Wicketkeeper Paddy Gluck unsuccessfully tries for a run out. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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The two Wairarapa sides made inauspicious starts to the Coastal Challenge, losing both their two T20 matches on Saturday.
United and Burger King Red Star went into the first round in the combined competition involving club sides from Wairarapa, Horowhenua-Kapiti, and Whanganui confident of victory, only to be comprehensively outplayed by the visiting sides.
United came close to claiming a victory, falling three runs short of beating Kapiti Old Boys, before being thrashed in their second match by a rampant Paraparaumu, while Red Star failed to fire and were well beaten in both games.
United did well to restrict Kapiti to 105-5 off their 20 overs on the Park Sportsground artificial pitch. Medium pacers Gurdev Singh, with one wicket for 12 runs off his four overs, and Samuel Payne [2-30] were the best of the United bowlers, while Jayden Miles [30] and Carter Andrews [30no] were joint top scorers for the visitors.
Tight bowling by Kapiti’s representative medium pacers Andrews [2-18] and Zac Benton [2-20] meant that United’s innings never really gained any traction. However, the home side were still in with a chance, needing eight off the last over.
Andrews dismissed United’s top scorer Kris Towgood [22] on the second ball, leaving it to Nathan Kapene and Payne to push for the victory.
It eventually came down to Kapene needing a four off the last ball, but Andrews won the day with a dot ball.
Two half century partnerships were the backbone in Paraparaumu’s 44-run victory over Red Star at Wairarapa College.
Red Star started well, having the dangerous Ajay Kumar caught for one in the first over off the bowling of Peter Sigvertsen, but that was as good as got.
Jordan Horrell [34] and Sam O’Brien [69] added 61 for the second wicket, and then O’Brien was joined by Jon Griffith [53] and the pair put on 73 in eight overs, as the visitors amassed a total of 179-7 off their 20 overs.
Medium-fast Stefan Hook was the pick of the Red Star bowlers with 3-32, while Sigvertsen [2-37] and Sean Wakelin [2-35] were the best of the rest.
Red Star’s innings never gained momentum against the accurate Paraparaumu bowling led by Dylan Reder [4-36] losing regular wickets, to be bowled out for 135 in 18 overs.
Wakelin completed a good double with a hard-hit 39, from 14 balls, including three fours, and four sixes.
Red Star’s batting woes continued at Park Sports Ground in their second game against Kapiti Old Boys.
The home side stumbled to 23-5 with Benton taking three wickets for just one run from his first two overs.
Wicketkeeper Paddy Gluck [30], and Sigvertsen [26] added some respectability, but it was never enough, and Kapiti cruised to victory in the 15th over for the loss of just three wickets.
Kumar made up for his failure in the first game with a match winning 95 in Paraparaumu’s 134-run thrashing of United at Wairarapa College.
The aggressive opening batter was slow to get going, scoring only two runs off the first eight balls he faced, but once he got his eye in, he was all aggression, dispatching the United bowlers to all corners of the ground.
When Kumar was eventually out at 170-2, he had faced just 44 balls and had smashed nine fours and seven sixes.
Earlier Kumar and Horrell [34] had set the platform for the big score smashing 87 off the first six overs.
Towgood was the best of the United bowlers, picking up a respectable 3-31 off four overs.
Any chance of United chasing down the big total rested on getting a good start, but when the dangerous Jaco Vorster was out for a second ball duck, any realistic prospect disappeared, and they struggled to put runs on the board.
Payne highlighted his massive potential with an aggressive 41no [29 balls, three fours, three sixes] as United were restricted to a disappointing 108-7.
Red Star and United are scheduled to meet in the third round of T20 in Levin on Saturday, but with both teams out of the running for a place in the final, that game is now likely to be played in Masterton.
BRIEF SCORES
Kapiti Old Boys 105-5 [Jayden Miles 30, Carter Andrews 30no; Samuel Payne 2-30, Gurdev Singh 1-12] beat United 102-7 [Carter Andrews 2-18, Zac Benton 2-20] by three runs.
Paraparaumu 179-7 [Sam O’Brien 69, Jono Griffith 53, Jordan Horrell 34; Stefan Hook 3-32, Sean Wakelin 2-35, Peter Sigvertsen 2-37] beat Red Star 135 [Wakelin 39; Dylan Reder 4-36, Sean Windle 2-20, Kamal Patel 2-22] by 44 runs.
Red Star 112 [Paddy Gluck 30; Andrews 3-13, Benton 3-19] lost to Kapiti Old Boys 115-3 [Marty Harrison 33, Jayden Miles 46no] by seven wickets.
Paraparaumu 242-7 [Ajay Kumar 95, Horrell 34, Sam O’Brien 33; Kris Towgood 3-31] beat United 108-7 [Payne 41no; Jayden Keats 2-8, Patel 2-28] by 134 runs.
