Must-win road ahead as Marist face uphill battle for Coastal Cup semi-finals

Marist's Hadleigh O'Leary took four wickets and scored 17 runs in the loss to Red Star on Saturday. Photo / NZME

Whanganui Vet Services Marist will need other results to go their way in their quest to get back to the Coastal Challenge Cup semi-finals after their third round run chase fell short again on Saturday.

In a rematch of last year’s semi at Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park, like the weekend before Marist’s lower-middle order was asked to do the heavy lifting but couldn’t quite get their side over the line, finishing 20 runs short against Open Mixed Hollings First Windows & Doors Red Star.

Looking to finally take one more step to a Coastal final after repeat semi-final exits as top qualifier the last two seasons, Red Star chose to bat first in the weather-reduced match and made a handy 228-7 from their 42 overs.

Opener Robbie Anderson (52 from 51 balls) led the way despite his team losing wickets to Marist’s in-form spinner Hadleigh O’Leary (4-49), with Anderson eventually finding a willing partner in Samuel Payne (46 from 58), who previously with the bat helped save Wairarapa from an outright loss to Jurgens Demolition Whanganui in the Furlong Cup.

Payne carried on after losing Anderson, with younger brother Shaun O’Leary (2-31) helping Hadleigh put the pressure back on, until Luke Jonas (48 from 54) was next to step forward and steady the ship, with Zach Anstis (16 not out) getting what proved to be crucial runs in the tail.

In reply, Marist’s attacking openers were back in the shed quickly at 16-2 as Red Star allrounder Jake Jonas (3-33) took control.

Tom Dempster (23 from 45) and Connor Rees (23 from 46) looked to rebuild the innings, but at 84-4 around halfway of the 21^st over mark, the run-rate pressure was mounting.

Jack Fitzgerald (3-31) kept picking up wickets just when the batsmen were playing themselves in, and at 104-6 it was again looking beyond Marist.

Once again enter the O’Leary brothers – Shaun (44 not out from 36), Hadleigh (17 from 15) and Connor (33 from 27) took their side over the 200 mark for the second week in a row in sight of the vital win.

But in a near-replay of their loss to Property Brokers United, Marist folded short as Fitzgerald and the returning Jonas secured the demise of two O’Leary brothers, and then Shaun lost his tail-enders to run outs to go from 201-7 to being dismissed for 208 with 16 balls remaining.

Marist now go into the Coastal bye week knowing they must win their remaining three games and hope other results go their way to secure a top-four berth, and they will be interested observers this coming Saturday as Red Star travel up to face United at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park.

The derby continued among the Horowhenua-Kapiti clubs in the other Coastal games on Saturday.

Levin Old Boys continued their unbeaten run and made a statement with a six-wicket away win over champions McAndrews Menswear Kapiti Old Boys at Paraparaumu Domain.

Ray White Paraparaumu bounced back from their loss to Levin to set a record by smashing an understrength Topglass Weraroa by 285 runs at Kena Kena Park.