Neither team could claim to have the advantage after the first day's play in the Bidwell Cup senior interclub men's cricket match between Red Star and Wairarapa College on Saturday.
Red Star batted first and were all out for 229 in the 58th over and when stumps were drawn Wairarapa College
were 111-4 in reply.
The Red Star innings saw most of their batsmen get starts but fail to push on to make big scores. Nicolai Karaitiana made the most of being dropped three times in getting to 54, while other handy efforts came from Aaron Wilson (22), Matt Fisher (24), Charlie Bevan (25) and Sean Jarvis (25).
Wairarapa College started their innings solidly enough with opener Mark Cummings looking comfortable on his way to 36 but they too failed to capitalise, four wickets falling over a brief period of time to leave the game evenly poised. At the crease are Gordon Reisima on 32 and Tane Workman 32, the two players who, interestingly enough, denied Stars victory the last time the two teams met.
Spinner - and captain - Shay O'Gorman continued his run of excellent form at the bowling crease for Red Star, taking 2-20 from his 16 overs.
O'Gorman said later he was "reasonably happy" with his team's first day performance and that the prime objective next Saturday would be to take early wickets so the prospects of picking up vital outright points would be enhanced. A win of that magnitude would give Red Star a strong chance of making it to the Bidwell Cup final.
The other Bidwell Cup match played on Saturday saw Greytown dismiss competition front runners Flight Centre Lansdowne for only 157 and then secure a first innings lead. Lansdowne were 33-1 in their second innings at stumps.
