganui Premier 2 40-over competition saw the Whanganui Renegades take a big step forward with a 55-run victory against the Wicket Warriors Whanganui, locking down second place.

Unbeaten table leaders Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens continued their momentum with a 56- run result in a low-scoring game against Whanganui High School First XI.

There is a new leader in the Premier 3 30-over competition as the Kaitoke Knight Riders held on for a narrow seven run win over SaracensP3s.