Wanganui came within touching distance of a famous Christie Cup victory in Feilding on Sunday ... only to be denied at the last hurdle.
In a back-from-the-dead performance, they recovered from being 9-3 down to Manawatu after the morning singles matches to lead 12-11 going into the final mixed doubles late in the afternoon.
That showdown featured Wanganui captain Shane Stanfield and Nga Tawa teenager Danielle Pearce, a late call-up for absent Anna McIlraith, taking on Manawatu's Nick Forest and Chantelle Rossouw. The visiting pair took the first set but couldn't sustain the effort, going down 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to leave the tie all square at 12 matches each.
Even though Wanganui ended the day ahead 31-28 on sets, Manawatu retained the Christie Cup as their challengers needed an outright win to claim a trophy they haven't won for 40 years.
It was an agonising outcome for Wanganui but they will take much heart from their tremendous fightback. The team included New Zealand's top-ranked male and female under-14 player Kyle Butters, who came up from his training base in Wellington, and Paige Hourigan, who flew down from Auckland.
The day started badly as the visitors struggled to come to terms with the blustery wind and the Feilding astroturf.
While the six-strong men's team managed three singles wins, the women were whitewashed. However, the six doubles games went 4-2 to Wanganui, leaving them 11-7 adrift going into the six mixed doubles rubbers.
Wanganui took the first five of these to bring them so close to an upset win.
Top performances came from 17-year-old left-hander Taylor Quirk, a Collegiate student and handy track athlete, who won all his three rubbers, and from Wanganui coach Nick Caton who also won three out of three.
Results
Singles: Kirk McNamara (M) bt Simon O'Leary (W) 6-7, 6-2, 6-2; Jacob Carey (M) bt Kyle Butters (W) 0-6, 6-2, 6-2; Sam Howard (M) bt Wilton Atkins (W) 6-3, 7-6; Nick Caton (W) bt Ken Wenham (M) 6-2, 6-4; Taylor Quirk (W) bt Gary Croswell (M) 6-0, 6-2; Shane Stanfield (W) bt Nick Forest (M) 6-2, 6-2.
Shaani Temata-Frost (M) bt Paige Hourigan (W) 6-4, 6-1; Natalie Dean (M) bt Lisa Haden (W) 6-3, 6-1; Bridget Dickens (M) bt Karen Cranston (W) 7-6, 5-7, 6-3; Shenae Salisbury (M) bt Charlotte Gollan (W) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; Megan Small (M) bt Dana Hiri (W) 6-3, 6-3; Chantelle Rossouw (M) bt Danielle Pearce (W) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: McNamara & Howard (M) bt O'Leary & Butters (W) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Caton & Quirk (W) bt Croswell & Wenham (M) 2-6, 6-3, 6-0; Atkins & Stanfield (W) bt Damien Silk & Forest (M) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Hourigan & Gollan (W) bt Temata-Frost & Jane Brooker (M) 6-4, 6-4; Haden & Cranston (W) bt Dickens & Rossouw (M) 6-3, 6-4; Small & Salisbury (M) by Hiri & Pearce (W) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
Mixed doubles: O'Leary & Hourigan (W) bt McNamara & Temata-Frost (M) 7-6, 6-4; Atkins & Cranston (W) bt Croswell & Dickens (M) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2; Quirk & Haden (W) bt Howard & Salisbury (M) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Butters & Hiri (W) bt Wenham & Small (M) 6-4, 7-5; Caton & Gollan (W) bt Silk & Brooker (M) 7-5, 6-4; Forest & Rossouw (M) bt Stanfield & Pearce (W) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.