Allrounder Fraser Kinnerley had an excellent match with bat and ball in Tech's six wicket win over Kapiti on Saturday.
The heavy overnight rainfall on Victoria Park proved costly for Marist as both they and Property Brokers United had their home games abandoned in the penultimate round of the Bullocks Coastal Challenge Cup on Saturday.
Comfortably on top of the points table, United's position was not affected by missing their game with Weraroa, but after back-to-back wins, Marist had worked their way up to fifth place and needed maximum points against Paraparaumu because they have the bye in the last round on January 20.
Conditions had improved by early afternoon and further rain stayed away, but the decision to call off the matches had already been made at 8am due to the Horowhenua-Kapiti teams having to travel.
The abandonment was also not ideal for the United and Marist players in the Treadwell Gordon Wanganui squad – needing a hit out in the New Year before the toughest Furlong Cup fixture this weekend against Hawke's Bay at Victoria Park.
Meanwhile, the other Coastal Challenges games continued further south and St John's Tech got 2018 off on the right foot with an important six wicket win over Kapiti Old Boys at Paraparaumu Domain, giving themselves an outside chance of breaking into the Top 4.
While Kapiti's opening batsman Waduge Tharaka (66) shored up an end, he rapidly ran through partners in the top order as Tech's standout performer Fraser Kinnerley (4-27) eventually got him as well as Jayden Miles (21) and then Taine Halbert off a caught and bowled, while Martin Harrison lost his stumps first ball.
Brother Ross Kinnerley (2-31) and Trent Hemi (2-35) also had success, although there was a wag in the Kapiti tail as from 114-7 in the 35th over they managed to survive to the end of the innings, reaching 174-8.
But Tech went all out for maximum bonus points as Fraser Kinnerley (80) and Bevan Hunter (45) led onslaught from the start, reaching 61 in the seventh over, with Hunter facing just 25 balls while hitting eight boundaries and a six.
Bowlers Carter Andrews, Zack Benton and Hayden Wright got whacked around.
Kapiti did fight back after Hunter's dismissal as Akhil Kumar and Peter Czerwonka fell quickly, with Martin Harrison (2-41) the pick of the bowlers.
However, Kinnerley would also hit eight boundaries along with two sixes as he carried on with Dominic Lock (24 not out), and by the time Kinnerley was caught at 166-4 in the 26th over, the writing was on the wall.
Ross Kinnerley quickly struck two boundaries and Tech completed their best performance of the competition, although not their most dominant which was the nine-wicket annihilation of Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens in less than two hours.
The understrength Saracen's prospects in the New Year have not greatly improved as Levin Old Boys smashed a season-record 394-5 on their way to a 136 run win at Donnelly Park.
The total eclipsed the 388-9 which Marist scored against Saracens in early December, as opener Jamie Pinfold went ballistic with 172 in just 109 balls, including 17 boundaries and eight sixes.
Freddy Lane, who did eventually stop the Pinfold onslaught, Dominic Rayner and Andre Canderle were very expensive.
Keegan MacLachlan (64) and Ryan Taylor (63) supported Pinfold while scoring heavily in their own right, while Jarrod Bowick (38) then carried on in the later overs.
Spinner and former Wanganui rep Bryant Galpin (3-61) has returned did his best from his ten overs.
To their credit, with their depleted lineup Saracens still gave a solid reply on a good batting strip, being dismissed for 258 at the end of the 44th over.
Left out of Wanganui's last match, Thomas Walshe did his recall chances no harm by carrying his bat to 100 from as many balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.
Sam Sheriff (36) helped Walshe get the innings away to a good start with 78 runs after 11 overs, while Dominic Rayner (21), Sam Lambert (27), Josh Trillo (33 not out) and Thomas Westwood (27) all tried to get their team to at least bat through the 50 overs.
Daemon Kennett (3-41), C Maclachlan (3-45) and Daniel Parker (3-49) eventually caught up with them.
The big win moved Levin up into second spot, leapfrogging Kapiti Old Boys with one weekend of round robin games remaining on January 20.
Scoreboard
Kapiti Old Boys 174-8 (W Tharaka 66, B K-G 38, M Newall 28, J Miles 21; F Kinnerley 4-27, R Kinnerley 2-31, T Hemi 2-35) lost to Tech 176-4 (F Kinnerley 80, B Hunter 45, D Lock 24no; M Harrison 2-41) by six wickets.
Levin Old Boys 394-5 (J Pinfold 172, K MacLachlan 64, R Taylor 63, J Bowick 38; B Galpin 3-61) bt Marton Saracens 258 (T Walshe 100, S Sheriff 36, J Trillo 33no, S Lambert 27, T Westwood 27, D Rayner 21; D Kennett 3-41, C Maclachlan 3-45, D Parker 3-49) by 136 runs.
United vs Weraroa and Marist vs Paraparaumu abandoned.
Wanganui Collegiate bye.