Wairau win T20 decider

Wairau are the 2024-25 senior Twenty20 cricket champions after dethroning Celtic at Horton Park tonight.

After setting a testing target of 148, Wairau defended it superbly, holding Celtic to 136-8 when stumps were drawn, a victory by 11 runs.

After winning the toss Wairau elected to bat first, keen to get runs on the board and predicting the pitch would be easier to bat on from the outset.

Their plans backfired early, Celtic medium pacer Liam Young picking up three quick wickets, including the prized scalp of rep player/coach Andrew McCaa for 14 from 12 balls.

However, this setback merely brought Griffin Carter and man-of-the-match Harry Boyce together, the pair initially taking their time but eventually combining in a vital 44-run partnership to consolidate the Wairau innings. When Carter went for 24 from 27 balls in the 15^th over, the Blue and Whites were well placed to push on towards a defendable total at 4-73.

However, Wairau needed to dramatically lift their scoring rate and Boyce, who had scored just 19 from 30 balls when Carter departed, was the man for the big occasion as the overs ticked by.

A 17-run 16^thover provided plenty of impetus as he claimed centre stage, adding 73 runs alongside Joel Lavender. Boyce personally added 58 runs from the final five overs, racing to an unbeaten game-changing 77 runs from 52 balls, with six fours and four sixes.

Celtic’s bowlers, led by Young’s 3-18 from four, toiled hard but had few answers as Boyce continued to find the gaps in the field. Luke Holdaway claimed one wicket for 21 from four, while Greg Knowles was reasonably economical, conceding just 21 from his four overs at the start.

The Green and Golds needed a solid start and got one, Greg Knowles and Tom Sloan, 16 from 13, taking the score through to 26 before Sloan was bowled by Zariab Karkaria. Ben Holdaway followed soon after with the score at 34, before Tom Sutherland joined Knowles for a 35-run partnership which saw the Celts  on track at the halfway stage.

However, within two overs the game turned, Knowles falling to Carter’s off spin for 41 from 35 runs then, in the following over, Sutherland departing for just 9 runs.

At 4-71 from 12 overs, and needing over nine runs an over for the remainder of the game, Celtic required someone to replicate Boyce’s middle order heroics and club stalwart Ben Blackman stepped up.

A couple of big overs brought the defending champs back into contention, Blackman smashing 47 from just 31 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

However, when he was bowled by Karkaria in the 18^th over, the pressure went back on Celtic who still required 23 runs from the final two overs.

With the experienced duo of Mike Croad and McCaa to contend with, Celtic’s batsmen could only muster another 11 runs, leaving their rivals to celebrate a well-deserved victory.

Karkaria was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4-32 from four overs. Baxter Croad bowled economically, conceding just 14 from his three overs, McCaa was also parsimonious, taking 1-14 from four, while Carter claimed 2-25 from four.

Third grade final

Wairau’s third grade side added to a good weekend for the club, claiming the grade’s T20 title on Saturday afternoon.

On Horton Park’s number one wicket they took on Celtic and came away with a comprehensive 43-run victory.

Sent in to bat, Wairau amassed a formidable 158-6 from their 20 overs, opener Billy Hurren leading the way with 53 from 37, Fionn Heagney adding 41 from 37 and Dom Alexander 27 from 26. Maui de Wildt bagged 2-37 while Oliver Kennedy claimed 2-24.

Celtic were always behind the eight ball in their run chase, eventually ending at 115-7.

Oliver Kennedy scored 29 from 20, Kobi Kennedy 22 from 24 and de Wildt 19 from 21. Wairau’s bowlers were economical. Hurren bagged 2-23 from his four overs, Thomas Heagney 2-21 from four, Fionn Heagney 1-16 from four, Aiden Batty 1-9 from two and Eddie Russell 1-7 from two.

Both second grade T20 finals are on Thursday.