Selection worries, P20 Middle order batsman Matt Stringfellow was the toast of the Wairarapa senior men's cricket team after his unbeaten century against Horowhenua-Kapiti at Paraparaumu on Sunday propelled his side to a first innings win and, most importantly, a Hawke Cup challenge against Hamilton next weekend.
The victory in what was the final series of Hawke Cup qualifying matches in the Central Districts zone two competition took Wairarapa to 31pts, 2pts ahead of Manawatu, who finished strongly with an outright win over Taranaki, the team which had gone into the last round as joint leaders with Wairarapa.
The vital Paraparaumu success did not come without its share of drama though.
First there was the anxiety of a ball not being bowled in anger on Saturday because of the patchy rain, a situation which meant that an outright win (and 10pts) to either side was out of the question.
Fortunately the weather did improve enough for play to start at Kara Kara Park on Sunday. The home team batted first on a pitch always likely to give assistance to the quicker bowlers.
With Horowhenua-Kapiti having lost all of their previous qualifying games, hopes were high that the Wairarapa attack, even without two of their stars in Greg Todd and Dean van Deventer, could call the tune and, for the most part, they did exactly that.
There was though some lusty striking by opener Ewan Thompson, the former Black Cap who played for Wairarapa several seasons ago.
Better known as a pace bowler, Thompson got through to 79 with his first 50 coming off 73 balls in 92 minutes. He hit two sixes and 10 fours and at one stage his last five scoring shots were all boundaries.
The loss of Thompson with the score at 125-5 was a crucial breakthrough for Wairarapa and they wrapped up the innings at 167.
Wairarapa skipper Mark Childs used five bowlers and four of them got amongst the wickets. Seth Rance and Daniel Ingham shared the new ball, with Rance finishing with 3-33 from his nine overs and Ingham 4-32 from 14.1 overs.
The heaviest workload, however, went to evergreen Robin James, a somewhat surprise recall for this particular match after a limited diet of club cricket. The left armer put down 16 overs in typically gritty fashion and took 2-53 while spinner Stringfellow claimed 1-14 from his five overs.
Wairarapa started poorly in their chase for first innings points. Indeed, they looked in dire straits at 60-5 with front liners Jamie Holmes, Henry Cameron, Tim Lucas, Sam Curtis and Mark Childs all back in the pavilion. It was then that Stringfellow and Robbie Spiers came together in a sixth wicket partnership which was to be worth a hugely valuable 90 runs.
Despite the pressure of the occasion both batsmen were prepared to go for their shots.
Stringfellow finished unbeaten on 102, a superb knock which included 12 fours.
The talented youngster, who did give a difficult catching chance before he reached double figures, brought up his first 50 off 73 balls in 111 minutes and he reached 100 off 134 balls in 195 minutes.
Spiers might have been overshadowed by Stringfellow to a degree but still deserved big plaudits for a gutsy innings. His 37 included four fours and one six and when he was dismissed, Robin James struck one six before being dismissed with the first innings lead in the bag. Rance hit two fours in his unbeaten 17, stumps being drawn with Wairarapa's score at 206-7.