Property Brokers United with the Cricket Whanganui Premier 1 title after their victory over Wanganui Vet Services Marist on Saturday.
By Jared Smith
Property Brokers United redressed the balance in their derby rivalry with Wanganui Vet Services Marist and also claimed the first silverware of the season after a comprehensive 104-run victory on Saturday.
After the wet weekend slogs on the artificial pitches at Springvale Park before Christmas, it was fantastic to see Whanganui’s top club teams back competing on a baking grass wicket in the form of Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park’s No 1 pitch for the opening game of the inter-district Coastal Challenge Cup, which also doubled as the rescheduled local Premier 1 final.
In fact, after the cloud bursts of October-December, January 21 offered sunny, stifling hot conditions, and in their attempt to get back in the win column after three straight losses to Marist in 2021-22, United refused to wilt - producing a well-constructed team innings to reach a challenging 270-7.
Marist had a top-heavy team with five of their players who earned representative honours this summer unavailable, and after seeing off the early overs of the Kinnerley brothers – Ross and Fraser (4-29) – United opener Zeb Small (59 from 100 balls) and No 3 batsman Daniel Burgess (106 from 115) put on a decisive 113-run partnership.
It wasn’t quick - United crawling to 43-1 off 17 overs - but both Small and Burgess protected their wickets, with the latter playing himself into superb form with some authoritative stroke-making.
Having scored just 19 from 42 deliveries, Burgess began to get on top of the middle-innings bowlers, Marist having to go without any of the O’Leary family (Connor, Shaun, Hadleigh), who were at their cousin’s wedding, or the likes of fellow 2022-23 representative players Nick Harding, Josh Allpress and Angus Dinwiddie.
Marist also began to make errors in the field, and after Small was finally trapped leg before by Fraser Kinnerley, United were set to launch at 136-2 with just over 19 overs remaining.
Brendon Walker (18) got promoted up the order to slog a few quick ones, but despite his legs nearly being gone in the perspiring conditions, after the drinks break it was Burgess himself who lifted another notch – smacking 11 boundaries and a six in total.
Carter Hobbs (23) joined him to run hard between the wickets, putting the pressure on the tiring Marist fielders, until Burgess’ outstanding innings was finally ended after holing out at cover off the second-last delivery from Aiden O’Connor (2-39), in a fitting reward for the bowler after toiling hard in the heat for 10 straight overs.
Greg Smith (23 not out) joined Hobbs in keeping up the whippet-quick running between the wickets to pressure the tiring fielders, and although the return of the Kinnerley’s cut down a lot of the bigger shots – Fraser getting consecutive clean-bowled dismissals in the final over – United approached the defence of their total with a lot of confidence.
Without several leading players, Marist were always going to rely on their handful of remaining current and former representative batsman at the top of the order, with Ross Kinnerley (34 from 54) and Chris Stewart (62 from 74) digging in for a 66-run partnership.
As expected, after a handful of overs from their pace bowlers, United went straight to their veteran spinners to turn the screws, and surprisingly, it was the evergreen Gerard ‘Danger’ Hobbs (7-35) who proved the destroyer.
Even Hobbs would tell you he was not exactly sending down unplayable deliveries, but the veteran kept his line consistent and invited Marist to have a crack at him, and the batsmen holed out to poor shot selection and safe hands in the field.
After Kinnerley was trapped in front by Tom Lance, both Stewart and his new partner John McIlraith (24 from 19) were claimed caught-and-bowled by Hobbs to reduce Marist to 135-4 with not a lot of batting depth remaining.
So much fell on the shoulders of representative batsman Mark Fraser, and in the game’s final pivotal moment, he looked to slog Hobbs over the boundary for six, only to see nephew Carter Hobbs take an excellent catch right on the line, which shared its field with the neighbouring Twenty20 match and saw that game’s square leg umpire, standing right beside the fielder, confirm the younger Hobbs had kept his feet in play.
From 140-5, Marist collapsed to lose their last five wickets for 26 runs, four of them falling to Hobbs and including three more solid catches by the United fielders when Marist tried to hit out in vain.
Lifting the Premier 1 trophy and getting a strong start to the Coastal Challenge, of which they have made four finals but never won the title, United slots into second spot on the points table, behind Weraroa CC after the White Herons pulled off a surprising six-wicket home win over Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC at the domain.
In the other derby match, defending champions Levin Old Boys got their season off to a good start with a 62-run win over Kapiti Old Boys in a low scoring match.
Follow results and draws for the tournaments at https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/coastal-challenge/coastal-challenge-202223-summer-202223/coastal-challenge-50-overs/a2935261.
It was all-action across Victoria Park as the Combined Twenty20 tournament completed their round robin games.
In the known results heading into this coming Saturday’s semifinals, table leaders Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens made a good start to their two games for the day with a 64-run win over Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI.
Hunterville Hackers held on for a six run win over Wicket Warriors Whanganui, while Kaitoke Knight Riders picked up a four-wicket win over Property Brokers United White.
Follow results and draws for the tournament at https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/cricket-whanganui/summer-202223/1417a692.