Keith Pullman’s featured in a 28-run opening stand for Auto Imports Martist against Rathkeale, but the chase faded from there. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Rathkeale are the only unbeaten team after the fifth round of matches in the Umpires Cup.
The defending champions were weakened for their match with joint leaders Auto Imports Marist with three key players, openers John McKenzie and Jake Jonas, and allrounder Gus Borren in the Highmark Homes Wairarapa side to play Taranaki.
The students struggled to get any rhythm against the consistent Marist attack on a good Rathkeale Oval pitch. Only an unbeaten ninth wicket partnership of 36 between Charlie Sims [23 not out] and Jacob Osborne [15] had them through to 149-8.
Keith Pullman and Kris Towgood put on 28 for the first wicket for Marist, but when they fell within two runs, there was a steady flow of wickets, as they were bowled out for 99.
Red Star held on to win a four-run thriller over Carterton at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval and keep alive their slim chances of making the final.
Red Star were in all sorts of trouble at 96-7 and 121-8. That was before Swapni Patel [56no] and Patrick Wootton [28no] took the score through to 202-8 off their 40 overs.
Carterton were on course to chase down the total at 150-5 with 12 overs to play, and then at 193-7. But the last four wickets fell for four runs to give Red Star the win. Richard French did the damage with the ball picking up three wickets for eight runs.
Wairarapa Mitsubishi Greytown were made to work hard before beating Lansdowne by three wickets at Memorial Park, Greytown.
Lansdowne were boosted with several players dropping down from their Coastal Challenge team and although they struggled to put a competitive total on the board, they showed much more fight than the effort that had them all out for ten the previous weekend.
Aaron Bidlake, with 34 and Sanjay Patel, with 36, were the best of the batsmen as Lansdowne amassed 121.
Greytown were always in control of the run chase and despite losing regular wickets cruised to the victory with more than 15 overs in hand.
A half century and a three-wicket haul for Roshan Sugathan was not enough to get Pope and Gray Greytown over the line against Unreal Grass Marist at Memorial Park, Masterton.
Sugathan hit an impressive 63 [eight fours and three sixes] in Greytown’s innings of 173-9. He then took 3-29, including opener Jayden Carter for 59. But it wasn’t enough, as Marist scored their first win of the championship with nearly 12 overs to spare.
BRIEF SCORES
Rathkeale 149-8 [Charlie Sims 23no] beat Auto Imports Marist 99 by 50 runs.
Red Star 202-8 [Swapni Patel 56no] beat Carterton 198 [Kirk Hammington 42, Brad Griffith 40, Tim Griffith 47; Richard French 3-8, Ojas Patel 3-38] by four runs.
Lansdowne 121 [Aaron Bidlake 34, Sanjay Patel 36] lost to Wairarapa Mitsubishi Greytown 124-7 [Tim Fenwick 39; Reece Hannam 3-45]
Pope and Gray Greytown 173-9 [Roshan Sugathan 63, James Elliot 32; Nathan Kapene 3-25] lost to Unreal Grass Marist 176-7 [Jayden Carter 59; Roshan Sugathan 3-29].
UMPIRES CUP STANDINGS
Rathkeale 18; Auto Imports Marist and Wairarapa Mitsubishi Greytown 14; Carterton and Red Star 10; Unreal Grass Marist 6; Pope and Gray Greytown and Lansdowne 2.
