Wanganui Marist stun Red Star to reach Coastal Challenge Cup cricket final

Marist will now travel to Paraparaumu Domain for the final this Saturday. Photo / Peter Dazeley

A composed Wanganui Vet Services Marist have qualified for their second-ever Coastal Challenge Cup cricket final after a 36-run upset victory over Hollings First Windows & Doors Red Star on Saturday.

In strange circumstances at Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park, the autumn weather conditions had led to a soft pitch where, after various discussions between the camps over the previous day, the match was reduced to 35 overs but did not get under way until 3pm – raising the possibility of the second innings concluding in dark, twilight conditions.

Put in to bat, it appeared Marist’s struggles to build an innings were continuing when Red Star’s opening bowler Peter Sigvertsen (3-27) cleaned up the top order to leave the visitors 36-3.

Marist skipper Tom Dempster (22 from 35 balls) was trying to rebuild the innings while simultaneously working his way back into form, but his stumping off the bowling of Quinn Childs had his team up against it at 52-4.

Enter the returning Connor Rees (61 from 63), as the Collegiate schoolboy gave a priceless exhibition in building an innings under pressure – scoring 10 runs from his first 25 deliveries as he weathered the storm and then taking over once he had his eye in.

Rees shared in a 102-run partnership with in-form veteran Mark Fraser (57 from 51), both men hitting five boundaries and a six each as they batted their team out of trouble to 154-5, with the tail-enders looking to contribute as much as they could for Marist to reach a defendable 190-8, despite Red Star’s Samuel Payne (4-25) getting among them.

Red Star were putting their hopes on dynamic opening batter Jake Jonas (53 from 86) as the hosts made a solid start with 46 runs from their first 10 overs facing the pace-spin combination of Connor O’Leary and Joel Clark.

Marist then introduced strike bowler Hadleigh O’Leary (3-22), who continued his excellent spin campaign to pump Red Star’s brakes and get the prized wickets of Jeremy Anderson, who made 99 not out the previous week, and then Payne in the same over, followed by the crucial scalp of Jonas himself to leave the home side 98-4 in the 26th over.

Knowing they were well behind the run rate in darkening conditions, Red Star’s remaining top-order batters George Deans (22 from 31) and wicketkeeper Robbie Speers (21 from 21) tried to lift the tempo, but both were run out as the pressure mounted, while potential saviour Ethan Childs was caught out at 131-7 in the 31st over.

By now, the spinners had given way to the returning Connor O’Leary and his fellow pace bowling brother Shaun O’Leary and in darkening conditions approaching 7.30pm, the siblings were nearly unplayable.

In a final twist to a strange day, the umpires called the close of play after 34 overs for Red Star, who would have needed 36 runs off the 35th over just to tie the match.

The other semifinal was the Horowhenua-Kāpiti derby and saw Kāpiti Old Boys get up to qualify for back-to-back finals, defeating home side Roofbox Paraparaumu by 43 runs at Kena Kena Park.

Having become the only team other than Kāpiti to beat Red Star in the past two seasons, Marist will now travel to Paraparaumu Domain for the final this Saturday.

Follow results and draws for the tournament at https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/coastal-challenge/summer-202425/coastal-challenge-cup/a01421cb.

There were also some upsets in the Premier 2 40-over and Premier 3 30-over semifinals on Saturday.

In greener conditions than previously seen at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park, with the ground staff having worked diligently during the week to make sure the pitches were still playable, the P240’s top qualifiers Property Brokers United did what they needed to do with a comfortable 69-run win over Wicket Warriors Whanganui on the No 1 ground.

However, they will not be facing their fellow top-two team in the final.

The Whanganui Renegades continued their giant-killing form, having previously beaten United in the last round-robin game to travel down to Centennial Park and upend Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens by 33 runs – ending Saracens' hopes of a championship double, after previously winning the Twenty20 title.

In P330, fourth-placed qualifiers but defending champions the Kaitoke Knight Riders overcame top side Property Brokers United P3s by two wickets in a tense finish at Victoria Park, meaning no club have the chance to win titles in both grades.

There were fewer surprises in the other P3 playoff, as Richard’s Construction Marton Saracens picked up a quick nine-wicket win over the new Wicket Warriors Whanganui P3s at the Huntley School grounds.

Results, March 22

Coastal Challenge Semifinals

Wanganui Vet Services Marist 190-8 (C. Rees 61, M. Fraser 57, T. Dempster 22; S. Payne 4-25, P. Sigvertsen 3-27) bt Hollings First Windows & Doors Red Star 154-8 (J. Jonas 53, G. Deans 22, R. Speers 21; H. O’Leary 3-22) by 36 runs.

Kāpiti Old Boys 178-9 (J. Rose-Miles 53, T. Halbert 37, C. Andrews 22; D. McNamara 4-49, J. Bohmer 2-17) bt Roofbox Paraparaumu 135 (A. Kumar 54, J. Griffith 23, L. Rukuwai 20; T. Harris 3-26, C. Andrews 3-28, Z. Benton 2-41) by 43 runs.

Premier 2 40-over semifinals

Property Brokers United P2 180-9 (Z. Small 54no, L. Symes 43, E. Toy 22; P. Pillai 4-34, S. Sreekumar 2-30, L. Varghese 2-35) bt Wicket Warriors Whanganui P2 111 (S. Premlal 25; L. Randhawa 4-38, D. Brennan 3-13, T. Czerwonka 2-17) by 69 runs.

Whanganui Renegades 191-8 (W. Martin 56no, B. Heap 26, J. Donaldson 21; D. Ford 2-27) bt Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 158 (D. Rayner 68; J. Donaldson 3-16, L. Brennan 3-22, R. Donaldson 3-31) by 33 runs.

Premier 3 30-over semifinals

Property Brokers United P3 124 (K. Bremer 41; P. Bowman 4-34, F. Edwards 3-10) lost to Kaitoke Knight Riders 127-8 (P. Bowman 44, M. Trass 29; H. Binning 3-23, G. Spooner 2-25) by two wickets.

Wicket Warriors Whanganui P3 124 (S. Sebastian 29; P. George 5-14, M. Jones 3-35) lost to Richard’s Construction Marton Saracens 125-1 (R. Smith 45, S. Edwards 34no, P. Galpin 30no) by nine wickets.