Black Caps inspire United lads to huge win

THE DESTROYERS: After claiming seven wickets between them, United's Christi Viljoen and Tom Lance whacked 82 runs in 9.3 overs to see their team to a very quick victory over Marist at Victoria Park. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY 210215WCBRCCRI03

About a dozen of the Property Brokers United club's members were at the Cake Tin in Wellington on Friday afternoon to watch the Black Caps prove you don't have to be paid by the hour to play good cricket.

Needless to say, the defending Porter Hire Premier 1 one-day champions came back suitably inspired and had wrapped up their top-of-the-table clash with a hapless Bayer Marist in just over three hours themselves at Victoria Park on Saturday.

Expected to be a keen contest between the two form teams in the leadup to the semifinals on March 7, Marist were without some of their university-departed players, such as Brett Cameron and the Inness brothers - Morgan and Todd.

However, there was still enough veterans on Tasman Tanning No1 pitch to have crafted a solid innings, but instead, wickets fell at regular intervals as Marist slumped to 90 all out in the 29th over.

After Namibian import Christi Viljoen got the openers in John McIlraith, who was looking alright early on with three boundaries, then Jonathan Steward, teammate Tom Lance would wreck havoc with his off-spinners, bowling Fraser Kinnerley and trapping three of the middle order LBW.

Finishing with figures of 5-16 from his 8.5 overs, Lance was done emulating Tim Southee so switched into Brendon McCullum mode - smacking 45 from 32 balls, including 10 perfectly timed boundaries, as United swept to 92-1 in only the 12th over to complete the rout.

While inspired, full-time farmer Lance had not been part of the United contingent that went down to Wellington to witness England's destruction.

"I actually watched it this morning," he said.

"It was turning a little bit out there, too.

"Helpful conditions. The last couple of weeks I've felt better with my bowling."

Viljoen, who has been quite vocal about the poor state of the Victoria Park pitches and the long-grass in the outfields, was right there with Lance, smacking 41 from 27 balls, with seven boundaries and a towering six into the trees to end the match.

The park no longer has its main groundskeeper as St Johns Tech captain Dominic Lock has departed for England, but his team delivered the first win for new captain Sam Roebuck over an underwhelming Matt Burke Engineering Saracens, played on Tasman Tanning No2.

If United's victory was a replay of New Zealand vs England, then Tech's win was the doppelganger of New Zealand vs Scotland, as they bowled Saracens out for 131, before eventually securing the small total for the loss of six wickets.

Veteran Bevan Hunter was the most likely to pick off the target in short order, but after he fell for 46 and Roebuck was dismissed for 20, the innings had the wobbles at 97-5.