Cricket Whanganui: Collegiate finish Premier 1 with big victory but Marist hit roadblock

Collegiate notched a big win over Marist on Saturday. Photo / 123rf

Wanganui Vet Services Marist have an uphill battle to claim the Jurgens Demolition Premier 1 title from Property Brokers United, after an under-strength side lost by 81 runs to Whanganui Collegiate 1st XI on Saturday.

Picking up their first win of the competition in their last fixture and second win over Marist at the school grounds in two seasons, Collegiate faced a 10-man visiting side missing several key players. When put into bat, the hosts were finally able to construct a strong team innings with 235-7.

This was aided by their representative batsman Connor Rees continuing his superb form with 97 from 95 balls, including nine boundaries.

Collegiate had been under pressure at 109-5 as Marist looked to two of their three active Whanganui representative players – seamer Connor O’Leary and spinner Joel Clark (3-41) – for a contrasting bowling attack, with Clark getting breakthroughs after the likes of Josh Keenan (23) and Hamish Cranstone (15) made starts.

Rees was a level above, finding the extra gap in the field constantly with shots around the wicket. He partnered with Jimmy Lithgow (32) who played himself into form as part of a crucial 90-run partnership that was setting up their team for a 250-plus total against a brittle bowling attack.

Lithgow finally lost his stumps to departing schoolmate Timothy O’Leary, and then Rees was left frustrated to miss a deserved century when he feathered at a lifting delivery from Thomas Redpath (2-49), with Marist’s other remaining representative player. Mark Fraser, taking a good diving catch with the gloves.

It seemed at 205-7 the innings might lose its way, but Angus Allpress (26 not out from 24) steadied the ship and carried his side to the finish, with Marist preparing to face the young quicks with only nine wickets available.

They fell short with seven of them dismissed in single digits, but the talk of the pavilion was the brilliance of Tim O’Leary who, from opener, was the last wicket to fall with 109 from 80 deliveries.

Opening seamers Alex Whiteman (5-42) and Seb Dadic (2-42) bowled to well-set fields, with some potential boundaries or sixes from Marist yielding only singles. Collegiate did not miss their catches – taking five in field, including Rupert Smith with two.

O’Leary was the exception and hit out with five boundaries and some big sixes.

But he was running out of partners because only Premier 2 regular Raponi Tofa (14) was able to stay with him for any length of time in a 47-run partnership.

When Tofa was caught behind off Collegiate skipper Rory Nugent-O’Leary for 102-7, O’Leary went on an assault.

Looking to keep the strike at the end of overs, O’Leary slogged another six deliveries over the boundary, hitting 10 sixes in total, with the last of them above Collegiate’s towering hedges and on to nearby Liverpool St.

However, Whiteman had already come back to take the eighth wicket and, while he suffered a little from O’Leary’s last stand, the bowler trapped his former team-mate in front to give the schoolboys some consolation for a tough campaign.

Results, December 7

Jurgens Demolition Premier 1

Whanganui Collegiate 1st XI 235-7 (C Rees 97, J Lithgow 32, A Allpress 26no, J Keenan 23; J Clark 3-41, T Redpath 2-49) bt Wanganui Vet Services Marist 154 (T O’Leary 109; A Whiteman 5-42, S Dadic 2-42) by 81 runs.

Jurgens Demolition Premier 2 Twenty20

Property Brokers United T20 152-5 (M Pennefather 51no, Z Small 48; J Kennedy 2-11, K Hatfull 2-16) bt Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XI 112-3 (L Stark 68) by 40 runs.

Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens 249-2 (A West 64, O McVerry 44, D Ford 28no, D Rayner 24, J Gloyn 22, M Jacobs 22, L Cox 20) bt Whanganui Schools 91 (L Cox 37; C Rayner 3-4, O McVerry 2-15, D Ford 2-16) by 158 runs.

Hunterville Hackers 138-5 (B McAlley 48, Unknown 45; M Hodges 2-18, H Carver 2-29) lost to Whanganui Renegades 139-3 (J Donaldson 59, N Sherbone 33, W Martin 15no, R Donaldson 15no; Unknown 2-26) by seven wickets.

Richards Construction Marton Saracens 70-9 (P Galpin 15no; L Varghese 4-8, R Hari 2-9, A Coelho 2-14) lost to Wicket Warriors Whanganui 71-3 (S Tom 28no, L Cherian 16, S Nair 16; P George 2-12) by seven wickets.

Whanganui Marist T20 227-5 (Unknown 53, J Baldwin 48, D Purvis 36no, K Watkin 30, C Thorpe 27) bt Whanganui Schools 171-5 (N Toy 41no, L Cox 34) by 56 runs.