CRICKET
A mammoth 430-run third-wicket partnership was the highlight of McDonald’s Lansdowne’s big win over Kuranui College in Wairarapa Cricket’s Umpires Cup one-day championship on Saturday.
Veterans Robbie Speers and Sanjay Patel came together with the score at 27–2, and both immediately set about dispatching the bowling to all parts of the Queen Elizabeth Park Oval.
Speers was eventually out for 238, which came off 150 balls and featured 34 fours and nine sixes, while Patel was unbeaten on 149 [124 balls, 21 fours and one six], as Lansdowne amassed 461–3 off 50 overs.
Kuranui were far from disgraced in their chase, scoring 272, with half centuries to Shaun Dudson [68] and Josh Doherty [55] the biggest contributions.
The 461 runs and the 430-run partnership are almost certain to be records for Wairarapa senior cricket, although there are no definitive records, while Speers’s score of 238 is the highest since former Lansdowne clubmate Brock Price hit 241 in the 2017-18 Bidwill Cup final.
Hayden Ray hit an unbeaten 104 as Inspire Living Greytown posted 259-6 and defeated Pope and Gray Greytown by 178 runs.
TENNIS
Ōpaki got their Wairarapa Regional One interclub campaign off to a winning start, beating Carterton 6–3 at Ōpaki on Saturday.
The victory was set up in the singles, with Ōpaki winning four matches and Carterton two, leaving the home side needing to win one of the doubles matches. They went on to win two of the doubles, securing a convincing win.
Comfortable wins to Chris Davidson over Johnty Tatham [6–1 6–2], Duncan Oakley over Zachary Chang [6–0 6–3], and Helen Boxall over Lucy Orsborn [6–2 6–2] gave Ōpaki the early advantage, while Alex Randell was taken to three sets before beating William Orsborn 6–1 1–6 6–2 in the battle of the men’s number ones.
Troy Clout pulled a point back, beating Mike Jackson 6-4 6–2, and Olivia Orsborn got the better of Belinda Day 6-4 6–1 to give Carterton a glimmer of hope.
Randall and Davidson were 6–2 7-6 victors over Andi Steinemann and William Orsborn, and Oakley and Jackson dispatched Tatham and Crout 6–2 6–1 to wrap up the points for Ōpaki.
Laura Crawford and Olivia Orsborn picked up Carterton’s third point, defeating Day and Boxall in the closest match of the day, 7–5 5–7 7–6.
POINTS: Carterton 10, Ōpaki 8, Martinborough 4
