Whanganui cricket: Premier 2 Twenty20 semifinalists confirmed after final round-robin competition

The Premier 2 A and B-grade semifinals and finals will be played on January 13. Photo / Getty Images

Whanganui Renegades and Whanganui High School were able to pull off double-duty victories as the Premier 2 Twenty20 competition reached the end of the round robin on Saturday.

The undefeated Renegades were already safe on top of the points table, but High School still had to confirm their spot in the A-grade semifinals by keeping Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI, who had a mathematical chance of unseating them, off their tail.

This was accomplished with a comfortable six-wicket win in the midday fixtures, with the school team overhauling Marist’s total of 106-6 in the 13th over.

That made High School safe for the top four, but they still made a statement in their 3pm match against fellow semifinalists the Hunterville Hackers - raising the highest score of the day with 144-7 to win by 37 runs.

Renegades faced two teams, the Kaitoke Knight Riders and Property Brokers United P2s, who were competing to secure eighth place to qualify for the B-grade semifinals.

The Knight Riders came up just short despite fighting all the way to defend their total of 114-9, reducing Renegades from 86-5 to 111-9 before the winning runs were struck in the 19th over.

That result left United P2s safe in the eighth spot on net run rate, despite a 50-run loss to Renegades in their 3pm game.

The A and B-grade semifinals will be held at noon on Saturday, January 13, with the finals at 3.25pm.

Results

Premier 2 Twenty20

Kaitoke Knight Riders 114-9 (Z Payne-Potaka 23, D Groube 22no, M Trass 21, D Campbell 16; M Khan 3-12, H Carver 2-10, M Deighton 2-25) lost to Whanganui Renegades 115-9 (H Carver 25, J Donaldson 15, N Sherborne 15; T Waitere 2-15, N McKay 2-24, B Sollitt 2-34) by one wicket.

Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI 106-6 (C Thorpe 47, J Baldwin 30; M Comrie 3-14, A Muir 3-32) lost to Whanganui High School 107-4 (L Symes 30, R Meredith 29, N Burroughs 21no; Z O’Keefe 2-24) by six wickets.

Whanganui Renegades 123-8 (J Donaldson 46, T Tatana 27no; J Whiteman 4-4, M Pennefather 2-23) bt Property Brokers United P2′s 73 (Z Small 23, J Gray 19; L Brennan 4-10, J Donaldson 2-0) by 50 runs.

Whanganui High School 144-7 (C Meredith 45no, L Hoekstra 26, C McKerras 22, N Burroughs 22) bt Hunterville Hackers 107 (H Burroughs 3-18, A Muir 3-25) by 37 runs.