Cricket: Coastal Challenge Cup expands to three formats for new season

In a replay of last year's semifinal, Property Brokers United will host Levin Old Boys to open the 2021/22 season. Photo / Lewis Gardner

The 2021-22 club cricket season will allow Cricket Wanganui's Premier 1 clubs to get precious crease time in all three formats of the game, as the successful Coastal Challenge Cup will expand beyond 50-over matches.

Introduced in 2015-16 to give the top clubs of Whanganui and Horowhenua-Kapiti a more robust and competitive one-day competition, Coastal Challenge has continued to expand with the introduction of Wairarapa clubs in 2018-19, which in turn extended the season draw to further dates throughout the summer.

As a result, between the expanding Coastal competition and representative commitments in the two-day Furlong Cup fixtures and one-day Chapple Cup weekends, Premier 1 was having difficulty finding windows for the traditional two-day club matches.

This year, the associations of Wanganui, Horowhenua and Wairarapa have combined resources to arrange Coastal Challenge tournaments for each of the specific formats – Twenty20, 50-over and two-day – for eight teams to play across the entire season.

It starts on Saturday with the Twenty20 season openers at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park.

Home clubs Property Brokers United and Wanganui Vet Services Marist will host Levin Old Boys and Weraroa CC respectively in their first games at 12 noon, before coming back at 3.30pm to play the second round with association derby fixtures.

These four sides make up Pool 1 of the competition, with Pool 2 consisting of Horowhenua's Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC and Kapiti Old Boys, along with Wairarapa's United CC and Burger King Red Star CC.

Pools 1 and 2 will play a third round of games on October 23, with the top sides from each pool then going on to contest the final at a later date.

November 6 will be the start of the Coastal Challenge two-day competition, with the second day of the four opening-round matches set for November 20

Round 2 will be December 4-18, with the final for the two remaining undefeated teams being played over the full weekend of January 8-9.

The original 50-over Coastal Challenge Cup will start in the New Year, with round one on January 29, carrying on through to the finals on March 26.

Dividing the season into specific tournaments presents both United and Marist with unique opportunities for Coastal Challenge success.

Marist won the 50-over title in 2018-19, while United have played in four finals, a record they share with Paraparaumu, but have yet to claim the title.

Follow results and draws for the tournaments at https://www.crichq.com/competitions/7265/draws/current

Draw for October 16, Coastal Challenge Cup Twenty20

Pool 1, Tasman Tanning Park

12 noon: Wanganui United vs Levin Old Boys; Wanganui Marist vs Weraroa CC.

3.30pm: United vs Marist; Levin vs Weraroa.

Pool 2, Park Sports Ground and Wairarapa College, Masterton

12 noon: United CC vs Kapiti Old Boys; Red Star vs Paraparaumu CC.

3.30pm: United vs Paraparaumu; Red Star vs Kapiti.

Previous Coastal Challenge Cup winners (50-over format)

2015-16: Tech Old Boys (Wanganui); Runnerup: Levin Old Boys

2016-17: Paraparaumu CC; Runnerup: Wanganui United

2017-18: Paraparaumu CC; Runnerup: Wanganui United

2018-19: Wanganui Marist; Runnerup: Paraparaumu CC

2019-20: Levin Old Boys; Runnerup: Wanganui United

2020-21: Paraparaumu CC; Runnerup: Wanganui United