Borren fires Old Boys to victory

A star turn with the ball from Old Boys captain Matt Borren guided them to a 66-run win over Freyberg.

Borren took six wickets at Manawaroa Park on Saturday, as Freyberg fell over while chasing Old Boys’ total of 211.

The win puts Old Boys on top of the table with United.

Borren removed both openers then came back in his second spell to clean up the tail.

Freyberg’s Caleb Hansen scored 31 at No 3 and then Jonathan Mackey, 24, and Harry Wenham, 36, had them in a solid position at 124-4. But spinner Villi Tosi removed Mackey and Wenham, then Borren went to work as Freyberg lost their last six wickets for 22 runs.

Borren finished with 6-27 from 9.2 overs as Freyberg were dismissed in the 37th over.

Earlier, Old Boys’ top order did most of the work with the bat.

Opener Bryce Grant and No 3 Henry Boon put on 102 for the second wicket before they were both out in the space of three balls, Grant for 35 and Boon for 54.

Tosi, 30, and Brynn Cleaver, 29, then added 56 runs. Seamer Brad Fulton and spinner Ravi Pathirana both took 3-13.

Marist denied Palmerston their first win of the season, with the men in green winning by five wickets at Fitzherbert Park.

Palmerston posted a competitive first-innings total of 217-8, with opener Sunny Bains (30) and No 3 Harley Smith (44) getting them off to a solid start.

Marist reached 221-5 in 45 overs. Opener Trey Bidois scored 35, then No 4 Dylan Gaskin top scored with 45, before Hugh Symes (34no) and Connor Morriss (38) got them home.

United kept up with Old Boys at the top of the table with a threewicket win over Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Greg Berry had Boys’ High struggling early at 28-3, on his way to 4-42.

Scott Davidson top scored with 53 as they reached 184-9.

Opener Tom O’connor scored 50 for United, then Ben Roberts and Hayden Hill kept the scoreboard ticking over with 30 and 28, respectively.

Seamer Bryn Wilson took 3-33 and spinner Davidson 2-28 to give Boys’ High a chance with United at 130-5, but Robbie James steered them home with an unbeaten 27.