ACTIVE Physio Wanganui were in a desperate fight to avoid their second innings-defeat in a fortnight after Wairarapa's lower middle order got away from them on Saturday and their own weak batting unit collapsed yesterday afternoon.
In a red-faced Hawke Cup qualifier, Wanganui's bowlers started very well at the Rathkeale College Oval, with Ross Kinnerley picking up opener Alex Treseder and No3 George Deans in the opening overs.
Mason Hughes was scoring very slowly from his first 40 or so deliveries, while Brock Price came and went to a nick behind off Dominic Rayner as first-change bowler.
However, Hughes anchored his team and began to find the boundary rope, making 72 from just over 100 deliveries, before being run out from a good throw by Hamish Harding back to Mathew Boswell at the stumps.
At 144-6, Wanganui appeared poised to wrap the innings up, but wicketkeeper Paul Lyttle and acting captain Gordan Reisima had other ideas in a stunning century partnership for the eighth wicket, scoring at a run a ball.