Cricket: Wanganui United, Marist and Tech get Coastal Challenge Cup wins

Marist's Angus Dinwiddie fires in a short pitched delivery against Weraroa at Victoria Park on Saturday.

It was a good Saturday for the three Whanganui club teams in the Bullocks Coastal Challenge as they each made upward moves on the points table at the halfway point of the round robin.

At Victoria Park, the battle of the United's was comprehensively won by Property Brokers Wanganui United, who scored 292-7 on their way to a 166 run hammering of Masterton's United CC, while Marist put in a strong team batting performance to beat Weraroa by six wickets and move into the Top 4.

The competition has a new leader, as for the second match in a row, Watson's Tech took home a thrilling one wicket victory, this time against two-time defending champions Paraparaumu on their own ground at Kena Kena Park.

And once again it was down to the veteran No11 Chris Friedel, who came out to bat with five runs required and eight deliveries left.

After getting a single to keep the strike for the final over, Friedel hit opening pace bowler Sean Windle (3-38) over the rope off the second delivery to add another verse to this amazing ballad, given his seven not out from four balls follows the six not out from five balls with a boundary to beat United CC on November 24.

Earlier, Paraparaumu started well despite losing an early wicket, as Ajay Kumar went on the attack with 87 from 50 deliveries, including nine boundaries and five sixes.

Kumar's batting partners contributed scores in the teens before bowler Akash Gill picked up a run out and then had Ajaj caught off his bowling by Tech's own Kumar in Akhil.

By then, Rory Lorimer (56 from 59) had come in and put together useful partnerships with his middle order before Tech's third Indian-Canadian player in Harkaran Mann stepped up to start delivering on his potential, taking 4-30 to clear out the lower order after Ross Kinnerley (2-35) had Lorimer caught behind.

Mann took his confidence into his batting, because after Akhil Kumar fell in the opening over and the returning Fraser Kinnerley was scoring slowly, he shored up an end with 76 from 106 balls, including four boundaries.

Gill (53 from 47) looked to attack the right deliveries, but the match kept teetering as Ross Kinnerley and Tim Czerwonka fell cheaply, while captain Dominic Lock (34) and Quinn Mailman (35) were scoring at better than a run a ball before getting out at critical junctures.

It seemed each Tech batsman would hit a six to send momentum back to their team, only to be dismissed shortly afterwards for Paraparaumu to strike back through the likes of Josh Bohmer (2-29), spinner Nigel Harvey (2-56) and Ryland Knight-Densem (2-71).

Peter Czerwonka was no exception and fell to a catch in the 49th over, but once again, Friedel was the unlikely hero.

Back at Victoria Park, Marist did not have Nick Harding but were suitably reinforced as their Central Districts professional Ben Smith played in a bowling and fielding capacity while former Wanganui representative captain/coach Dominic Rayner turned out for his first 50-over match for the club with his Marton Saracens on sabbatical this summer.

Initially, it appear Marist were going to make their run chase harder than it needed to be as Weraroa's openers Matthew Good (35) and Adam Simonsen (38) moved their team swiftly to 86 in the 14th over.

Neither batsman needed to score quickly either, as Marist has the pace but struggled with their line to the tune of 54 runs from extras including a whopping 41 wides.

Sam Beard, Connor O'Leary, and Sam O'Leary were expensive in that regard, although out of all seven bowlers only Zak O'Keefe avoided sundries.

Yet once Marist got the ball on line, they reaped reward as Beard (3-25) broke the opening partnership and then he and Sam O'Leary (2-36) cleaned up the top order for Weraroa to be in trouble at 118-5.

Jack Culleton (17) tried to hold on but was losing partners, until Caleb O'Connell (45 not out) knuckled down and carried his last two partners to helpful 24 and 23 run partnerships before Angus Dinwiddie (2-40) stranded him for Weraroa to raise a defendable 230.

Marist did not wish to use the previously injured Smith as a batsman, and despite gifting their opposition a half century of extras, the run chase was under control, as the in-form middle order took a particular liking to short pitched deliveries, slapping multiple shots over the top for boundaries and sixes.

Rayner (36 from 33) looked comfortable despite Dinwiddie's early dismissal, as he and O'Keefe (72 from 55) put on 59 in eight overs, before Rayner was annoyed he got either too much or not enough on a Jaedyn Dawson delivery to chip it straight to Henry Dobson.

The in-form John McIlraith hit three boundaries before Paora O'Donnell hit his stumps, but despite the dismissal Mark Fraser's (50 not out) arrival meant Marist just continued their pace, especially with O'Keefe going on the attack after the drinks break, ultimately hitting 14 boundaries.

Eventually Henry Dobson (2-68) managed to get a bouncer in the proper zone to bother O'Keefe, flinging the bat at it with one hand and giving up a nick.

Craig Thorpe (37 not out from 26) came charging from the outset, riding his luck from a dropped catch to smash five boundaries and two sixes, scoring so quickly that he was rapidly catching up to Fraser, who it suddenly seemed might not have enough runs available to secure his half century.

