Cricket: Tech beat Red Star in only Coastal Challenge Cup game

Dominic Lock scored an undefeated half century in Tech's win over Red Star at Queen Elizabeth Park on Saturday.

Watson's Tech were the only Whanganui team to pick up a win in the latest round of the Bullocks Coastal Challenge on Saturday, in fact they were the only team to play.

Bad weather against blighted the weekend and saw the cancellation of most of the second round of matches, including Wanganui Collegiate and Marist who were supposed to travel to play Kapiti Old Boys and Levin Old Boys respectively.

Property Brokers United missed their chance for a little payback on Paraparumu at Victoria Park in what would have been a rematch of the last two season's worth of grand finals.

However, down at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, Tech were able to get in some play against Red Star to be the first Whanganui team to play a Wairarapa side in the newly expanded competition.

And they drew first blood with a comfortable eight wicket win with Duckworth Lewis being brought into play.

Red Star would make 141 after being dismissed in the 28th over in the rain reduced match.

Tech's young Canadian teenagers Akhil Kumar (4-22) and Harkaran Mann (2-25) got amongst the top order to have Red Star struggling at 62-5 in the 14th over.

Jeremy Osborne (28) lead a minor revival amongst the lower order, but Bevan Hunter (2-23) picked up his key partners till eventually Osborne was the last man dismissed to a Ross Kinnerley catch off Mann.

Still looking at a competitive run rate of 5.16 in average conditions, Tech could not take the low target for granted, but they ticked it off in a canter as the winning runs were struck after just 19 overs.

Again, the teenager Kumar (29) earned their food and lodgings as he hit six boundaries in his 23-ball innings, rotating the strike with Hunter (28), who hit five boundaries himself in his 25 ball knock.

Both were caught by George Deans off different bowlers, but at 57-2 in the ninth over, Tech had the launching pad they needed.

Dominic Lock (53 not) and Akash Gill (27 not out) then took care of the rest, with Lock especially in fine fettle as he hammered three sixes and five boundaries in his 36 ball innings.

Gill played the supporting hand in his 30 deliveries, but still stuck a four and six himself as the pair rattled off an unbeaten 85-run partnership in just over ten overs.

Red Star gave six bowlers a turn at the crease with little success.

Coastal Challenge Cup takes a break this coming weekend with the Furlong Cup representative cricket getting underway as the Wanganui team have the toughest test first up, going to Nelson Park to face Hawke's Bay.

Scoreboard
Red Star 141 (J Osborne 28, N Elliot 19; A Kumar 4-22, B Hunter 2-23, H Mann 2-25) lost to Tech 142-2 (D Lock 53no, A Gill 27no, A Kumar 29, B Hunter 28) by eight wickets.