SOME gutsy batting from Wanganui High School's top order and a season-ending shoulder injury to key Marist allrounder Mark Fraser helped the schoolboys to a 52-run premier one-day cricket win at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Batting first, Josh Plumridge (91), Max Montgomery (79) and Callum Coker (30) helped High School to 231-6 from 50 overs, with Marist losing Fraser to a dislocated shoulder while fielding. He had only bowled five overs.
In reply, Marist could only make 179-9 in 40 overs, Luke Smith topscoring with 49.
Marist player/manager Don Cameron was scathing of his side's batting performance, as they had been confident of chasing down the High School total, even without Fraser.
"I thought our opening bowlers [Brett Turner and Chris Stewart] bowled really well they bowled tight lines and we were happy with our fielding, so 231 on that track was a very gettable score."
"But we really let ourselves down in the batting."
"We had three unnecessary run-outs and a couple of brain explosions with silly shots, especially after we were well up on the run rate."
"It was really, really dumb batting."
In contrast, High School's player/coach Bevan Hunter was full of praise for his team's batting, particularly the contributions of Plumridge and Montgomery.
"They gutsed it out when the deck wasn't playing overly well this morning and Marist were bowling well, and then they accelerated toward the end."
"Mark Fraser injuring himself and not being able to bowl at the death was obviously crucial to the run chase as well, but we still had to do the business and we did that."
However, he said High School's bowling and fielding apart from a "couple of bits of brilliance" had been average and they had a plenty to work on in those areas.
High School, who lead the competition by two points from United (had the bye on Saturday), face the winless Saracens this weekend, and then Collegiate, in their final two round robin games.
Marist, who are third on the table, must beat United this weekend to stay in the finals hunt.
The other match scheduled on Saturday, Collegiate-Saracens, was deferred because of Collegiate Weekend.
'It was really, really dumb batting'
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