All eyes on race for the Coastal Challenge Cup
Marist hosts three-times champs Paraparaumu
With Riverview Motel Wanganui’s representative completed, all eyes turn to the race for the Coastal Challenge Cup as the 50-over tournament resumes on Saturday.
After one completed round and two rainouts, Wanganui Vet Services Marist hosts the defending three-time champions and perennial favourites Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park in the battle of 1st vs 3rd.
Currently sitting outside the Top 4, Property Brokers United have some catching up to do as they take on Kapiti Old Boys. There is likely to be some confidence throughout the two local club camps, as their representative members were successful over the best Horowhenua Kapiti players in the Chapple Cup Twenty20 game last weekend — beating them by 30 runs.
United’s Andrew Penn and Chris Sharrock enjoyed success with the bat, while fast bowler clubmate Harpreet Binning picked up his first wickets for Wanganui.
However, the previous rainouts being followed by a break for representative play means a number of United’s regular Premier 1 club players have not had a lot of recent game time.
Kapiti Old Boys did not make a great start to the 50-over tournament, suffering a 134 run loss to Levin Old Boys on January 29, however they did win the inaugural Coastal Challenge 2-day title earlier that month, and any team with the batting talent of Andre Halbert and the bowling ability of Carter Andrews must be respected.
For Marist, in their replay of the 2018-19 final with Paraparaumu, the only Coastal Challenge final the Horowhenua-Kapiti club didn’t win, the accolades of the visitors speak for themselves.
Sam O’Brien, Dylan Reder and Nigel Harvey were among the runs in Paraparaumu’s 176-run smashing of Weraroa
CC in the opening round, while Caleb O’Connell cleaned up the wickets.
Opener Ajay Kumar and big hitting bowling-allrounder Sean Windle can also cause plenty of headaches.
Marist’s Hadleigh O’Leary got four wickets in the Horowhenua Kapiti rep game, while after Penn, the best Wanganui batsman at the Chapple Cup was Mark Fraser, who will need to anchor Marist’s innings on Saturday.
In the other games, Weraroa host Wairarapa’s United CC at their Domain, while Burger King Red Star defends home turf in Masterton against Levin Old Boys. All games start at 12pm.
Draw for February 26th, Coastal Challenge Cup 50-over
Property Brokers United vs Kapiti Old Boys Wanganui Vet Services Marist vs Paraparaumu Medical Centre CC
Weraroa CC vs United CC Burger King Red Star vs Levin Old Boys