United trounce hapless Tech

TOO QUICK: Tech's Caleb Greene plays around a rising ball from United's Namibian international Christi Viljeon at Victoria Park on Saturday. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY 070215WCBRCCRI05

PROPERTY Brokers United wanted revenge and it was served on a very cold dish as an understrength St Johns Tech could not repeat their December heroics after a nine-wicket hammering at Victoria Park on Saturday.

Signalling their intention to retain the Porter Hire Premier 1 one-day championship, United rolled Tech for 142 on a very slow Tasman Tanning No1 pitch, which had been damp from steady rain.

Tech had little hope of repeating their 175-run triumph during December's knockout mini-tournament, considering their four stars from that match with bat and ball - Nick Harding, Josh Roebuck, Travis Bartels and Trent Hemi - had other plans.

On a pitch offering little for quicks, spinners Robbie Power and Tom Lance bowled their full quota and took three wickets each, with only Tyler Lock and Kane Watkin putting together constructive innings with 25 each, but more would have been needed.

It was not a pitch for United's new Namibian import Christi Viljoen to fully utilise but he would still find his first successes - getting the wicket of Tech captain Dominic Lock, before cleaning up the tail for his own 3-for.

With no sting in their bowling attack, Tech rotated nine players through the strike.

While United captain Max Carroll fell early, Lance continued on with his positive stroke play, with Viljoen coming in to join him and they carried their team all the way to the target, inside of 25 overs.

Tech let professional Viljoen know they weren't happy with the time he would take to set between deliveries, yet patience was obviously a virtue as the international scored 73 off 54 balls, including six boundaries.

The result makes it likely the title will be decided between United and the season's other dominant side, Bayer Marist, who routed Wanganui Collegiate to the tune of 224 runs.

The schoolboy's First XI have not been able to offer much at senior club level in the new year, and their bowlers took a pounding as Marist raced to a whopping 394.

Craig Thorpe had the innings of the summer so far with 160, while Todd Inness and captain Mark Fraser reached the 60s.

Charlie Greatbatch, the son of former Black Cap Mark, stood out like a beacon amongst the Collegiate bowlers with a somewhat respectable 2-49.

In reply, the school team was all out for 170, with Nick O'Leary's score in the 30s being the best individual contribution.

As Marist won the Premier League and knockout competition, while United wrapped up the Twenty20 title, the 50-over crown will go a long way to deciding which club had ascendancy in 2014-15.

Both will suffer from withdrawals as some of Marist's key players return to university, while several United men have commitments to attend weddings in coming weeks, although the acquisition of Viljoen will offset that.