United Cricket Club (Counties Manukau) Incorporated

The Reserve 2 Marauders clinched a last-ball nail-biter against Waiuku College with a thrilling 4-wicket win at Waiuku College on Saturday, 15th November '08, but the other two United teams (Senior A and Reserve 1) lost their respective matches at home, affected by injury/absence of key players.
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Reserve 2 Marauders:

United won the toss & put Waiuku College in to bat. The home team were all out for 202 in 39.4 overs. Homi Mistry (8-0-33-4) and Graham Johnson (8-1-28-3) were the most successful bowlers, while Adam Geck (1/36), Shane O'Neill (1/27) and Jehan Mistry (1/33) shared the remaining wickets.
United's chase was built around some solid partnerships involving Shane O'Neill (67 not out), who added 65 for the third wicket with Michael Bongard (30), 47 for the fifth wicket with Adam Geck (23) and an unbeaten 22 for the seventh wicket with Graham Johnson (5 not out). Homi Mistry contributed a useful 17 at the top of the order. Although United's chase was made much easier by some wayward bowling by Waiuku College (47 wides & 8 no-balls), the match turned out to be a nail-biter, with 10 runs required off the last over & 6 off the last ball. Shane O'Neill, facing the last ball of the match, held his nerve & obliged with a six off it to take United to a well-deserved 4-wicket victory.
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Senior A:

Batting first, Pukekohe Metro made 319 for 7 from their 50 overs, taking full advantage of United Cricket Club being two fielders short for most of their innings (United started with just 10 players & after a few overs, lost the services of Rajat Malhotra, who pulled a back muscle & was unable to take any further part in the game). Bruce Page was the most economical bowler (10-3-29-1), while Terence Brooks was the most successful (8-0-70-2). Fraser White (1/40) & Lawrence Minchinton (1/60) were the other successful bowlers.
United, with only nine batsmen, lost a few early wickets & never recovered enough to be able to put up a decent fight. Captain Matthew Forrest top-scored with 33, while Bruce Page (16) & Terence Brooks (13) managed double-figure scores in United's reply which ended at 125 for 8 from 30.1 overs, with Pukekohe Metro winning the match by 194 runs.
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Reserve 1:

Weymouth Cricket Club won the toss & elected to field first. United Cricket Club were without Lawrence Minchinton (on Senior A duty) & Liam Jackson (away on camp) & struggled to contain the Weymouth batsmen, conceding 204 runs for 5 wickets in the stipulated 45 overs. Rick Eastham (7-0-24-2) & Thomas Raybould (9-2-19-0) managed economic spells, while the other bowlers proved relatively expensive, although Joseph O'Neill Gregory (8-0-54-2) managed a couple of wickets.
United's reply was disastrous in the face of some excellent bowling by the Weymouth bowlers and they folded up for 60 in the 27th over. Only Callum Jude (12 not out), batting at #11, managed double figures. Hence, United lost their first game of the season by 144 runs.