However, Boswell's dismissal put United back under pressure as wickets fell while they just crept over the 100 mark, before the arrival of another key reinforcement.
In-form allrounder Brendon Walker had missed the start of the game but appeared just in the nick of time, partnering with Holly for the final wicket to put on a priceless 50-run stand to get them through to 164.
"We had a good partnership and we went in on top at the halfway mark," Hobbs said.
"A nice close game again - there's been a lot."
United's bowlers had a total to work with and on the green pitch they cleaned their table-topping opposition out for 129.
Dylan Martin and Robbie Power picked up three wickets each, while Ryan Slight and Holly each grabbed a pair.
It continues the trend of the competition where the games played on actual wickets, after the early matches on artificial pitches, are yielding low totals with anything over 150 being defendable.
Tech therefore had a small mountain to climb down at Donnelly Park after they dismissed Levin Old Boys off the last delivery of their innings for 184.
Most of the Levin top order got started with scores in the 20s to 30s, while wicket-keeper Nick Putt batted through with the tail to be left stranded on 49 not out.
Tech are relying heavily on their new addition Ross Kinnerley, opening both the batting and bowling, and he picked up 4-32 from his 10 overs.
Kinnerley said he was comfortable doing both opening roles.
"Thought I'd take the new ball.
"It's all right, I quite enjoy it. It's a bit better than waiting around and going in [to bat] if there's been a collapse."
Their other key allrounder is Nick Harding and he likewise performed with 3-37 as both bowlers cleaned up the final five wickets.
While Wanganui has provided a bigger independent umpire pool this summer, Kinnerley said their game was self-umpired and there was a couple of dismissals that got missed - having claimed a catch which was judged to have bounced first and a loud nick on a caught-behind going unheard.
He scored 38 with the bat after being joined by captain Dominic Lock and got the team through to 53-2.
However, Levin started getting the wickets as pace bowler Fraser Bartholomew (3-34, 10 overs) and Nick O'Brien (3-28, eight) worked their way through the middle order.
Only Kane Watkin (21) stood with Lock, who has always been solid when it comes to protecting his wicket, but when Watkin fell at 134-5, so did others at regular intervals for 165-8.
However, in a true captain's innings, Lock stood firm and survived, taking 105 balls for his undefeated 56, as his team ground their way to 185-8 in the 49th over, as the two-wicket win should move them into the top four of the competition.
"He just managed to bat well - everyone else was getting out," said Kinnerley.
The previous week, Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens had been the first Wanganui side to beat a Horowhenua-Kapiti team with a great seven wicket win over Kapiti, but they were brought crashing back to earth by the 10-wicket thumping by Weraroa CC on their home ground.
With captain Dominic Rayner overseas, Marton were initially going alright at 56-2 as Hamish Harding was in very good form, scoring 82 from 81 balls.
"Really good through midwicket as well as waiting and timing it nicely," said team mate Scott Oliver.
However, the wheels fell off as key batsmen like Josh Trillo and Dan Ford fell to fast bowler Adam Simonson, while Huka Kahu would get 3-19 from his 7.5 overs. All the other batsmen were dismissed in single figures, although Bryant Galpin did survive for 32 balls to allow a 46-run partnership with Harding, but the last wicket fell in the 36th over for 139.
"We won pretty easy last week," said Oliver.
"We didn't lose the plot, just had a collapse."
In reply, Weraroa's captain Matthew Good carried his team through with an undefeated 72, with his opening batting partner scoring in the 40's and the sundries taking care of the rest. The Coastal Challenge Cup now goes into recess until December 19, with Active Physio Wanganui meeting Taranaki in the first Hawke Cup clash at Victoria Park this Saturday.
-Results
United 164 bt d Paraparaumu CC 129 by 35 runs.
Levin OB 184 (N Putt 49no, D Sanson 36, R Taylor 28, R Kinnerley 4-32, N Harding 3-37, C Greene 2-22) lost to Tech 185-8 (D Lock 56no, R Kinnerley 38, K Watkin 21, F Bartholomew 3-34, N O'Brien 3-28) by two wickets.
Marton 139 (H Harding 82, H Kahu 3-19, G Johns 2-24) lost to Weraroa CC 140-0 (M Good 72no) by 10 wickets.
Marist bt Kapiti OB by default.
