Saracens get best from flat track

It was a day all the batsmen would rather put behind them as both Collegiate and Saracens struggled to get the runs on a low pitch at the college on Saturday.

The weekend's sole Wanganui Premier League match saw only one player register more than 20 as Saracens limped through to the 43rd over before hauling in the schoolboys' meagre total for a three-wicket win.

Saracens captain Chris Rayner said the ball keeping low proved difficult for anyone to get away.

"The pitch was pretty slow, but it wasn't the best batting either."

In their first game of the New Year, a number of the Collegiate batsmen got starts up and down the order, but no one was able to get settled.

Mark Jones put in a yeoman's effort with the ball, opening up and bowling 14 straight overs to finish with 4-55.

In reply, Saracens started off at a snail's pace, collecting most of their runs from byes and the rarest of singles as they limped to 1-25 off 17 overs.

It appeared Collegiate might pull off the unlikely upset by defending their small total, until the surviving member of Saracen's top order Ben Lewis (39 not out) was joined by No 9 Ollie Gordon (20no) to steer the visitors home.

"I think we lost five for 20 runs at one stage there in the middle," said Rayner. "Then those two came in and it was about 77 [run partnership]."

Collegiate bowlers shared the wickets, with the likes of seamer Oliver Paine picking up a couple.

Results: Porter Hire Premier 1: Wanganui Collegiate 132 (M Jones 4-55) lost to Marton Saracens 133-7 (B Lewis 39no, O Gordon 20no).

Porter Hire Premier 2: Saracens 131 (Kilmeister 27, G Marshall 32, B Morgan 2-9, D Holly 2-27) lost to United 132-6 (A Kenny 81, J Carroll 3-20).

Renegades 230 (A Hodson 59, M Deighton 39, R Slight 30no, A Heap 29, C Friedel 4-39) beat WHS 88 (A Heap 4-25, A Hodson 3-15).