By Gary Caffell
It was a gripping finish when Lansdowne edged out Greytown in the final of Wairarapa Cricket’s The Rock Twenty20 senior men’s cricket competition at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton on Saturday.
Chasing 152 for victory Greytown needed 10 runs off the last over to secure the win and were still well in the hunt when their eighth wicket fell to a run out with one ball remaining and the score standing on 149.
However, that last ball produced just the one run and Lansdowne were crowned champions.
Batting first, Lansdowne relied heavily on the Prices, cousins Brock and Dylan, to get them through to a respectable 151-6.
Opener Brock Price continued what has been a fine season with the bat in scoring 69 off 62 balls including two fours and three sixes while Dylan Price came in at 24-2 and departed at 126-3, having made 40 from 36 balls including four fours and one six.
It was captain Gordon Reisima who was the pick of the Greytown bowlers, picking up 2-22 from his four overs and showing excellent control in the closing overs when the Lansdowne batsmen were doing their best to up the scoring rate.
He was well supported by Brad Griffith who also bowled his full complement of four overs and took 2-27.
Greytown got off to a flier through the aggressive striking of opener Mark Childs who raced through to 28 off 17 balls including five fours and one six but Lansdowne were able to slow things up enough through the middle stages to get themselves back into the fight.
Reisima completed a fine all-round effort by making 36 off 28 balls, including six fours, and Griffith (19) and Paul Lyttle (15) chimed in with handy contributions but, in the end, the southerners came up short, if only just.
Three Lansdowne bowlers picked up two wickets apiece, Stefan Hook-Sporry, Drew Macdonald and Hayden Barrett.
The final of the Twenty20 second grade competition was also played on Saturday with Greytown 150-5 beating Stihl Swollen 122-8.
