Cricket: Wanganui Marist hunting place in Coastal Challenge Cup Twenty20 final

Wanganui Marist in action last season. Photo / NZME

The third round of the inaugural Coastal Challenge Cup T20 competition will see the undefeated sides meet at the Horowhenua-Kāpiti grounds on Saturday.

After rounds 1-2 were held in Whanganui and Masterton last weekend, three teams are unbeaten – Kāpiti Old Boys, Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC and Levin Old Boys.

The odd one out is Wanganui Vet Services Marist, who will take on Levin this weekend to decide the top side in pool 1, while Paraparaumu face Kāpiti to find the best side in pool 2.

Marist picked up a comfortable 61-run win over the other Horowhenua-Kāpiti club, Weraroa CC, in the first round, then just held off Whanganui's Property Brokers United, who needed three runs to tie on the last delivery but had to settle for two.

Levin beat United by 16 runs, then had a thriller of their own with Weraroa CC, as their No. 10 and 11 batsmen secured the winning run off the second-last delivery.

Paraparaumu and Kāpiti each swept their two games against the Wairarapa clubs, Burger King Red Star and United CC.

Wanganui United will travel to Weraroa Domain on Saturday in search of their first win for the 2021-22 season.

In the MVP statistics, Levin fast bowler Fraser Bartholomew leads the standings after taking six wickets from his first two games, plus some good fielding, followed by Wanganui United spinner Robbie Power who took seven scalps on opening day.

Bartholomew's clubmate, Daemon Kennett, is right behind Power in third, while Paraparaumu's Ajay Kumar and Weraroa's Keegan Maclachlan round out the Top 5.

Draw for October 23
Pool 1 - Donnelly Park and Weraroa Domain
12pm: Levin Old Boys v Wanganui Marist; Weraroa CC v Wanganui United

Pool 2 - Donnelly Park
12pm: Paraparaumu CC v Kapiti Old Boys; Red Star v United CC.