Cricket: Action reply for final?
Unless they make a gentlemen's agreement to just face each other once, Property Brokers United and Whanganui Collegiate will play twice on February 1 as the uncatchable top two teams in the Bullocks Twenty20 competition.
Tech Old Boys and Wanganui Vet Services Marist are now too far back following the penultimate round on Saturday, as the club T20 games are played while the Unreal Grass Wicket Wanganui side are on representative duties.
Tech were never really in the run chase after United's massive total at Victoria Park in the morning, losing by 110 runs.
Meanwhile, Marist had beaten Collegiate by six wickets in the 50-over Coastal Challenge seven days before, but other activities on the long anniversary weekend proved too tempting for their wider squad – leading to a default to the schoolboys.
Finals day on February 1 is scheduled to host the last round robin matches in the morning, which are United vs Collegiate and Tech vs Marist, followed by the playoff for third and the championship final in the afternoon.
Therefore, the opponents for both regular competition matches would be the same in the finals.
United introduced a couple of new faces to their top order and they had immediate effect.
Alex Kayser (66 off 52 balls) joined veteran Tom Lance (22 off 10) to have their side away to a flyer before Lance became the first wicket for Tech's youngster Haris Khan at 43-1 in the fifth over.
But that would be about the only joy for Tech, as Zak Guiniven (59 from 35) joined Kayser for a 104-run partnership over the next 10 overs, setting United up for a massive total.
The top three batsmen hit 24 boundaries and three sixers between them, with all of Tech's best bowlers off playing in the Wanganui side.
Guiniven being trapped LBW and Kayser being run out over the following two overs didn't slow United down at all, as veterans Simon Badger (21 not out from 13) and Brendon Walker (32 from 14) took over.
Walker hit three sixes before being caught off the last delivery for United to reach a whopping 215-4.
In reply, Tech got solid service out of their openers in Siddh Lad (22 from 26) and a borrowed Keightley Watson (47 from 57), but after Lad was caught by Lance off Walker's bowling, a steady stream of Tech batsmen headed back to the treeline in single figures.
Watson finally went in the 18th over at 98-7, with Tech just hanging on to not be bowled out, finishing at 105-9.
The pick of the United bowlers were Ritesh Verma (2-13), Robbie Power (2-14) and Badger (2-22), while two run outs also dented Tech's chances.
Scoreboard United 215-4 (A Kayser 66, Z Guiniven 59, B Walker 32, T Lance 22, S Badger 21no) bt Tech 105-9 (K Watson 47, S Lad 22; R Verma 2-13, R Power 2-14, S Badger 2-22) by 110 runs. Collegiate bt Marist by default.
Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle 21/1/20