Whanganui Cricket: Tech wins thriller and Marist wins big in Challenge Cup round

Marist's John McIlraith sends the ball away to score his 100 for Marist in the win over United on Saturday.

It was cometh the hour, cometh the man for Watson's Tech as their genuine No11 batsman Chris Friedel swatted United CC bowler Sanjay Patel to the boundary to cap off a thrilling one-wicket victory from their full team run chase at a damp Victoria Park on Saturday.

Tech picked up their second consecutive victory over a Wairarapa side in the Bullocks Coastal Challenge to move up to second place on the disjointed points table, which has seen matches abandoned by rain and the Horowhenua-Kapiti teams at the top end due to having played one more round than the rest.

Wanganui Collegiate picked up a comprehensive seven wicket win over the other Wairarapa side in Red Star on the school's No1 pitch, while Marist made a statement as an in-form middle order swiped an impressive 287-6 on the way to dismantling Property Brokers United for 121 runs.

Tech went into their match a little uneasy without the services of allrounders Fraser Kinnerley (police duties) and Akash Gill (Central Districts A callup), although their opposition only brought ten men with them.

United overcame the loss of an early wicket to have Mark Childs (37) link up with Liam Burling (89) for a solid 59 run partnership, with Brad Chittick (35) then joining Burling to keep the momentum going until bowler Cameron Mackintosh (2-29) got him to play the ball back onto his stumps.

Robbie Spears (14) then joined Burling to settle United again, before Akhil Kumar (4-65) got amongst them for a devastating spell for Tech to nearly have the batsmen out of there at 206-8.

But this match had plenty of twist and turns left, with Patel (31) coming out and blasting five boundaries and a six in just 15 balls before Ross Kinnerley (2-31) had him caught, after what could have been a match-winning turn with United up to 243.

United opening bowler John Ryan (2-37) then bowled Kumar in the opening over, but partner Bevan Hunter (48) was in a positive mood with eight boundaries and a six in his 33 ball knock.

Harkaran Mann (20) stayed with him as Tech were scoring freely, before Hunter being caught off Patel (2-51) signalled another momentum shift as Mann and skipper Dominic Lock departed not long after at 96-4.

But Kinnerley, as he did for Air Chathams Wanganui, dug in with 33 from 30 balls, having the patience to wait and hit six boundaries, as Tech had plenty of overs available, just perhaps not the batting acumen down the order to hold out.

Mackintosh (42 from 42) was the same as Kinnerley, stroking nine boundaries, while the scoreboard kept ticking over as United gave away costly extras to the tune of 37 runs from wides, having one less fielder available.

However, after Kinnerley gave a nick behind off bowler Jaco Le Roux, Reece Hannam (3-17) then stepped up to remove Mackintosh, Tim Czerwonka and Quinn Mailman to have Tech in trouble at 199-8, with 23 overs still left but all the recognised batsmen now watching from the fenceline.

It all seemed to be on Tyler Lock's shoulders, as with Devon Purvis (13 not out) hanging on at the other end, Lock still backed himself on the loose balls, hitting the spinner's for a boundary and then a six off one knee as part of his 24 from 27 balls.

Purvis chipped in a well-run two and then a boundary, and when Lock added back-to-back fours off Patel, the game had gone from being close enough to hurt for Tech if they lost with 13 runs needed, to seemingly in the bag with only five runs remaining.

But then Patel found a good ball for Lock to push at and give a sharp nick behind, and so out strode the veteran Friedel, displaying more confidence than perhaps was felt by those watching behind him.

It was heart-in-mouth stuff from here as Purvis was on strike and had a big swing-and-miss at two deliveries in what proved a maiden over.

Friedel then faced Patel, surviving a LBW shout (down leg), playing a solid cut for a scrambled two, getting hit again for another excited LBW shout (also down leg), before swatting Patel over the top to the boundary for what will no doubt be claimed as the greatest 6 not out in the Tech's five year history of Premier 1 cricket.

United were watching the spectacle with a beer from the Victoria Park boundary, after their game ended earlier than they would have liked after a good start against Marist.

Pace bowler Ryan Slight was home from university and along with fellow opener Simon Badger (2-56), they kept the Marist top order of the O'Leary's – Michael and Nick – along with Zak O'Keefe pinned down, with Slight bowling out his full complement as Marist sat at 59-3 after 17 overs.

Enter John McIlraith, feeling confident after his strong innings for Wanganui the weekend before, who played himself in carefully, before cutting loose will a excellent 101 from 94 balls.

