Manawatu¯ on the charge
Manawatu¯ have worked up a full head of steam in A-grade pennants in their charge to regain the Manawatu¯ -Whanganui title.
They lost the final to a goldbraided Palmerston North last year and those two clash in a reenactment in the final round at Levin.
At Taihape on Sunday, Manawatu¯ had a 9-0 whitewash over Foxton while Palmerston North downed Wanganui 6-3.
Manawatu¯ ’s lineup, who have a three-point lead on the field, was Regan Mcconaghty, Ewan Westergaard, Matt Francis, Reid Perry, Craig Nash, who won 9 and 7, and Chris Edsall.
They next play Feilding at Hawkestone, with Manawatu¯ looking on track to host the final. There aren’t any semifinals this season.
Palmerston North had former representative Regan Cording back at No 5 and he won 5 and 3 over Peter O’callaghan. Their other winners were No 1 Bradley Mcsherry, over Wanganui’s Rick Harding, Cory Higgs at No 4 and veteran Michael Mcsherry at No 6.
The Taihape course was in fine autumnal condition and the home team is usually tough to beat there. However, second-placed Feilding did just that, downing Taihape 6-3 after winning all three foursomes, while their singles winners were Liam Finlayson, Ryan Rooney and James Humphrey.
In the other match, Levin scraped past winless Hawkestone 51⁄2-31⁄2.
There will be a scramble for survival in the bottom order because the A grade will be cut from eight to six teams next year, so two teams will be for the drop and there wil be no promotion from B grade.
At Marton on Sunday, the B-grade teams were riled up in their last round-robin games when Wanganui B defaulted for the second occasion, this time to Castlecliff, who also didn’t turn up. Teams have protested about it because the defaults affected the ladder and playoffs.
Meanwhile, Manawatu¯ B have won group 1 in B grade ahead of Feilding B, who snuck past Palmerston North B by half a match. In group 2, Marton and Castlecliff were tied with 12 points and 301⁄2 games each, but Marton had beaten Castlecliff in the round robin so they go top.
Those four sides will play in the semifinals on April 28 at a neutral venue and with the two relegated A teams will form the new B grade next year. The other seven teams will go into the C grade.
Leading the President’s Trophy ladder are Taihape, Linton Camp, Buckley, Manawatu¯ , Waimarino and Palmerston North. Buckley have a tough game in hand away to A¯ piti, as do Hawkestone and Rangatira at Hunterville.