Cricket: United and Marist resume rivalry in Whanganui Premier 1 competition

United and Marist meet in Premier 1's third round this weekend. Photo / NZME

The third round of the Cricket Whanganui Premier 1 45-over competition will showcase two powerhouse clubs in the latest chapter of their battle for local supremacy.

Defending champions Property Brokers United will play the rematch of last season’s final against Wanganui Vet Services Marist at Springvale Park.

In Saturday’s other match, Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens will host the Wanganui Renegades at Centennial Park, both teams playing in the top grade during the first half of the summer after being regular rivals for claiming all the CW Premier 2 silverware in recent seasons.

The third match of the round will be deferred until early December, in what will finally be a top-level schoolboys’ 1st XI derby as Whanganui Collegiate 1st XI take on Whanganui High School 1st XI who are making their return to this grade.

Of the 12 Riverview Motel Whanganui squad members who played out a draw with Subway Manawatu in Palmerston North last weekend, six should don the Marist greens while four return to the United blue.

The weather put something of a dampener on last summer when the teams’ round-robin game for the reconstituted local Premier 1 competition was rained out.

Both teams made the final, which was also rained out, so the trophy was decided when the sides played their derby fixture for the 50-over Coastal Challenge Cup in mid-January.

The title victory let United tip the scales back in their favour after Marist defeated them in all three formats – Twenty20, Two-Day, 50 Over – during the 2021-22 season, which were all Coastal Challenge competitions.

Saturday also features the third round of the Premier 2 Twenty20 competition.

Table leaders Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens travel to face Wicket Warriors Whanganui, while the Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI v Hunterville Hackers game will be an important fixture between third and fourth on the point table.

Draw for November 4

Premier 1

Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens v Wanganui Renegades

Property Brokers United P1 v Wanganui Vet Services Marist

December: Whanganui Collegiate 1st XI v Whanganui High School 1st XI

Premier 2

Property Brokers United P2 v Wanganui Old Boys-Tech

Wicket Warriors Whanganui v Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 2nd XI

Hunterville Hackers v Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI

Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI v Kaitoke Knight Riders

Byes: Whanganui High School T20, Wanganui Renegades T20