Burger King Red Star’s Coastal Challenge campaign is teetering after their four-wicket loss away to defending champions Levin Old Boys on Saturday.
The loss leaves Red Star fifth in the combined competition for clubs from Wairarapa, Whanganui, and Horowhenua-Kapiti, meaning they will probably need to win all three remaining games to make the semifinals.
Batting first on the flat Donnelly Park, Levin, pitch, Red Star could amass only 191, with the highlight being a confident 92 by Nathan Elliott. The wicketkeeper-batter came in with the score at 24-2 and formed a promising partnership with Wairarapa representative captain Jared van Deventer.
After van Deventer went for 35, at 74-3, Elliott dominated the batting, adding 54 for the fifth wicket with Ethan Childs [8] and 36 with Quinn Childs [7] for the sixth wicket, but the loss of the last five wickets for just 17 runs left Red Star short of a defendable total.
Jesse Parker and Horowhenua-Kapiti rep captain Andrew Simpson ensured Levin Old Boys got off to a rollicking start, smashing 73 runs before Parker was out for an aggressive 44 in the 12th over. Medium-fast bowler Ethan Childs suffered the most with 41 runs coming off his three overs, including 18 off his first.
Left-arm spinner Quinn Childs [3-46 off 10 overs] gave Red Star some hope, picking up Parker, Simpson [40], and the dangerous Matthew Good [4] to have the home side battling at 106-4. However, an aggressive 47 by Joel Bishop took Levin Old Boys within sight of victory.
Elliott believes that although Red Star fought hard in the field, the batters didn’t give the bowlers enough runs to play with.
“We took three or four wickets, and they were sort of scrambling for a bit, so it would have been interesting if we had an extra 40 or 50 runs,” Elliott said.
Red Star has next weekend off, although most of their players are likely to be involved with Post Office Hotel Wairarapa in the Chapple Cup – the Central Districts 50-over tournament.
They finish the Coast Challenge round robin with games against the winless Kapiti Old Boys and Paraparaumu and a home fixture against leaders Whanganui United.
Elliott is confident that the team are good enough to win all three to sneak into the semifinals.
BRIEF SCORES
Burger King Red Star 191 [Nathan Elliott 92, Jared van Deventer 35] lost to Levin Old Boys 193-6 [Jesse Parker 44, Andrew Simpson 40, Joel Bishop 47; Quinn Childs 3-46] by six wickets.
