Another half century by Greg Smith was not enough to prevent a second Wanganui batting collapse against Hawkes Bay in Napier yesterday.
For more than a couple of sessions, Active Physio Wanganui were able to show Hawke's Bay they were a more determined side than seasons past, but it only took a couple of devastating spells to put them right back in their place at Napier's Nelson Park.
The Hawke's Bay top order finished off their run chase of 106 in just 11 overs of slog yesterday afternoon for a nine wicket win, negating Wanganui having come back at them twice after a disasterous start on Saturday morning.
Concern when the top order of Calum Coker and young players Matt Boswell and Todd Inness were back in the shed before the end of the sixth over was magnified when the in-form Greg Smith was also gone in single figures to leave their side reeling at 13-4.
Medium-fast bowler Liam Rukuwai (3-23) had it over the top order batsmen.
The middle order of captain Simon Badger and Dominic Rayner were also cleaned out, while Mark Fraser lasted until the 30th over as the game appeared heading for a short duration at 30-7.
Allrounder Akash Gill (29 not out from 99 balls) dug his heels in, while Nick Harding was still willing to play his natural game with 38 from 22 balls, swatting three sixes and five boundaries, before he was caught behind at 77-8.
Ross Kinnerley (18 from 61 balls) stayed with Gill for as long as he could to at least see out 50 overs for their 120 final total, getting through to the latter part of the afternoon.
Gill (5-31) then proved he was still game by running through the Hawke's Bay top order to leave them thoughtful at 51-3, especially with regular captain Jacob Smith out injured.
However, the home side's middle order held firm with Brad Schmulian (37), Indika Senarathne (20) and the experianced Angus Schaw (47) seeing them to first innings points in swift order, although Wanganui got each of them before they could set for a typical large score
Kinnerley (3-41) exposed the tail and only South African GC Pretorius (25) got momentum before Gill finished off the innings for a confidence-boosting 186 - much better than the monster totals of previous summers.
Entering play yesterday and Wanganui appeared more settled, because while the hopelessly outgunned openers were again gone quickly and the promoted Kinnerley didn't stay long, Inness (21 from 68) batted time and then Smith (50) and Fraser (51) were building a very prosperous partnership.
However, from 129-4 and eyeing up their first 200+ total this summer, Wanganui fell apart after lunch as Pretorius snagged Smith to a bad shot and then Schmulian (3-14) got the prize scalp of Fraser on a tough LBW call, before accounting for the potential saviours Badger and Harding to undo all the hard work over 62 overs, with Wanganui out for an inadeqate 171.
It got worse because with possible rain clouds on the horizon, Hawke's Bay went all out on offence as promoted Senarathne (24) swiped five boundaries off Gill's opening over to immediately hit him out of the attack, and then Ajaz Patel (36 not out) swatted Bader's first delivery for six.
Kinnerley collected Senarathne's stumps but by then the home side was rocketing at 37-1 from 16 balls.
After missing out in the first innings, Matt Edmondson (47 not out) was in aggressive mood and punished Smith right at the end with multiple sixers.
The hosts scored 98 of their runs through 21 fours and sixers, a shame given four of the five Wanganui bowlers who got hammered had been the team's strongest players throughout the game.
"We just lost our way after lunch. We don't have the same skill set of these big sides," said coach Warren Marr, who joined the squad late on Saturday.
"The goal was to bat for another 30 overs and give them a 180 chase.
"We're just not as good as individually [they are].
"They've got quite a handful involved in the Central Districts A set up, whereas our guys only have Whanganui club cricket which is a low standard."
It was so differcult to put together a top order who could be competitive for long periods when they were now so far behind what is expected in the club and representative development level of the bigger associations, Marr said.
However, the side showed heart and even the Hawkes Bay coach commended Wanganui for not mentally folding up and going away as they did in previous seasons.
"The guys did come back and to bowl Hawkes Bay out for 180 is a positive," said Marr.
"They were even anxious at 60-4."
The next match for the representative side will be after New Year as they face Manawatu on Victoria Park's Tasman Tanning No1 on January 14.
Scoreboard
Wanganui 1st Innings
C Coker lbw L Rukuwai 1
M Boswell ct R Young b L Rukuwai 2
T Inness ct C Leopard b L Rukuwai 0
G Smith ct A Patel b L Dudding 5
M Fraser ct B Schmulian b C Leopard 15
S Badger b L Dudding 3
D Rayner b L Dudding 0
A Gill not out 29
N Harding ct S Schaw b A Patel 38
C Sharrock ct S Schaw b B Stoyanoff 4
R Kinnerley lbw A Schaw 18
Extras: 5
Total: 120 (50 overs).
Bowling: L Dudding 12 overs 5 maidens 8 runs 3 wickets; L Rukuwai 9-3-23-3; C Leopard 3-1-15-1; B Stoyanoff 10-1-32-1; A Patel 9-3-29-1; G Pretorius 1-0-4-0; A Schaw 6-3-8-1.
Hawkes Bay 1st Innings
M Edmondson ct G Smith b A Gill 9
A Patel ct C Sharrock b S Badger 13
R Young b A Gill 7
B Schmulian b R Kinnerley 37
I Senarathne ct C Sharrock b A Gill 20
A Schaw ct M Fraser b S Badger 47
C Leopard ct T Inness b R Kinnerley 7
S Schaw ct C Sharrock b R Kinnerley 0
G Pretorius ct N Harding b A Gill 25
L Rukuwai b A Gill 3
L Dudding not out 0
Extras:18
Total: 186 (44 overs).
Bowling: A Gill 12-2-31-5; R Kinnerley 10-2-41-3; S Badger 9-1-43-2; D Rayner 5-1-9-0; N Harding 7-1-36-0; D Lock 1-0-11-0.
Wanganui 2nd Innings
C Coker b G Pretorius 9
M Boswell ct S Schaw b L Rukuwai 0
R Kinnerley ct A Patel b B Stoyanoff 5
T Inness lbw b A Schaw 21
G Smith ct A Schaw b G Pretorius 50
M Fraser lbw b B Schmulian 51
S Badger lbw b B Schmulian 9
A Gill ct A Schaw b A Patel 4
N Harding ct C Leopard b B Schmulian 12
D Rayner ct A Schaw b A Patel 0
C Sharrock not out 1
Extras: 9
Total: 171 (62.4 overs).
Bowling: L Dudding 9-1-30-0; L Rukuwai 7-3-10-1; B Stoyanoff 6-1-21-1; G Pretorius 9-2-20-2; A Patel 14-5-28-2; A Schaw 10-0-24-1; C Leopard 2-0-17-0; B Schmulian 5.4-2-14-3.
Hawkes Bay 2nd Innings
I Senarathne b R Kinnerley 24
A Patel not out 36
M Edmondson not out 46
Extras: 3
Total: 109-1 (11 overs).
Bowling: A Gill 1-0-20-0; S Badger 3-0-19-0; R Kinnerley 3-0-24-1; N Harding 2-0-17-0; G Smith 2-0-29-0.
Result: Hawkes Bay win by nine wickets.