Levin's Keegan MacLachlan about to be caught behind by United's Matt Simes off the bowling of Simon Badger in the semifinal on Saturday.
The Bullocks Coastal Challenge Cup final will be a rematch of last season as Property Brokers United disposed of Levin Old Boys in short order and the champion Paraparaumu's lower order got them home against Kapiti Old Boys in Saturday's semfinals.
Facing Levin for the second weekend in a row at Victoria Park, United had to contend with Levin's lightning start through the competiton's leading runscorer in Jamie Pinfold (49 from 34 balls) who punished the bowlers with five sixes and three boundaries.
However, as seen repeatedly in this dryer summer where club games alternate on weekends between 50-over and Twenty20, players lack patience in the longer form to craft their innings, and when pace bowler Ryan Slight (3-44) had Pinfold caught, he and Simon Badger (2-40) got amongst the top order.
It was looking like a short-fuse innings as by the 20th over Levin still had a run rate approaching six-an-over, but had lost six wickets doing it.
Ryan Taylor (43) looked arrest the slide as United's Ritesh Verma, Martin Pennefather and Tom Lance bowled economically, with Levin's lower order trying to keep their wickets to bat the innings out.
But James Pennefather (3-26) took away Taylor's batting partners, Badger removed Taylor and then Lance got a nick behind for the last wicket to have Levin all out for 168 in less than 40 overs.
In reply, Lance (41) also got United off to a flyer, with partner Matthew Boswell (78 not out) then carrying on to deliver his best constructed innings of the summer.
Having raised the team total to 60 in nine overs with eight boundaries, Lance was frustrated to chip one back to spinner Dion Sanson (2-30), while Collegiate pickup Matt Simes supported the accelerating Boswell until he also gifted Sanson and caught and bowled.
Greg Smith (25) entered and like Boswell was eager for a good score after an uneven summer, as at the other end the latter was really beginning to get into a grove – hitting Sanson and the MacLachlan's — Keegan and Curtis – either back over their head or driving solidly through the field.
From 132-2 at the 25th over drinks break, Boswell stepped up another gear and made medium pacer Daniel Parker his bunny – lifting his first ball for six and then hitting five more boundaries over his first two overs.
Aggressive pace bowler Fraser Bartholomew kept firing it in and eventually got a yorker through Smith, enough that Freddie Wilson (14 not out) cautiously blocked out the next five balls for a rare wicket maiden.
But with Boswell blasting at the other end, Wilson soon joined in to loft Bartholomew straight over the top for a six, and then followed with two swift boundaries to end the match in 29 overs.
"They started off at a good rate but we tightened it up," said Lance.
"The slow bowlers – and that's going to happen at this time of the year in Whanganui – tightened the screws [and] they only really had one guy scoring."
Lance praised Boswell's knock, for although he had previously scored a 94 against Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens, this innings was much better weighted against far stronger opposition.
"He was timing the ball really well by the end of it. Hopefully he carries it on next week."
The rescheduling of the cricket calender has also benefited United, as last year's 26-run loss in the final came in mid-March when the side was hamstrung by the departure of their university-based players and absence of several veterans, including Lance who had been injured in the semifinals.
At Kena Kena Park, Paraparaumu picked up a three wicket win in a much closer match with Kapiti.
Kapiti recovered from losing early wickets to reach 235-7, led by a patient 118 not out from Jayden Miles, who batted through after Waduge Tharaka (53) made a quickfire innings.
In reply, Paraparaumu had a great start with openers Jake Ross (44) and Byron Gill (52) in control, however after Tharaka had them both LBW, Paraparumu started to lose wickets regularly to be 145-6.
However, No8 batsman Sean Windle (47 off 35) took control with five boundaries and a six, as Nigel Harvey (20 not out) supported him and then went on to get the winning runs at the end of the 44th over, while Kapiti did not help their cause with 17 wides bowled.
Scoreboard
Levin 168 (J Pinfold 49, R Taylor 43; R Slight 3-44, J Pennefather 3-26, S Badger 2-40) lost to United 172-3 (M Boswell 78no, T Lance 41, G Smith 25; D Sanson 2-30) by seven wickets.
Kapiti 235-7 (J Miles 118no, W Tharaka 53; S Windle 2-28) lost to Paraparaumu 236-7 (B Gill 52, S Windle 47, J Ross 44, N Harvey 20no; W Tharaka 2-24, M Harrison 2-38, Z Benton 2-56) by three wickets.