A stonewall skipper, a couple of decent hoiks over the boundary by the teenaged No3 batsman, a sprinkle of rain and Air Chathams Wanganui could sign off on a result nearly two decades in the making with their first innings points win over Taranaki on Sunday.
Taranaki are now in real danger of going from Furlong Cup winners to wooden spooners in the space of a season after Wanganui's Akhil Kumar and captain Dominic Lock saw off just over 14 overs at Pukekura Park in a 57-run partnership to dash any hopes of a late comeback for an outright win by the home team.
Earlier in the afternoon, Taranaki were shocked to lose eight wickets for 51 runs as an innings which was looking like a doddle at 162-2 overnight collapsed for 213, just five runs short of Wanganui's 218 all out on Saturday.
With 52 scheduled overs remaining for a 7pm finish, and Taranaki desperate to force a collapse so there might be enough time to slog the winning runs Twenty20 style, Wanganui lost their openers Sam Sherriff and Dominic Rayner by the tenth over for 18-2.
However, Kumar, on a high after getting the last wicket to deny Taranaki the first innings points, played confidently with 37 not out from 39 balls, not afraid to still take on pace bowler Ryan Watson, while hitting two sixes and two boundaries.
Having faced 22 balls for just four runs the day before, Lock could also take some confidence from his unbeaten 17 from 51 deliveries, as Taranaki skipper Mattie Thomas rotated seven bowlers through the crease in just 24 overs while trying to break up the partnership.
A slight shower around 5.30pm brought what would have been a brief stop in play, however Lock opened the discussions with the umpires and Thomas about calling a halt to the match.
Now 80 runs behind with 28 overs left while Wanganui still had eight wickets, Thomas opted to conceed.
"We looked pretty solid," said Wanganui manager Andrew Lock.
"We had to go off, and of course, 30 minutes later [after stumps] it was fine again."
It was tempting to perhaps carry on for a few overs to give Kumar the opportunity to score a deserved 50, but Lock said the task had always been clear to just make it through the day to get the points win.
"We'd hate to lose a couple of quick wickets. Take the positive and move on."
It completed an extraordinary four hours in Wanganui's recent cricket history, given Taranaki had been poised for a massive total with Josh Borrell (82) fairly untroubled during Saturday's batting and his partner Shaun Sullivan (58) looking to follow up his century against Wanganui from the Chapple Cup in October.
However, Kumar (2-48) and Ross Kinnerley (6-39) dismissed both of them in the space of two overs shortly after resumption, and aside from a fighting 25 not out from No10 batsman Ben Frewin, the Taranaki middle and lower order had no answers when Kinnerley was able to swing the ball both ways.
Connor O'Leary (2-36) went from 10 no balls for overstepping on Saturday to sending down four maiden overs when Kinnerley needed a break.
"Their batting was a little bit more erractic than ours," said Lock.
"Every now and then they'd chase balls they shouldn't be chasing. It wasn't the Taranaki of old."
Lock had to laugh at the irony that after a season where several Wanganui veterans declared themselves unavailable, it was Taranaki who suffered from key absences, specificially their leading batsman Dean Robinson, who had a family committment.
"He is a major contributor, but he could have gone early too."
The one remaining veteran in Rayner, in his mid-30's, could recall only two previous occassions in his career where Wanganui got the points over their big brother to the north, neither of them an away match.
The last time is believed to be 2001.
"If that's the case, wow, a lot of our players weren't even born then," said Lock.
In the other Furlong Cup games, Horowhenua-Kapiti missed a golden opportunity to potentially surpass table leaders Hawke's Bay, after their visiting opponent Manawatu batted them out of the game with 354-8 declared before leaving the home side 45-5 when rain saw play abandoned.
Hawke's Bay reasserted themselves with an innings and 55 run thrashing of Wairarapa, bowling them out for 155 and 102 in between raising 312-4.
Wanganui will now face Wairarapa in the last game at home on February 16, later in the season than usual.
In a blow, in-form lower order batsman Chris Sharrock, who has scored back-to-back unbeaten 50's, will have badminton commitments.
Lock still has to confirm the status of professional Ben Smith, who has been rehabbing his injured hamstring from the previous game.
Meanwhile, allrounder Akash Gill's injured shoulder should be fully recovered for him to resume bowling after just playing as a batsman at the weekend.
Scoreboard
Wanganui 1st Innings
218 all out (75.1 overs)
Taranaki 1st Innings
213 all out (69 overs)
Wanganui 2nd Innings
S Sheriff ct P Barraclough b R Watson 9
D Rayner ct M Thomas b D Mills 9
A Kumar not out 37
D Lock not out 17
Extras: 3
Total: 75-2 (24 overs).
Bowling: R Watson 8 overs, 3 maidens, 36 runs, 1 wicket; B Frewin 3-0-8-0; D Mills 4-1-10-1; E Keller 2-0-9-0; M Thomas 3-1-2-0; S Sullivan 1-0-3-0; M Blanks 3-1-7-0.
Result: Draw, Wanganui win first innings points.