Fun, sun, sleet and slog: All the action from the cricket at the Downer New Zealand Masters Games

Whanganui United Masters’ Brendon Walker proved a big hitter at the Masters Games. He is pictured here playing against Tech in 2019. Photo / Stuart Munro

The Marton Magicians and Whanganui United Masters took the honours, but everyone had a blast as Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park hosted six straight days of cricket action last week.

The cricket module of the 2023 Downer New Zealand Masters Games saw many of the old guard pull the pads back on and adjust the boxes – equipment and beverage – to enter the eight-a-side and/or 11-a-side grades for Twenty20 matches.

After no Cricket Whanganui club games were possible on February 4 due to the aftermath of wet weather during the previous week still not being dried out, the Masters players got fresh pitches to contest when the eight-a-side grade got under way the next day, with the action concluding with the 11-a-side medal games on Friday.

Six teams entered the eight-a-side tournament and seven took part in the 11-a-side competition - it’s noteworthy that the Hunterville Hackers club had squads in both.

Some of the best action was seen last Monday when the 11-a-side competition got under way, and there was not just one, but two hat-trick wicket-taking performances.

Taranaki’s Brett Cursons, of the Fitzroy Old Folks, got his three straight dismissals, all of them individual with two clean bowls and an LBW, as part of his 4-6 against Sons of Pitches, while in Fitzroy’s next game, Hunterville’s Sam Burroughs put a dent in their tail with three straight clean bowls for 3-20, although it was not enough to prevent a defeat.

The eight-side-games were held over five rounds on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, with the latter requiring Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations due to wet weather in the morning.

The semifinalists saw the Marton Magicians and Whanganui Wanderers get fairly comfortable victories by nine wickets and six wickets against Got The Runs and Hunterville Hackers respectively.

In the final, their third game of the day, Marton laid down the gauntlet with a big innings of 185-5, led by their openers Carl Rankin (35 retired) and Hamish McDonald (66 not-out), while Martin Cloete (4-25) was the pick of the bowlers.

Wanderers made a game-chase of it but ultimately finished shy with 159-7, as all of their top order got scores, but not enough to keep up with the demanding run rate, being beaten by 26 runs.

Opener Neil Anderson top-scored with 31, while Carl Rankin completed a good match with 3-29.

The 11-a-side tournament was played on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and as well as Fitzroy making it through to the gold medal game with five comfortable victories, home side Whanganui United were diligently going about their business as well, also being unbeaten coming into Friday afternoon.

In a last-ball thriller, United would claim the gold medals after a one-run victory in the final.

United would have been a little uneasy when they were bowled out midway through the final over on 116 – an all right score, but probably 20-30 runs shy of really putting the pressure on Fitzroy.

Big hitter Brendon Walker (36) and Ritesh Verma (20) were the picks of the batsmen, while the Fitzroy bowlers shared in the spoils with Brett Cursons, Johnny McCullough, Kieran Coulton and Jamie Brocklehurst all getting two-fors.

But it ain’t over until it’s over, and United competed literally right until the last ball. Fitzroy held back at 115-7.

The Taranaki side was in a little trouble at 30-4, until Johnny McCullough (35 retired) was setting them up, as was Craig Vertongen (20 not out) in the final overs.

But the bowlers kept the rest pinned down just enough, the pick of them being Brendon Walker (2-14) and Joe Gray (2-16).

The bronze medal went to the Hunterville Hackers, who claimed a comfortable 65-run win over Dirtbags in their playoff.

Follow results and draws for the tournaments at: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/cricket-whanganui/summer-202223/cbb8f864.