North Otago's Hawke Cup cricket campaign was launched in fine style with a rousing win over Central Otago in Oamaru at the weekend.
Bowlers Neil Rushton, Grant Billcliff and Shoruban Pasupati were the special heroes as a two-day match that threaten to fizzle out ended in spectacular fashion at Milner Park last night.
North Otago won by 15 runs but were taken right to the wire before claiming outright points in a game which started late and changed venues because of poor ground conditions at Centennial Park.
Central Otago, asked to chase 155 for victory yesterday, looked to have secured at least a draw as they prepared to face the final over of the game 20 runs in arrears and with two wickets in hand.
John Conlon smashed Rushton to the fence off the first delivery, but edged the second to gully where Pasupati took a sharp catch.
Then, barely two minutes later, it was all over. Rushton bowled straight and full and cleaned out Brett Paterson's stumps to bring the curtain down on a memorable representative fixture.
That the victory - which had seemed so unlikely earlier in the day - meant a great deal to the North Otago players was obvious. They celebrated as one and embraced, knowing that the first bridge to their ultimate goal - a challenge for the Hawke Cup - had been crossed.
Yet on Saturday, it seemed both teams could only be playing for first innings points. The match did not start until 2.30pm, and was transferred after concerns about the state of the Centennial Park outfield.
North Otago captain Mark Wilson won the toss and elected to bat, and the home team found it difficult to score runs at any pace.
The best partnership of the innings was for the second wicket, between schoolboy opener Daniel Gard and Duncan Drew. Both scored 40 - Gard's was a grafting knock scored off 127 balls in 162 minutes - and North Otago were well-placed at 115 for three.
They had reached 178 for four when Wilson declared, and claimed opening days when Rushton and Pasupati promptly took a wicket apiece to leave Central Otago on 13 for two heading into the second day.
Billcliff was the early stand-out yesterday, holding up one end for than 25 overs and finishing with six wickets as Central Otago were dismissed for 144.
First innings points in the bank, North Otago went back in to bat hoping to score quick runs in an attempt to set up push for an outright win.
Wilson declared at 120 for six - North Otago's fourth straight declaration this season - leaving Central Otago with nearly two-and-a-half hours to chase 155.
Opener Jason Goomes and ex-Waitakian Jason Mavor set a cracking pace, with Goomes stroking eight boundaries on his way to 52.
Central Otago were arguably in the box seat with seven overs remaining, needing 38 runs with five wickets in hand.
Enter Rushton, the fiery left-arm paceman who had bowled well without success in the first innings. He bowled two wicket maidens in the space of four overs, and finished with figures of six for 42 when he dismissed the final two batsmen.
Pasupati impressed in his North Otago debut, taking two wickets in the first innings and four in the second.
North Otago's fielding was far from immaculate but they took the catches when it counted, with Billcliff and Chris Cunningham coming up with two superb efforts last night.
There will be little time for celebrations, however. North Otago host Southland in Oamaru on December 8 and 9.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series
Central Otago vs North Otago at Milner Park 1, Oamaru
North Otago 178 ( D.C. Gard 40, D.J. Drew 40, G.J. Billcliff 33no, G.R. Cameron 17, C.K. Cunningham 13no, Lovelock 2-28, Mavor 2-34 ) & 120-6dec ( D.J. Drew 28, N.W. Rushton 24no, D. Turnbull 19, G.J. Billcliff 15, G.R. Cameron 11no, Paterson 3-21, Lovelock 2-9 )
Central Otago 144 ( L. Breen 35, T. Wilson 33, R. McCall 18, J. Pyle 16, L. Scott 15, G.J. Billcliff 6-38, S. Pasupati 2-38 ) & 139 ( J. Goomes 52, J. Mavor 23, L. Scott 21, N.W. Rushton 6-42, S. Pasupati 4-53 )
North Otago won by 15 runs
Full scorecard for the match