HARD WORK: United's Greg Smith looks to get the ball away on a difficult afternoon for batsmen at Victoria Park. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
AN ANCHOR innings from one team's key batsman while the opposition's leading run scorer was watching with his hand in a cast told the story of the only Porter Hire Premier 1 match played on Saturday.
In a rejigging of the draw for the start of the red ball format
competition, Property Brokers United defeated St Johns Tech by 149 runs at Victoria Park on the United club's Old Timers day.
United had been set to play Bayer Marist at the park, while Tech travelled down to face Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens.
However, Marist defaulted their match due to injuries and the departure of their university-based players, while the usual reinforcements from the Wanganui Collegiate First IX ranks were unavailable as their team was playing Premier 2 cricket at the same time.
Wanting to put on a match for the old timers, United consulted with Marton and Tech, and currently the Marist default has been switched to the Saracens, while the other two Whanganui club teams played the game.
Marist's John McIlraith has sent an email to Wanganui Cricket requesting clarification, and the board will make a decision on the points allocation and competition draw going forward.
"United had an old timers day up at Victoria Park but I am unsure how a default can change the draw as it did," McIlraith said.
"We defaulted to United, then all of a sudden it got changed to us defaulting to Saracens, which was not agreed on."
However, United skipper Gerard Hobbs said they wanted to make sure a game could be played on Saturday.
"The right decision got made, no doubt.
"I thank Dom Rayner [Marton captain] and Dominic Lock [Tech] for switching things around."
Tech would certainly miss Lock on the park as their skipper's thumb was broken in the representative game with Hawke's Bay the week before, leaving them without their best batsman.
There was also the small matter of United wanting to reassert their traditional dominance of the local game after Tech received a lot of due praise for winning the inaugural Coastal Challenge Cup competition.
To this end, United's key opening batsman Tom Lance was the beacon by carrying his bat through until the final overs, making 111 from 150 balls, striking 14 boundaries, before pulling a Ross Kinnerley delivery back onto his stumps.
Hobbs (21), Greg Smith (36) and Brendon Walker (20) were able to play the supporting hands around Lance on a hard day to get the ball away, while the final pair of Robbie Garwood and Stephen Holloway threw the bat at everything and risked hitting through the air for a quick fire 15-run partnership at the finish.
"It was one of those pitches where you never felt in, even Tom said that," said Hobbs.
"We were happy with 200, so 220 was a bonus."
Kinnerley was economical with 1-38 from his 12 overs, while Chris Friedel got the key wickets of Hobbs and Robbie Power through the middle stages, taking 2-35 from eight overs, while also making the catch to dismiss Smith off a Kane Watkin delivery.
However, without Lock to pace the innings, Tech were going to struggle with the bat and when Walker and Ritesh Verma got the openers Nick Harding and Caleb Greene to have Tech 14/2 in the sixth over, the writing was on the wall.
In-form Callum Coker (16) and veteran Bevan Hunter (19) tried to work themselves in, but Verma and Walker struck again for 54/5 in the 19th over, and the procession continued as Verma had Kinnerley caught out to expose the tail.
He would finish with 5-28 from ten overs, with Walker 2-21 from his eight, before Power cleaned up the innings to take 2-1 from just nine balls.
"Ritesh bowled very well, the best he's bowled all season," said Hobbs.
The draw for the second round this weekend, barring any alterations, will see Tech play Marist at Victoria Park, while Saracens host United in Marton.
Scoreboard
United 220/6 (T Lance 111, G Smith 36, G Hobbs 21, C Friedel 2-35, N Harding 2-54) bt Tech 71 (B Hunter 19, R Verma 5-28, B Walker 2-21, R Power 2-1) by 149 runs.
Marist default to Saracens.