Wanganui celebrates a successful end to their Furlong Cup campaign with a first innings points win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Victoria Park this afternoon.
Unreal Grass Wicket Wanganui were able to send 20-year stalwart Dominic Rayner out a winner while furthering their recent reputation as a team for the second half of a Furlong Cup campaign, after a tense first innings win over Horowhenua-Kapiti today.
In a classic see-saw of a derby game, Wanganui made a great start on what would be the hottest day of the summer on Saturday to take out Horowhenua Kapiti's top order at 6-3, before a long but gutsy fightback from an unwell Chad Law (44) in partnership with a patient ton from Andre Halbert (100) sparked a lower order revival.
While the Wanganui bowlers were tight and controlled, it took a massive effort to chip out the allrounders in the Horowhenua-Kapiti tail, led by Dylan Reder (79 not out), as they ultimately batted all day before being dismissed early yesterday morning after a gruelling 116 overs for 331.
Aware this would only be a two-innings match, Wanganui overcame an early setback with the loss of Sam Sherriff for Rayner (49) and Greg Smith (107) to take the visiting spinners apart for the rest of the morning session – keeping a run rate around six-an-over to clear 120 runs in quick order.
The only disappointment was Rayner being caught out going for his half century, but the veteran who had also bowled the final over on Saturday as part of his 1-12 off six, was nonetheless pleased to have contributed in his last hurray.
But then followed the slow climb to the promised land, as Mark Fraser (30), skipper Dominic Lock (27), Hamish Harding (30) and Ross Kinnerley (22) all looked to make the other decisive contribution in a series of steady partnerships, as the run rate slowed down.
However, right when they would start to get on top, Horowhenua-Kapiti would strike back with a big wicket, led by their gritty pace bowler Fraser Bartholomew (4-54), eager to make a match-winning effort and therefore finish on top of the Furlong Cup bowling stakes.
Wanganui losing three wickets between 278 and 318 brought horror flashbacks of the first innings losses to Manawatu and Wairarapa in the first half of the summer, when the middle and lower order collapsed under pressure with the total in sight.
However, from 318-8, wicketkeeper Matt Simes and allrounder Chris Sharrock kept their cool and held off a tiring Bartholomew and the spinners to put Wanganui ahead just before 5pm, with both sides immediately agreeing to call it a day.
"Very pleased, end the season on a high, send Dom off as well," said Lock.
"We knew, if we batted the day, we'd get there, because we don't take as long.
"It shows we can do it without Ben [Smith] as well. If you look at those partnerships, there was plenty."
It finished another competitive Cup campaign for Wanganui, who after the disappointments of the first half of the season with the aforementioned first innings points defeats, while the rain saved a probable innings thrashing by Hawke's Bay, the side rebounded with impressive first innings wins over Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kapiti.
"We were close all season. Everyone's beaten everyone," Lock said.
Rayner had been applauded off the ground on both days, with Horowhenua-Kapiti making a guard of honour for him as he left the representative stage for the final day.
"Imagine the day you finish cricket - making runs, taking a wicket, get the win - it's all fallen into place nicely," he said.
"Wanganui teams of yesteryear probably would have choked, but the boys held their nerve. Very satisfying.
"It's been an honour and a privilege to play for Wanganui.
"Not something I've taken for granted - with the training and the travel.
"You forget about the bad days and the good days stay in the memory."
Player coach Vikum Sanjaya (3-52) had Wanganui away to a great start in the first session with Jamie Pinfold, Dion Sanson and Bailey Te Tomo all back in the pavilion.
However, in the face of 27 degree heat and having glandular issues, Law backed Halbert for over 330 balls before it finally became too much and he had to retire at 143-3, as aside from Ross Kinnerley getting a couple of unsuccessful LBW shouts, the pair held the line.
Wanganui rotated their pace bowlers, with the batting 12th man Rayner, and the drink bottles in the chilly bin were rapidly emptied.
Sharrock (2-67) got a stumping through Simes to see the back of Halbert, part of a good day behind the stumps with three catches for Simes, while Horowhenua-Kapiti would come to rue a some missed balls by their wicketkeeper Pinfold in return on Sunday - 30 runs from byes a stark statistic.
Blake De Burgh (30) and Reder carried on, with Horowhenua-Kapiti really taking their time at 238-5 in the 90th over, and it took an exceptional run out throw by Akash Gill to finally expose the lower order.
However, a fresh Keegan MacLachlan (45) had been waiting all day and rapidly increased the tempo, ultimately scoring at a run a ball, which included four lofted drives for six to bring up the 300 in just a seven-over partnership.
