Wairarapa opener Robbie Anderson was top scorer in the game with 34. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
Wairarapa take win
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Highmark Homes Wairarapa beat Manawatu on the first innings but their Furlong Cup [Hawke Cup elimination series] two-day match at Rathkeale Oval had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.
In a bizarre finish to their second innings Wairarapa lost their last six wickets for one run. That opened the door for Manawatu to push for an outright win, with 74 runs needed off eight overs.
Manawatu attacked but lost regular wickets to finish on 52-8.
Star of the show for Wairarapa was medium-fast bowler Ethan Childs with his first 10-wicket bag at Hawke Cup level.
Scoring was always going to be difficult on the greenish pitch with heavy overcast conditions suiting the pace bowlers.
Batting first after Manawatu chose to field, Wairarapa lost regular wickets to be all out for 214 in the 62nd over. Opener Robbie Anderson was the best of the batsmen, with 34, the top score in all four innings.
Manawatu captain Tim Richards picked up 4-28 with his slow-medium bowling, while Carlos Jensen took 3-50.
Manawatu were well-poised to take a first innings lead finishing a rain affected first day at 124-3.
Overnight rain had the start of play on the second day delayed to 1.10pm with 96 overs to be played.
Manawatu progressed their score to 196-6 before Childs and fellow quick Stefan Hook struck, cleaning up the last four wickets for seven runs, and giving Wairarapa valuable first innings points.
Childs finished with a representative career best of 6-51 off 16 overs. Hook bagged 4-53 off 24.1 overs.
Wairarapa were in early trouble in their second innings with openers Anderson and John McKenzie back in the pavilion with five runs on the board.
Debutant Jared van Deventer [21] and Rathkeale student Jake Jonas [14] added 35 for the third wicket before van Deventer was brilliantly caught at point by Jensen.
Wairarapa continued to bat cautiously and were playing out time, but with the score at 61-4 chaos broke out.
The home side disintegrated losing their last six wickets for the addition of one run, with the last five batsmen to fall, failing to score.
Central Stags left arm seam bowler Ray Toole finished with the remarkable figures of 6-11 off 15 overs.
That gave the opportunity to Manawatu to charge for an unlikely outright victory but when they lost their eighth wicket with one over to play and 22 runs short of their target, the batsmen played out the final over for the draw.
Childs took 4-26 for a match haul of 10-77.
The first innings win was Wairarapa’s second in three years over Manawatu.
Wairarapa wrap up their Furlong Cup season on February 1-2 with a home game against Furlong Cup leaders Hawke’s Bay.
BRIEF SCORES
Highmark Homes Wairarapa 214 [Robbie Anderson 34; Tim Richards 4-28, Carlos Jensen 3-50] and 62 [Ray Toole 6-11] won on first innings over Manawatu 203 [Ethan Childs 6-51, Stefan Hook 4-53] and 52-8 [Ethan Childs 4-26].
