Marist's Sam O'Leary, seen here batting against Kapiti on Saturday, and his team redeemed their poor Coastal Challenge Cup form with a shocking upset win in the NCC match in New Plymouth yesterday.
Marist's Sam O'Leary, seen here batting against Kapiti on Saturday, and his team redeemed their poor Coastal Challenge Cup form with a shocking upset win in the NCC match in New Plymouth yesterday.
What a difference 24 hours can make in cricket.
Wanganui Vet Services Marist have become just the second Whanganui team to win the National Club Championship (NCC) qualifier against their Taranaki counterpart, after a shock four wicket upset over Marist United at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth yesterday.
Wanganui Maristgot the match by virtue of winning the Coastal Challenge Cup last season, because if the old format of playing knockout games with their fellow Whanganui Premier clubs was in still in effect, then based on current form they would not have been anywhere near Pukekura.
The men in green are stuck in the tail end of this season's Coastal Challenge points table with a 1-4-1 record.
Rock bottom had just come on Saturday at Victoria Park's No1 pitch, where Marist were humiliated by Kapiti Old Boys for a nine wicket loss in a match that lasted only 31 overs in total.
Kapiti wrecked Marist's batting for 67 and then reached 68-1 in just the seventh over when Jayden Miles smashed 53 not out off 14 balls.
"Pretty much darkest day in Marist cricket Saturday, to one of our brightest on Sunday," said injured Marist captain John McIlraith.
Unlike the earlier 50-over NCC tournaments, with New Plymouth Marist United previously having a perfect 3-0 record in the local fixture which either they or fellow Taranaki powerhouse New Plymouth Old Boys have played, yesterday's game was a Twenty20 match.
"It was T20 because NZ Cricket have stopped funding the tournament but Cornwall Cricket Club [who host the national finals] are going to continue it," said McIlraith.
"[Cornwall CC] changed it to T20. Central Districts are still supporting the tournament."
Under NCC rules, teams are allowed one import player from within their local association, so Marist took Property Brokers United and representative wicketkeeper Matt Simes with them, as they again played without key veteran batsman Mark Fraser.
Winning the toss and putting NPMU into bat, Marist gave themselves a chance when they restricted the home side to 139-7.
Experianced openers Ryan Fleming (31 off 35 balls) and former CD Stags batsman Dean Robinson (35 off 34) had NPMU away to a solid start, before spinner Zac O'Keefe broke the partnership off a catch by acting skipper Hamish Harding.
Then up stepped the first unexpected hero in Sam O'Leary (2-16), who had been blitzed by Miles the day before to the tune of 30 runs off just one over.
McIlraith labelled O'Leary the great redeemer with his three tight overs.
"They pushed for a quick single and Dean running to the keeper's end.
"Sam was bowling and ran down wicket and kicked ball onto stumps.
"[Robinson] looked classy, just playing nice cricket shots and hitting singles.
"But T20 probably didn't suit him fully, as once he got out their run rate went up."
O'Leary would pick up two lower order wickets after Hadleigh O'Leary, also about to have a match to remember, dismissed NPMU skipper Kurt Leuthart for an LBW duck.
Angus Dinwiddie took a catch off Nick Harding to get rid of the set Robson Chapman (13) and then bowled dangerman Jarred Cunningham (20 off 10) in the 18th over to ensure United wouldn't reach 150.
Josh Barrett (28 not out off 16) had an important cameo to give NPMU a total they were still confident of defending.
But playing without Taranaki strike bowler Ryan Watson, they were rocked straight out the gate by a 71-run opening stand in 50 balls from the Hardings - anchor Hamish (29 off 42) and slogger Nick (48 off 27).
Dual Wanganui rugby and cricket representative Nick Harding smashed sixes all around Pukekura Park yesterday.
Nick Harding smashed the ball over the boundary six times, including up Pukekura's famous terraces, along with one four.
"He had a big head," laughed McIlraith.
"Was also nice for the boys to play on a fully prepared pitch which [the ball] came on."
Leuthart finally caught Nick Harding off Shay Smith, as O'Keefe came in and quickly blasted a six, but tried to go at Chapman once too many and was stumped by Cunningham.
Still, Marist were ahead of needing a run-a-ball, which was perfect for another conservative but hard-to-dismiss batsman in Simes (26 from 25) to join Hamish Harding and bat past the 100-run mark, until Leuthard induced a Harding edge behind for Cunningham in the 17th over.
Simes carried on and at 125-3, Marist were looking good, but T20 games can turn on a dime.
Barrett (3-14) produced a gem of a 19th over to clean bowl Simes, representative batsman Chris Stewart and Craig Thorpe – the only Marist player to get runs on Saturday.
With three bowlers having completed their maximum overs, Leuthart had to choose between himself (1-7 off one) or Smith (1-24 off three) and went with Smith to defend the remaining 14 runs required with two fresh O'Leary batsmen – Sam and teenager Hadleigh – at the crease.
McIlraith could barely account for what happened next.
"Sam O'Leary hit single, Hadleigh faced his first ball and hit it over cover for six.
"Then two dot balls, we needed seven off two, Hadleigh hit another six over cover. Then single off last [ball].
"It was seriously clutch."
Hadleigh O'Leary came in cold to hit 13 runs in five balls off the last over to get his team the victory.
The victory was the first time a Whanganui side has won an NCC qualifier in New Plymouth, as the only previous success was when Wanganui United rolled a shocked NPOB for a 75 run loss at Victoria Park in December 2016.
Wanganui Marist will now go onto the Central Districts knockout section of the NCC in Palmerston North on the February 8-9 weekend.
The winner of that will represent Central Districts against the top clubs from the other five regional associations in the finals at Cornwall CC in Auckland at the end of the season.
Scoreboard
New Plymouth Marist United R Fleming ct H Harding b Z O'Keefe 31 D Robinson run out (S O'Leary) 35 K Leuthart lbw b H O'Leary 0 R Chapman ct A Dinwiddie b N Harding 13 J Cunningham b A Dinwiddie 20 S Fastier ct M Simes b S O'Leary 0 J Barrett not out 28 R Yule b S O'Leary 0 M Blanks not out 3 Extras: 9 Total: 139-7 (20 overs) Bowling: C O'Leary 4 overs, 0 maidens, 22 runs, 0 wickets; A Dinwiddie 3-0-24-1; H O'Leary 4-0-20-1; Z O'Keefe 4-0-23-1; N Harding 2-0-29-1; S O'Leary 3-0-16-2.
Wanganui Marist H Harding ct J Cunningham b K Leuthart 29 N Harding ct K Leuthart bt S Smith 48 Z O'Keefe st J Cunningham b R Chapman 7 M Simes b J Barrett 26 C Stewart b J Barrett 4 S O'Leary not out 2 C Thorpe b J Barrett 0 H O'Leary not out 13 Extras: 10 Total: 140-6 (20-overs). Bowling: D Bernet 4-0-42-0; J Barrett 3-0-14-3; S Smith 4-0-38-1; M Blanks 4-0-14-0; R Chapman 4-0-23-1; K Leuthart 1-0-7-1.
