High five for United’s Harris
Jack Harris spearheaded United to the top of the Manawatu¯ club cricket table and to a three-wicket win over Marist at Fitzherbert Park.
Paceman Harris took 5-35 from nine overs as United bowled Marist out for 179 on Sunday. United reached 181-7 with 5.2 overs remaining.
Harris combined with veteran seamer Cam Harris (2-31) to get rid of most of the Marist top order.
Arana Noema-barnett cracked 64 from 74 balls, then both Floyd na Nagara and Dylan Gaskin carried on with 33 each.
But Connor Morriss’ 22 was the only other score of note, as Marist were all out in the 45th over.
In United’s turn at bat, opener Tom O’connor scored 42, but the Marist bowlers made a game of it as United were 55-3.
Stand-in captain Hayden Hill came in at No 4 and stayed the course, scoring 53 not out. Akhil Pant hung around with him, scoring 24, then Cam Harris helped Hill finish the job with an unbeaten 33.
Noema-barnett, Morriss and Hugh Symes all took two wickets each for Marist.
Five wickets from Palmerston veteran Russell Swindells wasn’t enough for the red caps, as they lost by 60 runs to Freyberg.
All-rounder Swindells took 5-40 as they bowled Freyberg out for 165 in 36 overs, but it was in vain. They were then dismissed by Freyberg for 105 in the 31st over.
Thomas Kuggeleijn top scored for Freyberg with 35, while Kerry Meerkerk (24), Caleb Hansen (25) and, down the order, Andy Grubb (30 not out) kept the scoreboard ticking over. Seamer Swindells took three of Freyberg’s top six, including Kuggeleijn and Hansen, then returned to finish off with two late wickets – brothers Sean and Brad Fulton.
Gurpreet Singh also captured 3-24, including the wicket of the Fulton brothers’ father, Dave.
Freyberg seamers Brad Fulton and Grubb knocked the top of the Palmerston top order before old hand Rob Sheary added 26.
Singh scored 18 not out and Sunny Bains 18, but Palmerston succumbed to the spin of Ravi Pathirana, who cleaned up the tail with 4-19 from 7.2 overs.
Fulton finished with 3-17 from seven overs.
❚ Palmerston North Boys’ High School beat Old Boys by four wickets. Old Boys batted first and opener Bryce Grant scored 20, but then struggled as the Boys’ High second-change bowlers again did the damage.
Bryn Wilson picked up 3-14 and Rishabh De 4-29, then spinner Finn Martin took 2-22.
Old Boys’ batting didn’t fire except for Jayden Richards’ 30 not out at No 7 and they were dismissed for 129 in the 44th over.
The schoolboys then lost a couple of early wickets before Curtis Heaphy added 29 at No 3. At 87-5 Boys’ High still had a way to go, but coach Scott Davidson scored a crucial 45 not out and made sure they reached 131-6 in 32 overs. Old Boys medium pacers Richards and Henry Boon took 2-39 and 2-31, respectively, but couldn’t stop Boys’ High reaching the target.