With no pressure on them, United took an understrength side on the long trip down to Masterton on Saturday, and promptly lost their undefeated tag to Burger King Red Star, who signalled what might have been with a bit more luck earlier in competition, picking up a big 112-run win.
But all eyes were glued on the action at Victoria Park and Paraparaumu Domain, the latter where Kapiti Old Boys and Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC were also fighting for a semifinal spot, as sixth-place Paraparaumu just got up by two wickets.
Rudimentary examination of the rule book at that stage, with Weraroa seemingly cruising to their low target of 206 at 160-5, was that Marist might still be safe for fourth spot even if they lost, given Paraparaumu were shy of a bonus point.
But that was not yet confirmed, and then Marist took all the random equations right off the table – as a fired-up Connor O’Leary (4-35) and veteran allrounder Nick Harding (3-15) ripped through Weraroa’s middle and lower order, with five wickets falling for just 15 runs, to leapfrog their opposition into third.
It had been a game where momentum see-sawed throughout - Marist’s openers Harding (19) and Ross Kinnerley (15) making a watchful start to raise 37 runs, before Jaedyn Dawson (3-38) and Carl Trask (4-33) took their first wickets.
Key men like Chris Stewart and John McIlraith (18) also came and went, so it fell to the in-form Mark Fraser (66 from 101 balls) to both shore up an end and get runs on the board.
Fraser finally found support from Craig Thorpe (32), getting their team to 140 from 78-5, but Weraroa again turned the screws with three middle-overs bowlers each getting a wicket.
Connor O’Leary (18) entered to score some priceless runs to get Marist in sight of the 200 mark, before Dawson and Trask returned to clean up the tail, with Fraser the last man to fall in the 49th over.
However, the visitors had taken a little too long to bowl Marist out, inflating the required run rate slightly as Weraroa were penalised two overs to begin their run chase.
Kinnerley would open and ultimately bowl out his maximum overs for only 38 runs, yet being wicket-less, as opening batsmen Thomas Morgan (21) and Locky Spring (35) played watchfully but still picked up the odd bad ball for boundaries.
Even when Morgan lost his stumps to Connor O’Leary, skipper Blake de burgh (19) came in and got set – Weraroa looking good at 72-1.
Enter spinner Hadleigh O’Leary (3-43), who had missed out with the bat but got key wickets either side of the drinks break – starting with Spring holing out to a Connor O’Leary catch on the boundary.
Prabodha Arthavidu Ellawala Liyanage had made a century on the same pitch the week before against United, but when Hadleigh O’Leary got a low one through to the stumps, and then de Burgh chipped the ball straight back to his hands, Marist had hope at 107-4.
However, both Hadleigh O’Leary and Kinnerley had now bowled out while Connor had just four overs left up his sleeve - Keegan Maclachlan (31) and Sean Finlayson (38) getting together and scoring frequently against the middle-order bowlers, Finlayson smoking two sixes.
At 155-4 with 13 overs left, Marist rolled the dice and brought back remaining hope Connor O’Leary while introducing Harding from the other end, and the Weraroa dam gave way.
O’Leary took out the top of Maclachlan’s stumps, the dangerous Trask departed reluctantly after the umpire agreed with the appeal that he’d snicked Harding’s delivery to wicketkeeper Fraser, and then in the decisive moment, Finlayson gave up a much clearer caught behind off Harding for 172-7.
Connor O’Leary had only one over left, but with the tail exposed he made it count with two wickets – hitting the stumps twice.
Marist then didn’t have to go back to another bowler, as Harding shattered the stumps of the last batsmen with the second ball of the 42nd over to send his team into the playoffs.
It also means Marist will be the only side going into the semifinals off a victory, as United will be thoughtful following their heavy loss to Red Star.
Having lost a couple of games very narrowly, Red Star were unlucky not to be in playoff contention, but made their last round robin game count – reaching 202 in the 47th over, before bowling United out by the 27th over for just 90 at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Duane Maraki (3-32), Lovedeep Randhawa (2-32) and Chris Sharrock (2-41) were United’s best bowlers, but only Greg Smith (24) made any headway with the bat.
Mark Steventon (42) top scored for Red Star, while allrounder Ethan Childs (32, 2-28) had a good match, as did bowlers Alex Mason (4-26) and Patrick Wootton (3-14).
Follow results and draws for the tournament at
https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/coastal-challenge/coastalchallenge-202223-summer-202223/coastal-challenge-50-overs/a2935261
The P240 competition also came down to the wire, as Wicket Warriors Whanganui secured their spot in the semifinals and eliminated Property Brokers United 2nd XI in the process with a six wicket win.
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens had already locked in a home semifinal, but will go into the playoffs confident after a 120-run win over Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI.
Wanganui Renegades gave the Property Brokers United Colts a taste of what they can expect in the semifinals, winning by 81 runs.
P340 saw the Kaitoke Knight Riders get payback from their prior loss to Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI, beating their one-man short opposition by one wicket in a low scoring match.
Follow results and draws for the tournaments at
https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/cricket-whanganui/cricketwhanganui-premier-cricket-summer-202223/1417a692
Results for March 11
Coastal Challenge Cup
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 205 (M Fraser 66, C Thorpe 32, N Harding 19; C Trask 4-33, J Dawson 3-38) bt Weraroa CC 175 ( S Finlayson 38, L Spring 35, K Maclachlan 31, T Morgan 21; C O’Leary 4-35, N Harding 3-15, H O’Leary 3-43) by 30 runs.
Burger King Red Star 202 (M Steventon 42, E Childs 32, Unknown 29, N Elliot 23, J Anderson 20; D Maraki 3-32, L Randhawa 2-32, C Sharrock 2-41) bt Property Brokers United 90 (G Smith 24; A Mason 4-26, P Wootton 3-14, E Childs 2-28) by 112 runs.
Kapiti Old Boys 148 (J Rose-Miles 59, C Reynolds 17; K Patel 4-29, S Windle 2-32, D McNamara 2-33) lost to Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC 149-8 (S Windle 28, J Griffith 21, B Gill 20; C Andrews 3-25, M Newell 2-32, R Singh 2-37) by two wickets.
Premier 2
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 275-4 (T Westwood 79, J Hayward 60, D Rayner 34, M Jacobs 32; J Lithgow 2-50) bt Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI 155-7 (J Howard 50, R Nugent-O’Leary 36, B Anderson 21; J Hayward 2-4, B Singh 2-16, C Mariadoss 2-36) by 120 runs.
Wanganui Renegades 202-3 (N Sherbone 78, W Martin 43, M Deighton 29no; H Burroughs 2-51) bt Property Brokers United Colts 121 (E Toy 20no; M Deighton 3-11, R Balsley 3-15) by 81 runs.
Property Brokers United 2nd XI 79 (B Walker 20; A Paulose 4-4, C Paily 3-23, L Varghese 2-11) lost to Wicket Warriors Whanganui 82-4 (L Cherian 34no, S Nair 22; M Pennefather 3-19) by six wickets.
Premier 3
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI 93 (Unknown 35, J Baldwin 20; M Tongotea 5-20, F Edwards 2-43) lost to Kaitoke Knight Riders 96-9 (Unknown 14; J Baldwin 4-21, P Edgecombe 2-28) by one wicket.
Wanganui Old Boys-Tech bt Hunterville Hackers by forfeit.