Looking to smash his 50, MacLachlan lost his middle stump to Fraser Kinnerley with six overs left in the day, but Reder batted it out with his tail - Horowhenua-Kapiti looking solid at 326-8 with the possibility of Law also returning to chase his 50 after a good night's rest.
But Sharrock got Law without adding further runs, following a Sherriff runout and Ross Kinnerley LBW, to sew up Horowhenua-Kapiti's innings only four overs into the resumption this morning, leaving Wanganui the clear task of batting the day for victory.
With Smith stroking 16 boundaries and Rayner adding seven more plus a couple of sixes, that task was looking like it might only take two sessions.
However, Rayner's departure was followed in four overs by Gill, both falling victim to catches off Jayden Keats (2-63), while Horowhenua-Kapiti tried five spinners amongst the nine men who eventually bowled.
At 164-3 at lunch with Smith and Fraser set, Wanganui could pull if back if needed and wait for a loose over, which Keats provided Smith to the tune of stroking 14 runs.
Smith made a solid cut shot to run three and punch his bat in the air for an excellent century, and at 203-3 after 47 overs, his team were in the driving seat.
But it wouldn't be Wanganui cricket without some drama as Smith was tiring and Bartholomew returned to take out his stumps, with Lock going in and finding runs hard to come by, as was Fraser, with balls sneaking through slip and the keeper's gloves proving priceless releases of pressure.
Bartholomew then took Fraser's stumps, and while Harding was initially scratching like Lock, their request to remove the sidescreen at the far end due to glare proved the right one, as once again the ball began finding gaps.
Horowhenua-Kapiti's strike bowler needed a break and at 278-5, Wanganui were getting close, until Carter Andrews trapped Lock in front with his spinners, and Harding was then immediately run out by Te Tomo.
Simes went with his usual stonewall approach, making Ross Kinnerley the primary run getter, just like he had been at the same stage against Manawatu, and consecutive fours off Andrews in the 74th over released the shackles somewhat.
But Bartholomew was back for the finale, whichever way it would go, and a swinging delivery took Kinnerley's pads for LBW, as Sharrock went in with just the aggressive but erratic Sanjaya to come.
He saw off four dot balls from Bartholomew before a lovely on-drive to the boundary to end the over brought the deficit under 10 runs.
Simes and Sharrock then faced Sanson for a couple of singles, the fielders packed in around them, while two no-balls from Bartholomew and Simes sprinting for a second run off the sixth legal delivery of the over had brought the denouncement with three needed for victory.
Sanson didn't make it easy, but finally Sharrock got down to sweep him away for the winning runs.
Scoreboard
Horowhenua-Kapiti 1st Innings
J Pinfold b V Sanjaya 4
D Sanson ct M Fraser b V Sanjaya 1
B Te Tomo ct M Simes b V Sanjaya 0
C Law ct M Simes b C Sharrock 44
A Halbert st M Simes b C Sharrock 100
C Andrews ct M Simes b D Rayner 11
B De Burgh run out (A Gill) 30
D Reder Not Out 79
K MacLachlan b F Kinnerley 45
F Bartholomew run out (S Sheriff) 0
D Kennett lbw b R Kinnerley 2
Extras: 15
Total 331 (116.3 overs)
Bowling: R Kinnerley 22 overs, 6 maidens, 31 runs, 1 wicket; V Sanjaya 15-1-52-3; F Kinnerley 25-9-70-1; A Gill 20-6-51-0; C Sharrock 24-5-67-2; D Rayner 6-0-12-1; S Sheriff 5-0-34-0.
Wanganui 1st Innings
S Sherriff b F Bartholomew 1
D Rayner ct B De Burgh b J Keats 49
G Smith b F Bartholomew 107
A Gill ct D Sanson b J Keats 5
M Fraser b F Bartholomew 30
D Lock lbw C Andrews 27
H Harding run out (B Te Tomo) 30
Matthew Simes Not Out 11
Ross Kinnerley lbw b F Bartholomew 22
Chris Sharrock Not Out 9
Extras: 42
Total: 333-8 (84 overs).
F Bartholomew 19-4-54-4; Daemon Kennett 7-1-31-0; D Reder 3-0-31-0; Jayden Keats 22-6-63-2; Keegan MacLachlan 3-0-21-0; C Andrews 13-2-47-1; B De Burgh 1-0-10-0; B Te Tomo 4-0-12-0; D Sanson 12-2-29-0.
Result: Draw, Wanganui win on first innings.
Riders and spectators in Whanganui are anticipating the start of the last race.