The pair worked it out between them, with Fraser digging out one delivery for a boundary and then producing a much more classic drive to be able to raise his bat, before Thorpe slogged the first ball of the 34th over for six to wrap up a speedy chase.

While United CC were able to bring a full squad of 11 to Whanganui this time, they were afflicted with the same issue as Marist in gifting Wanganui United some 46 runs in extras including 37 wides.

The difference was United had batsman who could take advantage, as there was contributions through the order for their 292-7.

Former Marton Saracens player Scott Oliver opens the batting for his new team Wanganui United in their win over United CC.

Matthew Boswell (34 from 28) started well with partner Scott Oliver defending, and although United staggered to be 67-3, Matthew Simes (50) again for a second half century in as many Challenge Cup games, batting through until the 45th over.

Chris Sharrock (23) put on a reasonable partnership with him while keeping wickets in hand for the slog, as Josh Goleby (52 from 36) then opened up with seven boundaries and two sixes.

Goleby's runout with Simes and Robbie Power getting bowled had United CC hopeful of containing the home side despite all their extras, but Brendon Walker was in an aggressive mood and had his eye in.

Coming in a little low at No8, Walker swatted 67 not out off just 32 balls, punishing United CC's closing bowlers to the tune of five boundaries and four sixes as Wanganui United put on 60 runs from the last five overs.

Missing some seamers, Wanganui United got Sharrock to switch from spin to his tight medium pacers, but it didn't really matter as Ryan Slight (4-31) was able to carry the strike bowling and United CC struggled against the spinners in any case, with Dylan Martin (3-24) getting through his ten overs while Power (2-29) got two batsmen in the same over.

Having collected top order scalps to have United CC struggling at 35-2, Slight returned to get caught behind and clean bowled wickets of the tailenders to wrap up the match in the 32nd over.

The only local team not to get a home victory on Saturday was Wanganui Collegiate, who lost to Levin Old Boys by five wickets, with the Horowhenua-Kapiti team moving up to second on the table.

Playing at the school grounds, the Collegiate top order struggled to leave their team 27-3, with Air Chathams Wanganui players Joel Clark and Sam Sheriff falling to Liam Pinfold (3-19) and Daemon Kennett (2-20) respectively.

Harry Godfrey (45) and Hadleigh O'Leary (24) tried to bat time, lasting through until the 30th over, before medium pacer Ryan Taylor (3-40) broke the stumps of both O'Leary and Joseph Abernethy (15), after Godfrey had given up a caught behind.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Pinfold reaped reward with four catches and a stumping in the innings.

William Hocquard (32 not out) tried to bat through with his lower order, but 168 all out in the final over was not looking like enough.

Jamie Pinfold (29) and Dion Sanson (53) then got their team away to a solid start with a run-a-ball in the first 10 overs.

While the O'Leary's – Hadleigh (2-30) and Shaun (3-50) – broke the partnership and got the rest of the top order cheaply, Keegan MacLachlan (30) played a positive innings with Sanson to steady the ship.

When they were both dismissed, Jarrod Bowick (22 not out) and Jacob O'Brien had plenty of time to put on a brisk 29 runs to wrap up the game after 36 overs.

The final match of the round saw the biggest victory, as Kapiti Old Boys also came close to raising 300 on their way to smashing Red Star by 189 runs at Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park.

Scoreboard

Wanganui United 292-7 (B Walker 67no, J Goleby 52, M Simes 50, M Boswell 34, C Sharrock 23; S Patel 2-41) bt United CC 126 (C Morrison 40, R Hannam 26; R Slight 4-31, D Martin 3-24, R Power 2-29) by 166 runs.

Weraroa 230 (C O'Connell 45no, A Simonsen 38, M Good 37; S Beard 3-25, S O'Leary 2-36, A Dinwiddie 2-40) lost to Marist 234-4 (Z O'Keefe 72, M Fraser 50no, C Thorpe 37no, D Rayner 36; H Dobson 2-68) by six wickets.

Paraparaumu 256 (A Kumar 87, R Lorimer 56, J Logan 21; H Mann 4-30, R Kinnerley 2-35, F Kinnerley 2-51) lost to Tech 259-9 (H Mann 76, A Gill 53, Q Mailman 35, D Lock 34; S Windle 3-38, J Bohmer 2-29, N Harvey 2-56, R Knight-Densem 2-71) by one wicket.

Kapiti Old Boys 291-9 (J Miles 133, P McNabb 39, C Andrews 25; P Wootton 4-55, P Sigvertsen 2-41) bt Red Star 102 (J Osborne 25, Z Caldwell 21; T Harris 4-10, Z Benton 3-21, C Beleski 2-14) by 189 runs.

Wanganui Collegiate 168 (H Godfrey 45, W Hocquard 32no, H O'Leary 24; L Pinfold 3-19, R Taylor 3-40, D Kennett 2-20) lost to Levin Old Boys 170-5 (D Sanson 53, K MacLachlan 30, J Pinfold 29, J Bowick 22no; S O'Leary 3-50, H O'Leary 2-30) by five wickets.