For the remaining three Wanganui teams, even the return of their representative players after last weekend's Chapple Cup in Napier could not help them.
St John's Tech were bundled out for a meagre 72 at the Paraparaumu Domain as Paraparaumu CC picked them off inside 23 overs for the loss of just three wickets.
Captain Dominic Lock again proved his doggedness to protect his wicket, making 38 for 79 balls, but no other batsman reached double figures as left-arm fast medium Sean Windle ripped through them, taking 4-12 from his 8.3 overs.
Playing on very green wickets at Victoria Park, both Bayer Marist and Property Brokers United succumbed in their run chases to Weraroa CC and Levin Old Boys respectively.
As Wanganui's leading hope, United were gutted to have fallen short of a small target for the second week in a row after a seven run defeat last weekend down south against Kapiti.
On Saturday, Ryan Slight and Brendon Walker opened up the attack well, with Walker bowling his full complement, to have them 18-2 in the eighth over.
Verma was frustrated as a near LBW chance was followed by a dropped catch in slips, but he still got allrounder Dion Sanson shortly afterwards on a plumb leg before.
Yet United's mistakes in the field were building up - a six attempt of spinner Robbie Power was dropped on the boundary, before he too just got the wicket himself as Bailey Te Tomo was trapped in front.
In fact, LBW's became Verma (3-38), Power (2-26), and Slight's (3-21) bread and butter as the fielding was letting them down.
Having Levin in trouble at 85-9, United let No11 batsman Liam Pinfold (35) and No10 Fraser Bartholomew (15 not out) get away with a priceless 57 run partnership to finish all out for 141.
It was still get-able, but after Greg Smith made a start at 23, the rest of the top order folded to Sanson and Pinfold for 35-3.
Walker (32) tried to steer the team through, striking three boundaries, but was caught out at 84-5, and from here, a few runs were scored for each wicket as the target hung so close but so far.
At 112-7, Martin Pennefather (17) made a couple of good shots but was caught behind, then Slight hit a boundary to ease the pressure before lofting one into the air, which was taken.
Main strike bowler Daemon Kennett was brought back for his one remaining over and he made it count, getting United's last two wickets in consecutive balls to leave them stranded 12 runs short.
"We would have dropped seven catches," said United captain Gerard Hobbs.
"No excuses, we would have had them out for [a small total].
"The final partnership, we dropped twice in the 90s."
United remain the best placed local team, now sitting third on the table after victory over Wanganui sides in the opening weeks, followed by the two very narrow losses.
"It's good cricket, we're enjoying playing. [But] it's how far we've fallen behind, the standards," said Hobbs.
"All these guys, and it's the lack of coaching."
United are missing allrounder Tom Lance, while batsman Matt Boswell will be back soon.
The game alongside them had packed up long before as Marist were hammered by 117 runs by Weraroa CC.
The visitors got good service from their openers who combined for 80, with Matthew Good going on to make 51.
Only Andrew Simonson (35 not out) really contributed after that, but scoring 213-9 on a green wicket was always going to be a competitive total.
Todd Inness (3-24) and John McIlraith (3-29) were the pick of the Marist bowlers.
In reply, it was all over in the 25th over as Marist collapsed for 96.
Morgan Inness (22) and McIlraith (18) got starts at the top, but only a typical fighting 29 by Sam O'Leary, with seven boundaries, stood out down the order as 50-5 became all out just six overs later.
The fast bowler Simonson was lethal in the green conditions - finishing with 6-19 in 8.1 overs .
-Results
Kapiti OB 152/7 (C Andrews 39, M Harrison 24, J Anthony 3-23, J Trillo 2-30) lost to Marton Saracens 153/3 (D Ford 50no, H Harding 32, J Anthony 23no) by seven wickets.
Levin OB 141 (L Pinfold 35, R Slight 3-21, R Verma 3-38, R Power 2-26) bt United 129 (B Walker 32, D Sanson 3-15, D Kennett 3-28, L Pinfold 3-37) by 12 runs.
Weraroa CC 213/9 (M Good 51, A Simonson 35no, T Inness 3-24, J McIlraith 3-29) bt Marist 96 (S O'Leary 29, A Simonson 6-19, G Johns 2-27) by 117 runs.
Tech 72 (D Lock 38no, S Windle 4-12, A King 2-11, D McNamara 2-19) lost to Paraparaumu CC 73/3 (B Finn 22no, R Kinnerley 2-21) by seven wickets.
