The Greytown players celebrate a Lansdowne wicket. PHOTOS/JADE CVETKOV
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Wairarapa Mitsubishi Greytown took a giant step towards the Bidwill Cup final, with a two-wicket victory over Jackson Street Bar Lansdowne on Saturday.
Greytown scored the maximum 10 points, including three bowling points, for the outright result, while Lansdowne guaranteed their place in the final with their one batting bonus point.
Greytown only need to pick up one bonus point from their last round-robin game this Saturday against Burger King Red Star to make the two-day final on March 20-21.
All-rounder Roshan Sugathan led the way for Greytown in Saturday’s victory at Memorial Park Greytown. His left-arm spin was especially effective on the pitch that offered variable bounce, picking up three wickets for 18 runs from 11 overs.
Sugathan had good support from captain Byron Hegglin, Wairarapa representative captain Gordon Reisima, and Hamish Cunliffe, who all picked up two wickets each.
Opener Sean Rudman [27], first-drop Greg Dennes Wilson [41], and number eight Sanjay Patel [41no] were the only Lansdowne batsmen who managed to get on top of the bowling, on a pitch where the batsmen never felt like they were ‘in’.
Greytown were left the reasonably comfortable target of 167 off 57 overs for victory.
After a cautious start, Hayden Ray set up the home side’s successful run chase with an aggressive 46.
Coming in at the loss of the first wicket with the score at 15 in the seventh over, Ray immediately set about attacking the bowling, hitting three of the first four balls he faced to the boundary.
Although he only faced 30 balls, he hit 10 fours in his bright innings and gave Greytown the momentum to push for victory.
Sugathan then took over and never looked in trouble; however, the loss of wickets at the other end had Greytown teetering at 148-8.
Sugathan was in control though, with the winning runs scored in the 37th over.
Greytown also won the Bidwill Challenge Cup with Saturday’s victory.
BRIEF SCORES
Jackson Street Bar Lansdowne 166 [Greg Dennes Wilson 41, Sanjay Patel 41no; Roshan Sugathan 3-18] lost to Wairarapa Mitsubishi Greytown 169-8 [Hayden Ray 46, Sugathan 43no; Lahiru Lerath 3-25] by two wickets.
PROVISIONAL POINTS
Lansdowne 11, Greytown 10, Red Star 0.
