Kaipaki Gold's match-winners Zac Bratton (from left), Mac Gilkison and Dale Hopkins.
Kaipaki Cricket Club Gold captain Dylan Jeffries won the toss on Saturday and sent Hamilton Marist in to bat first at Kaipaki Oval.
Gold opened the bowling with Jeffries and Simon White.
White finished with figures of 1/24 (4 overs) and Jeffries 0/26 (4).
Sam Musty was the first change bowler, his first bowling spell of the season.
Musty troubled the batters with his bounce and finished with figures of 2/35 (5).
At the other end, Dharmik Desai finished with 0/15 off his five overs.
At drinks, Marist were cruising at 100/3.
Enter Kaipaki’s Kevin Morgan and Mac Gilkison. Morgan varied his line and length, taking important figures of 2/50 (7).
But from the other end, Gilkison was simply stunning.
He attacked the crease hard and bowled with serious pace which the Marist batters had no answer for, taking season-best figures of 5/27 (6.5).
When it came time for Kaipaki Gold to bat, they opened with White and Max McNamara.
After a solid enough start for Gold, White was removed for six and then McNamara for two.
Next to the crease were Desai and Ben Annan. These two couldn’t add much to the total as Desai fell quickly for two and Annan went first ball for a golden duck.
Dave Jury and Zac Bratton were next to the crease. Jury cleared the fence twice before being removed for 12.
This had Gold in deep trouble at 20/5 in the first 10 overs.
Dale Hopkins was next at the crease. Hopkins and Bratton worked hard to take the game deep, both men punishing the bad balls and fighting hard against the strong Marist attack as they both brought up fighting half centuries.
Needing 15 to win off five overs, Bratton was finally removed from the crease for 60 off 88 balls.
Captain Jeffries then joined Hopkins. With 14 balls left, Jeffries hit the winning runs, finishing with 11 (10) alongside Hopkins who also finished not out on 75 (58) as Gold chased down the Marist target six wickets down, in what was one of the most brave and hard-fought victories seen at Kaipaki in many years.
Player of the Day: Mac Gilkison 5/27.
Hamilton Marist 179/10 (31.5)
Kaipaki Gold 180/6 (32.4)
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Veteran Sam Cane is given his farewell test appearance.