Supported by Craig Thorpe (27) and then Mark Fraser (86 not out), McIlraith hit ten boundaries and three sixes, slowing down and taking more careful singles as he approached his second ton for Marist.

Having reached the milestone, McIlraith was bowled not long afterwards, but and Fraser had taken Marist from a slow 132-4 in 32 overs through to 204-5 in the 43rd over with wickets in hand for the slog.

Nick Harding (22) didn't disappoint, slamming two sixes into the long trees, and Fraser also raised his 50 with a six, before Harding was hauled in by Dylan Martin for a boundary catch off bowler Chris Sharrock.

Martin couldn't quite hang onto another running catch when Fraser skied the ball off Sharrock, and the veteran would make United pay.

From 263-6 entering the last over, Fraser launched Sharrock over the ropes four times, twice consecutively in between missing out while swinging at the first and fourth deliveries, to finish with seven boundaries and five sixes in his 56-ball knock.

United were never really in the chase, with returning opener Matthew Boswell and captain Tom Lance looking for the boundary but getting out to be 39-2 in the sixth over, with Lance's LBW to Harding a key moment.

Matthew Simes (54 not out) protected his wicket, shoring up an end, but O'Keefe (4-25) would work his way through United's experienced middle order, as Gerard Hobbs (30) and Brendon Walker (20) had gotten set but then got out, while Robbie Power, Badger and Stephen Holloway were all caught in short order.

Sam O'Leary (2-31) and Angus Dinwiddie (2-27) also got their share of the spoils as Marist relished the big win given they don't want to leave their run too late like last year to make the championship playoffs.

Collegiate also got off the mark with their win over Red Star, who like United CC only brought 10 players for the long trip to Whanganui.

Red Star was bowled out in less than 28 overs for 112, with only George Deans (21) and Zac Caldwell (31) getting set amongst the batsmen, while team veteran Peter Sigvertsen (24) tried to eke out some runs down the order.

Joseph Abernethy (3-12) cleaned up the tail, while Beau Hourigan (2-13) also had success as the bowlers shared the scalps.

Collegiate's pitch with the long boundaries is never easy to score from, but opener Sam Sheriff (60 not), continued his good form from his last Wanganui innings, carrying his bat through to wrap up the run chase in 26 overs.

Kashish Nauhria and Ben Kelt, in his last game for his school, both got starts with 16, but it was Sheriff who had it under control, as after two good hits did not yield a boundary in the long outfield, he got down to a knee and blasted a six into the sightscreen.

Another Sheriff six signed the match off.

In the other derby games between the Horowhenua Kapiti sides, Paraparaumu stayed on top of the table with a comfortable eight wicket win over Kapiti Old Boys in a game where Duckworth-Lewis came into the calculations, while Levin Old Boys defeated Weraroa by 49 runs.

Scoreboards

United CC 243 (L Burling 89, M Childs 37, B Chittick 35, S Patel 31; A Kumar 4-65, C Mackintosh 2-29, R Kinnerley 2-31) lost to Tech 245-9 (B Hunter 48, C Mackintosh 42, R Kinnerley 33, T Lock 24, H Mann 20; R Hannam 3-17, J Ryan 2-37, S Patel 2-51) by one wicket.

Marist 287-6 (J McIlraith 101, M Fraser 86no, C Thorpe 27, N Harding 22; S Badger 2-56) bt United 161 (M Simes 54no, G Hobbs 30, B Walker 20; Z O'Keefe 4-25, A Dinwiddie 2-27, S O'Leary 2-31) by 121 runs.

Red Star 112 (Z Caldwell 31, P Sigvertsen 24, G Deans 21; J Abernathy 3-12, B Hourigan 2-13) lost to Collegiate 115-3 (S Sheriff 60no) by seven wickets.

Kapiti Old Boys 155 (M Harrison 79; N Harvey 4-22, D McNamara 3-59, J Bohmer 2-37) lost to Paraparaumu 159-2 (J Ross 47, A Kumar 44, B Gill 44) by eight wickets.

Levin Old Boys 271 (D Sanson 106, B Te Tomo 50, K MacLachlan 21; H Dobson 4-44, B De Burgh 2-41, C O'Connell 2-61) bt Weraroa 222 (H Dobson 51, M Good 47, B De Burgh 27, C Trask 22; J O'Brien 3-15, L Pinfold 2-22, N O'Brien 2-33, D Sanson 2-50) by 49 runs.