Marist's Connor O'Leary (5-29) ripped through Paraparaumu's top order. Photo / Bevan Conley
Property Brokers United and Wanganui Vet Services Marist kept their hopes of a Coastal Challenge finals berth alive with away wins on Saturday.
After a loss and two weather-abandoned games, it was sudden death time for Marist and they delivered at Kena Kena Park with a 46-run victory over Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC, consigning the three-time champions to a third straight loss this campaign and likely removal from title contention.
The United 1st XI had a six-run win over Kāpiti Old Boys at Paraparaumu Domain.
Marist took a fairly strong line-up into the match and their decision to bat after winning the toss proved wise as openers Nick Harding (83 from 82) and Ross Kinnerley (33 from 32) put on 87 runs for the first wicket.
It was a great launching pad, one which Shaun O’Leary (26 from 24) and Mark Fraser (39 from 47) looked to carry on, but Paraparaumu’s bowlers put the clamps back on against a side that has lacked recent game time.
Jayden Keats (3-36), Hayden Mourits (2-41) and Prashant Modi (2-56) reined in the scoring and kept the middle to lower order honest as Marist were bowled out for 227 in the 46th over.
Probably 15-20 runs shy of putting Paraparaumu out of contention, Marist needed to bowl well and pace bowler Connor O’Leary (5-29) ripped through the top order to leave the hosts in trouble at 21-3.
With O’Leary having finished his opening spell, Byron Gill (58 from 95) protected his wicket, getting a little support from skipper Nigel Harvey (13) as they looked to rebuild the innings.
But more wickets fell quickly, with Thomas Redpath (2-16) getting the prize scalp of Gill as well as big-hitting Kamal Patel (39 from 35) as they were trying to get their side back into the match with enough overs left to do so.
Keats (24 not out from 21) could possibly have done it, however, O’Leary returned to strand him by cleaning up the tail, also in the 46th over, for 181.
Across town at Paraparaumu Domain, United wanted to keep their run on the top of the table going but had to battle Kāpiti Old Boys every step.
Runs in the top order were hard to come by, especially with Horowhenua-Kāpiti representative bowler Carter Andrews (4-34) putting on the pressure.
Sam Roebuck (20) and Carter Hobbs (15) got starts, but it fell to a captain’s innings from Chris Sharrock (66 from 99) to steady the ship.
Simon Badger (16) and Brendon Walker (17 from 17) stayed with Sharrock long enough to get United over the 200-run barrier before Andrews returned to clean up the tail for 211.
Rajinder Singh (2-27) also bowled well and picked up the run-out of Hobbs, but Kāpiti’s bowlers did not always get their line right, gifting United 50 extras including what proved a crucial 40 runs from wides.
As they have for the past fortnight, United backed their bowlers and Harpreet Binning (2-47) got the early breakthroughs to reduce Kāpiti to 20-2.
Taine Halbert (29) stopped the collapse, surviving 67 balls, by which time he was joined by Ryan Hickey (58), who looked to carry on, also seeing off over 100 balls.
Walker (2-38) picked off the batting partners around Hickey to have Kāpiti at 87-6, with victory in sight, but the game took another twist as Andrews (53 from 46) came in and hit out.
An 86-run partnership in good time had Kāpiti back in the match and, while Sharrock (2-35) removed Andrews, the equation was delicately poised with the home side sitting on 192-7 with four overs remaining.
Kāpiti wouldn’t make it to the final over as Badger (2-19) had been saved for the finish and he delivered.
Sharrock also picked up his second wicket, but Kāpiti hit a six before the end of the 48th over.
Getting down to seven runs needed off 10 balls and two wickets still in hand, Kāpiti were undone as Badger took both wickets in the space of his last four balls to maintain United’s undefeated streak.
Coastal Challenge takes a break this weekend as Riverview Motel Whanganui enters the 50-over Chapple Cup competition against the other representative teams in the Central Districts region.
The Cricket Whanganui Premier 2 and Premier 3 competitions started on Saturday with two sets of champions to be decided in late March.
In the battle of the “young guns”, the Property Brokers United Colts picked up a two-wicket win over Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI in a short and low-scoring Premier 2 match at the school grounds.
Coastal Challenge Cup
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 227 (N Harding 82, M Fraser 39, R Kinnerley 32, S O’Leary 26; J Keats 3-36, H Mourits 2-41, P Modi 2-56) bt Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC 181 (B Gill 58, K Patel 39, J Keats 24no; C O’Leary 5-29, T Redpath 2-16, Unknown 2-29) by 46 runs.
Property Brokers United 211 (C Sharrock 62, S Roebuck 21, B Walker 17; C Andrews 4-34, R Singh 2-27) bt Kāpiti Old Boys 205 (R Hickey 58, C Andrews 53, T Halbert 29; S Badger 2-19, C Sharrock 2-35, B Walker 2-37) by six runs.
Premier 2
Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI 77 (R Nugent-O’Leary 16, J Keenan 16; Unknown 4-0, R McRae 2-6) lost to Property Brokers United Colts 81-8 (C McKerras 29, L Symes 16; R Nugent-O’Leary 3-18, J Keenan 2-11, H Cranstone 2-30) by two wickets.