Manawatū did not rely on any particular strike bowler — as Brad Fulton would ultimately claim the most scalps with five wickets across both Whanganui innings.
However, the likes of Jack Harris and Tim Richards got 2-fours in both innings themselves, while another to pick up a brace in the first innings was former Whanganui player and Canadian Under 19 international Akhil Kumar, back on his former ground.
Whanganui skipper Greg Smith (24) and a returning Angus Dinwiddie (17), convinced to join the squad during the week, both got starts, the latter supporting Fraser well, but like their teammates, succumbed to nicks and catches.
In reply, Manawatū showed Whanganui how to bat both for time and to score, as three of their top order scored half centuries in Curtis Heaphy (56), Maara Ave (56) and Mitch Renwick (55).
All of them took 100 deliveries to do so — Heaphy especially facing 166 balls before workhorse bowler Connor O’Leary (2-69) finally had him trapped in front late on Day 1.
Manawatū had taken first innings points at 177-3 after 66 overs at the close of play.
O’Leary would ultimately fire down 26 overs including nine maidens, but it was another member of his highly regarding sporting family who etched his name on the Cricket Whanganui Honours Board.
Come Day 2, with Manawatū looking to pick up their run rate to get to 300 and declare, they would lose five more wickets — all of them falling to part-time spinner Hadleigh O’Leary (6-56).
Arana Noema-Barnett (44) and Richards (31) played some attacking cricket before losing their scalps to the younger O’Leary, who trapped some and got others trying to blast.
Still, with Whanganui now needing 169 runs to make Manawatū bat again or to see out nearly 90 overs, the visitors were eyeing up a big innings win to really set themselves on top of the Furlong Cup table.
While few of the Whanganui batmen’s scores in their second innings appear noteworthy, what is key was the number of balls several of them managed to soak up as 6.30pm inched ever closer.
Much as he did against Taranaki, opener Sam Roebuck survived 127 deliveries, although the rest of the top order couldn’t stay with him.
Fraser could both defend and score, seeing off 122 balls, and although Whanganui went through another mini-collapse to be reduced to 87-6, Dinwiddie joined him and held the line.
Actually facing for most of their partnership, it appeared Dinwiddie would help Fraser see Whanganui through after he had seen off 75 deliveries by 5.45pm.
However, Dinwiddie went after a long LBW shout for Fulton, and then with just four overs left, Fraser finally succumbed after an excellent slips catch from Renwick off Harris.
Liam Hall couldn’t hang on with just 16 balls left, but appropriately, that set the stage for wicketkeeper Chris Sharrock, in his 50th match, to deliver the redemption, as he and last man Connor O’Leary weathered the storm, including one audacious caught-behind appeal, to prevent the outright loss.
Captain Smith was pleased with the determination, but the reality remains that Whanganui must somehow improve their batting acumen to find ways to score, not just survive.
“We had an honest chat yesterday tea time and just said, ‘think it’s about time we just changed this whole ethos and mentally about how we go about things and actually show that ticker that Warren [Marr] spoke about in previous weeks.
“I’m sure opposition they almost get to a point where they just turn up and expect us to roll over, these bigger associations, and I think it’s about time that we say that even if we’re not going to win the games, at least make them work for it and put up a fight.
“The boys responded extremely well, very proud of them for that, they certainly did stand up and at least make sure they made it difficult for Manawatū and in the end managed to bat out.
“It’s all well and good, but we know there’s still a lot to work on, in particular putting scores on the board that are higher than 150 and onwards.”
Smith agreed Hadleigh O’Leary will be a welcome addition to the Honours Board.
“Bowled extremely well, good for him, I’m sure there’ll be some banter about the fact he ended up getting on there before Connor.
“But that’s really good to see, well deserved, a really good spell of bowling — we’ll get that updated for him this year for everyone to see.”
SCOREBOARD
Whanganui 1st Innings
G Smith ct T Richards b A Kumar 24
S Roebuck ct M Ave b C Jensen 2
H O’Leary ct M Ave b B Fulton 6
M Simes ct C Heaphy b A Kumar 8
M Fraser ct M Renwick b J Harris 58
C Hobbs lbw T Richards 5
D Burgess lbw T Richards 4
A Dinwiddie ct M Ave b Brad Fulton 17
L Hall b J Harris 0
C Sharrock ct T Richards b B Fulton 2
C O’Leary not out 0
Extras: 6
Total: 132 (46.4 overs).
Bowling:
C Jensen 10 overs, 3 maidens, 21 runs, 1 wicket; B Fulton 9.4-2-33-3; J Harris 8-2-23-2; A Kumar 7-2-16-2; T Richards 9-2-23-2; Arana Noema-Barnett 3-0-10-0.
Manawatū 1st Innings
C Heaphy lbw C O’Leary 56
M Hughes ct C Sharrock b: C O’Leary 17
M Ave b H O’Leary 56
M Renwick ct M Simes b H O’Leary 55
A Noema-Barnett ct A Dinwiddie b H O’Leary 44
T McGrath ct C Sharrock b H O’Leary 31
B Small lbw H O’Leary 10
T Richards ct M Fraser b H O’Leary 12
A Kumar not out 11
C Jensen not out 1
Extras: 8
Total: 301-8 (89 overs).
Bowling: Liam Hall 15-1-63-0; Connor O’Leary 26-9-69-2; A Dinwiddie 15-1-79-0; R Donaldson 10-3-29-0; H O’Leary 23-2-56-6.
Whanganui 2nd Innings
G Smith ct M Hughes b Carlos Jensen 4
S Roebuck b A Noema-Barnett 16
H O’Leary ct A Noema-Barnett b Jack Harris 5
M Simes ct B Small b T Richards 18
M Fraser ct M Renwick b Jack Harris 48
C Hobbs b T Richards 0
D Burgess lbw A Noema-Barnett 14
A Dinwiddie lbw B Fulton 8
L Hall b B Fulton 0
C Sharrock not out 0
C O’Leary not out 1
Extras: 13
Total: 127-9 (87 overs).
Bowling: C Jensen 7-1-11-1; B Fulton 18-6-19-2; A Kumar 10-4-11-0; J Harris 18-5-27-2; T Richards 14-7-16-2; A Noema-Barnett 16-7-26-2; Trent McGrath 4-3-4-0.
Result: Draw, Manawatū win 1st innings points.
The Combined Twenty20 competition continued on Saturday with matches at the Springvale fields and one at Victoria Park.
The United derby went the way of Property Brokers United Blue, who picked up a big 141 run over their clubmates United White.
Wicket Warriors Whanganui continued to stake their claims as title contenders after a comfortable eight wicket win over Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI.
SCOREBOARDS
Property Brokers United Blue 236-4 (B Walker 109no, A Toy 103no; N Jones 2-12) bt Property Brokers United White 95-9 (A Patel 15; D Brennan 2-12, H Binning 2-16) by 141 runs.
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI 75-9 (C Thorpe 17, D Carter 16no; S Sreekumar 4-4, A Paulose 2-11) lost to Wicket Warriors Whanganui 76-2 (S Nair 39, L Cherian 20) by eight wickets.
