United are back on top of the Wanganui premier cricket competition after a thrilling win over Marist at Victoria Park on Saturday.
On a grass wicket playing low and slow, United chasing 143 to win were in big trouble at 101-8 but thanks to some intelligent batting from Sean Lance and Gareth Jones, snuck home with one wicket to spare.
Wanganui High School bounced back from recent losses to Marist and United with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Saracens at Marton's Centennial Park.
United Marist
"We shouldn't have won it" that's from United skipper Andrew Cording after his team's narrow win over Marist on Victoria Park No 2.
"I said to the Marist boys I'd be pretty peeved off too, losing that. They should have won it, we didn't play well at all."
But win it they did, reaching their target of 143 in the 47th over with just one wicket to spare. Sean Lance just back from university was the key for United, keeping his cool to guide the side home with an unbeaten 27.
Cording said it was a shame the rest of the side hadn't batted like Lance.
"We were too loose and got out to some poor shots," he said.
"Sean showed how easy it is to bat out there, without being stupid. Just head down, didn't take any risks and at the end of the day it paid off."
United started well in their run chase, with aggressive opener Jamie Whiteman bludgeoning seven fours and one six in his 39, Ben Campion, 12, and first drop Gerard Hobbs 22. But as the wickets started to tumble it was left to Lance and Gareth Jones (17) to foil the Marist attack, particularly left arm spinner (and co-captain) Mark Fraser who again made an impact later in the innings with four for 15 off eight overs.
Earlier, Marist's co-captain Brett Turner (42) and player/manager Don Cameron (28) helped the side to 142 all out in 51 overs, after they had been teetering at 67 for 6 through 30 overs.
Turner was disappointed with the result but proud of the way Marist fought back from the poor start.
"At the end I was pretty happy with the 142 because we were struggling and there wasn't much in the pitch," he said. "We didn't have the best start to the day and we really dug it in with the batting, and again when we came out to field we gave them too many runs at the start and really pulled that back as well, and in the end it was anyone's game." Turner said if they had taken their catches early in the United innings, Marist would've won the game.
Cording, Dominic Carroll and Whiteman all took three wickets for United who now lead the competition by five points from Collegiate with three rounds remaining.
High School v Saracens
High school player/coach Bevan Hunter was full of praise for his bowlers after the six wicket win over Saracens in Marton.
"We bowled really full and straight, the bowling did the job really," he said, after Saracens were all out for 102 in the 50th over, batting first.
High School reached the target in the 26th over for the loss of four wickets, though didn't have it all their own way in the opening overs.
Saracens opening bowler, Daniel Ford showed good pace to dismiss openers Max Montgomery and Latham Berry for three and five respectively, leaving Hunter and Callum Coker to steady the ship.
United stagger to top
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