Marist win signals their intentions

Collegiate's Angus Baddeley picked up four wickets against United, while batsman Stephen Holloway made a strong rearguard action on the school's No1 pitch on Saturday. Photo/Rae Cliffe

Bayer Marist have made the perfect start to their Wanganui Premier League campaign with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens at Victoria Park on Saturday.

Following up their opening round victory over Property Brokers United on January 18, Marist signalled their clear intention for the rest of the summer as the key men in the top order all contributed in their run chase on a park with a dying outfield to reach their modest target with 18 overs to spare.

Earlier in the day it was the Kinnerlys Fraser and Ross who picked up key wickets as the Marton team's top order collapsed to be 61-4.

However, there was some fight in the middle order as Active Physio Wanganui captain Bryce Grant struck nine boundaries in his 63, having good partnerships with Dan Ford (40) and Chris Rayner (29).

After Grant fell to a catch off a wide Sam O'Leary delivery, it appeared Saracens would not be able to complete their recovery, however the last pair of Dane Slako and Chris Wilton managed to snaffle 14 runs off the final over to inflate Fraser Kinnerly's good figures from his 15 overs.

Captain Mark Fraser also constricted Saracens with figures of 1-32 off 10.

Saracens had something to defend but Marist openers Fraser Kinnerly (40) and John McIllraith (27) signalled clear intent, punishing Slako to the boundary and over it.

Slako made up for a bad fielding miss which gave away a gift four runs by taking a great running catch to get McIllraith, but that just brought Brett Cameron to the crease, who moved rapidly to 30 with boundaries either side of the wicket before the drinks break.

Marist were sitting pretty at 135-2 after 25 overs, and it fell to Cameron with an undefeated 89 to carry on with Fraser (40 not out) to tick off the remaining runs.

At Wanganui Collegiate's main ground, the school's new-look first XI had a tough baptism in Premier 1 cricket against the veterans from United, who routed them for 59 on the way to a 120-run win.

With the departure of eight players at the end of the 2013 school year, Collegiate are going through a rebuilding phase as the remaining Year 13 students have been joined by three Year 11 (15 years old) players and even three fresh-faced Year 10s.

The youngsters bowled well on the green strip and picked up a number of wickets with Tyler McElwaine (43) and Tom Lance (40) the only United players to get any momentum in the top order.

Stephen Holloway made a fight of it in the tail with 31 not out, but he was running out of partners by the end.

Collegiate's Angus Baddeley showed promise, picking up four key United scalps, while Te-Autere Albert bagged a couple and Sam Lambert (1-43) was very hard to get away from his full 15 overs.

However, batting calls for individual achievement rather than the team effort in the field and United's strike bowlers bowled a tight line to tie the teenagers up.

Lance (4 wickets, 1 run, four overs) and Jamie Whiteman (5-10/10) ripped through the lineup to collect nine wickets between them, with Whiteman getting his second five-for in as many Premier League games.

It was left to Dylan Martin to pick up the remaining scalp as Collegiate's resistance came to an end in the 24th over.

Results

Saracens 218-9 (B Grant 63, D Ford 40, C Rayner 29, F Kinnerly 4-64, R Kinnerly 2-60) lost to Marist 219-3 (B Cameron 89no, M Fraser 40no, F Kinnerly 40, B Grant 2-45).

United 179-9 (T McElwaine 43, T Lance 40, S Holloway 31no, A Baddeley 4-32, T Albert 2-37) beat Collegiate 59 (J Whiteman 5-10, T Lance 4-1).