North Otago swing bowler David Sewell will have to wait another week to be the first into triple figures.
The left-armer ended the weekend's two-day Hawke Cup cricket match against Southland at Whitestone Contracting Stadium with 98 wickets for North Otago, as the hosts claimed an outright win by six wickets.
Robbie Smith hit the winning boundary as he and Nathan Mitchell guided North Otago to the 12 Hawke Cup points, but not before a nervy second innings chasing 82 for the win yesterday.
Sewell, a one-test New Zealand test cricketer, finished the match with figures of 11-92, just one more than his previous best rep numbers, 11-91 against Central Otago on February 6 and 7, 1999.
He became the first player to claim a 10-wicket bag in a match twice, according to North Otago records, the only other being Fred Ongley in 1902, and his first innings 7-22 from 13.2 overs on Saturday morning puts him fourth on the best innings list. "I didn't even realise I had 11 wickets before." Sewell said, as his team-mates began their 82-run second innings chase yesterday afternoon.
"I heard halfway through the day that I was two away from 100 for North Otago, so that was a bit of a challenge for me. But I just couldn't get it. Things got a bit tougher later in the day".
After North Otago won the toss and sent Southland in on a helpful wicket, Sewell went to work early, taking 3-11 in his first spell and 4-11 in his second spell as Southland were all out for 71 just after 12pm in 27.2 overs. Captain Jarrod Waldron, who Sewell partly credited for being able to limit Southland's runs at the other end, claimed 2-31 from nine.
"There was a wee bit in the pitch and it was just a matter of bowling it in the right area. There were quite a few good catches. It was seaming around a bit, so it was a good toss to win."
Waldron answered with the bat, scoring his second century in as many matches for North Otago. He finished with 129, following up his 171 against Southland in the Hawke Cups' first round, in an innings that included 15 fours and one six, as North Otago reached 259-9 declared, claiming first innings points and a lead of 188.
Waldron and Geoff Smith, with 23, combined for a 100-run sixth wicket partnership, and when the captain went to Mark Beer, who ended with 4-41, North Otago declared.
Sewell did more damage on the opening day, taking two wickets as Southland were 9-2 and still trailing by 179 at stumps. He took the first two wickets yesterday morning as Southland quickly slumped to five wickets down and looked headed for an innings defeat.
But after the fifth wicket fell at 11.19am, the next did not come until 2.31pm, frustrating the North Otago bowlers. Simon Wadworth with 54, Shammika Rodrigo, 62, and Nic Turner, with a rapid-fire 65 not out, resurrected the innings, taking the southern men past North Otago and to 269, setting the home side 82 runs for a rare win over Southland.
Sewell finished the innings with 4-70- a more expensive middle spell cost him his best figures.
Waldron gave himself five for the match, with 3-50 and Robbie Smith took 2-25, giving him three wickets for the match.

Short Scorecard(s)

Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series

Southland vs North Otago at Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru
Southland 71 ( G.J. Dawson 22, D.G. Sewell 7-22, J.M. Waldron 2-31 ) & 269 ( N.M. Turner 65no, S.R. Rodrigo 62, S. Wadsworth 54, M.D. Beer 21, G.M. Foster 17, G.J. Dawson 13, D.G. Sewell 4-70, J.M. Waldron 3-50, R.L. Smith 2-25 )
North Otago 259-9dec ( J.M. Waldron 129, J.R. Cutt 34, G.D. Smith 23, S.A. Simpson 19, Beer 4-41, Freeman 3-49, Turner 2-75 ) & 83-4 ( R.L. Smith 42no, S.A. Simpson 15, Freeman 2-15, Turner 2-25 )
North Otago won by 6 wickets.
Full scorecard for the match