North Otago warmed up for their Hawke Cup cricket campaign with a draw and a mixed performance against Canterbury Country in Oamaru at the weekend.
The two-day representative match at Milner Park almost produced a result following a sporting declarations by respective captains Mark Wilson and Paul Rugg.
It finished in a draw yesterday with talented Canterbury Country batsman Harley James scoring an unbeaten century, and the visitors ending on 209 for six chasing 246 for victory.
North Otago scored 149 in their first innings and 199 for three declared in their second, with Canterbury Country declaring their first innings closed at 102 for three before the second days play.
There is much for North Otago to work on this week before they host Central Otago in their opening Hawke Cup match at Centennial Park.
Their batting was rusty - and brittle -on the opening day, and the bowling, though economical, often lacked penetration and consistency.
Coach Justin Boyle conceded the batting effort on Saturday had been disappointing but believed the players were "underdone" following the cancellation of a round of club cricket because of rain.
"Most of our guys hadn't played cricket in three weeks and that's a long time," he said yesterday.
"The openers laid a good foundation, but unfortunately we lost some quick wickets and that's where we lost control of the game.
"But the guys batted with much more purpose in the second innings, and the seam bowlers stuck to a good line."
Boyle said the team were improving and would be training hard this week to be as prepared as possible for the Central Otago game.
He will be contacting Otago coach Glenn Turner this week to ascertain the availability or otherwise of pace bowlers David Sewell and James McMillan, who may be called on to play a four-day domestic match.
North Otago's batting line-up is likely to remain the same, and Boyle is hoping they can continue the form they showed in the second innings at the weekend.
In the first innings, openers Glynn Cameron (28) and Daniel Gard (33) scored 52 runs for the first wicket and set the home up for a formidable total.
However, wickets soon tumbled and only one other batsman managed 20 as North Otago were bundled out in the 61st over.
Canterbury Country's opening pair also compiled a 50 partnership, before St Kevin's College pace bowler Craig Smith chipped in with three wickets on his debut.
The visitors declared overnight and North Otago set about scoring quick runs to set up a run chase.
Cameron departed early but Gard and Duncan Drew settled in and put on 114 for the second wicket.
Gard was caught and bowled by Danny Barclay for 41, but Drew marched on and was soon striking the ball to all parts of the ground.
On 98, having faced 129 balls and smashed nine 4s and a 6, Drew was caught by Barclay and denied what would have been a deserved century.
Dwayne Turnbull (22 not out) and Grant Billcliff (28 not out off 18 balls) maintained the flow of runs, allowing Wilson to declare and give North Otago bowlers a chance to win the game.
They were denied principally by the composed figure of James, who stroked 15 boundaries in his unbeaten century.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Friendly -
Canterbury Country vs North Otago at Milner Park, Oamaru
North Otago 149 ( D.C. Gard 33, G.R. Cameron 28, D. Turnbull 23, N.W. Rushton 19, D.J. Drew 11, Kennett 3-15, Murphy 3-36 ) & 199-3dec ( D.J. Drew 98, D.C. Gard 41, G.J. Billcliff 28no, D. Turnbull 22no, Barclay 2-65 )
Canterbury Country 102-3dec ( S. Edwards 43, N. Jones 18, H. James 15no, C.M. Smith 3-27 ) & 209-6 ( H. James 112no, P. Rugg 38no, C. Lelliot 25, D. Barclay 19, C.M. Smith 3-26 )
First innings win to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match