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| Tim McCormick |
North Otago's greatest ever innings against Otago Country was only just enough to see the visitors claim first-innings points in Alexandra yesterday.
The Penguins batted through Saturday's first day after being asked to bat by the Tussocks, before they were all-out 13 overs into day two, setting Otago Country 352 to chase for a first-innings advantage.
Despite Country opener Scott Paulin's valiant 121, North Otago fought hard to skittle the home side for 268 late yesterday afternoon to take first-innings points. The game was mutually called-off after the Otago Country innings.
North Otago's courageous fight back from last month's dismal 10-wicket loss to South Canterbury will go down as the province's greatest batting performance against Otago Country.
It surpasses the previous best of 9/325dec played in Oamaru in 1998, and it becomes the fifth highest North Otago total against any team, with the highest being 412 in the 1928 fixture against Southland in Oamaru.
At the heart of the North Otago batting effort was captain Stephan Grobler, who scored his maiden Hawke Cup and North Otago century, and St Kevin's College 1st XI captain Tim O'Malley's 95.
Grobler joined opener Ben Cant at the Molyneux Park crease at 1/23 after Jeremiah Shields was dismissed, and it soon became clear Grobler was in no rush.
After Scott Simpson and Duncan Drew fell by the wayside, Grobler found a dependable partner in O'Malley, with the pair working the ball carefully around for a 78-run fifth-wicket stand, before Grobler was finally dismissed lbw by Fraser Wilson (3/58) for 107.
O'Malley carried on where Grobler left off, and together with Tim McCormick, led North Otago to stumps at 7/294, but he was left poised on 95 overnight.
With recharged batteries and an eye for catching the schoolboy shy of his maiden representative century, Otago Country honed in on O'Malley.
They finally got their man, with captain Brendan Domigan (5/89) bowling straight through a nervous O'Malley's defences for 95 early on Sunday.
North Otago No10 David Sewell came and went to see the visitors at 9/303, before an entertaining 10th-wicket partnership between McCormick and Chris Ware saw North Otago through to 352 - McCormick unbeaten on 38.
The Tussocks lost Jonathon Homer and James Pyle early at 2/19 courtesy of Sewell (3/74), and then Domigan, to leave Country at 3/94 at lunch.
Jared Andrew (20) went shortly after lunch, leaving Paulin to continue his steady consistent innings with hard-hitting No6 Cameron Rutherford.
Paulin and Rutherford put on 109 for the fifth wicket to have Country in the driver's seat, before glove man Simpson caught Rutherford for 72 (68 balls) off the bowling of Ware.
Medium pacer Glynn Cameron (1/13) doubled the damage for Otago Country to bowl Wilson shortly after, leaving last year's Hawke Cup holders in trouble at 7/249 at tea.
The tail was taken care of by the North Otago spinners, Grobler (2/33) and Jordan Horrell (3/45), who took the last three wickets for 20 runs, including Paulin, who was the last man to go when he was caught by McCormick off Grobler.
The first-innings points win puts North Otago into contention of the Hawke Cup southern qualification series. After two games, they hold third spot (6pts) behind South Canterbury and Southland (12pts).
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series
North Otago vs Otago Country at Molyneux Park, Alexandra
North Otago 352 ( S.F. Grolber 107, T.P. O'Malley 95, T.J. McCormick 38no, S.A. Simpson 27, J.H. Shields 14, G.R. Cameron 14, C.J. Ware 13, B.J. Domigan 5-89, F.A. Wilson 3-58, B. Purvis 2-96 )
Otago Country 268 ( S. Paulin 121, C.I. Rutherford 72, J.J. Andrew 20, J. Homer 13, B.J. Domigan 13, M. Collins 13, A.J. Horrell 3-45, D.G. Sewell 3-74, S.F. Grobler 2-33 )
First innings win to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match
Player Pages:
Stephan Grobler | Jordan Horrell | Tim McCormick | Tim O'Malley |
Team Pages:
North Otago 2011-2012 |