Cricket finalists decided

Celtic will play Wairau in the end-of-season senior 40 over final next weekend after the final round robin matches were played on Saturday.

Wairau needed to beat Renwick, both teams having scored a win in the two previous matches, to progress to the decider and did so emphatically, winning by 83 runs.

In the other match, also at Horton Park, Wairau Valley scored their first win of the competition, easing past Celtic by 29 runs, with the Green and Golds having already qualified for the final.

On Horton Park three Wairau batted first and registered 226-8 from their 40 overs.

The runs were shared around. Oliver Eyles and Max Ruffell made 42 to lead the scoring, while Andrew McCaa contributed 39 and Tarin Mason 20. Oliver Kennedy and Alex Neal both snared a brace of wickets.

In reply, Renwick were dismissed for 143 in the 33rd over.  Top scoring for them was opener Aidan Conroy with 42, while Keiran Gaudin added 23. Andrew and Griffin Carter each grabbed three wickets, Oliver bagging two. Josh Harris bowled economically as Wairau took early wickets and effectively shut their rivals out of the match.

In the other clash, Valley batted first, setting a mediocre total of 139 before being bowled out in the 28th over. Matthew Stretch with a quick 46 and James Bell, 33, provided the bulk of the runs. Logan Robinson claimed 3-32 from his six overs.

Celtic’s reply started disastrously, losing eight wickets with just 49 runs on the board as Sam Boyce ripped through the top and middle order. A shining light for Celtic was Luke Holdaway, who scored 76 from 77 balls, but he was fighting a lone battle and when he was dismissed with the score at 110 in the 27th over, the match was over.

Sam ended up with the startling figures of 6-5 from six overs, while Danny Knox took 3-25 from 5.1.

Fourth grade

The fourth grade season ended on a high on Saturday, with the finals of the inaugural Phil Gleeson Cup competition being contested.

Designed to give the fourth-graders something to aspire to late in the season, the cup is contested over two consecutive days in a T20 format between the six club sides.

The final, on Saturday afternoon, came down to a battle between Wairau White and top qualifiers, Wairau Valley Blazers.

Wairau batted first and scored 118-8, Mason Birtles adding an unbeaten 24 and Freddy Heagney 22. Felix Bowen claimed 3-3 from his two overs while Julian Englefield took 2-9 from three.

Valley’s reply fell just short, ending at 108-7, a win to Wairau by 10 runs. Finnbar Duncan top scored with 33 while Archer Popoali’i scored 22 not out. Freddy took 2-19 from three overs as Wairau’s bowlers restricted the required run rate.