Ashburton won the right to meet South Canterbury next weekend when it fought back well to beat North Otago on the first innings in their Hawke Cup elevation cricket match at Ashburton at the week-end.

Ashburton started well with the bat, but again innings were started without blossoming into the larger scores expected of batsmen at this level after a good look at the ball. The captain Brian Sampson was the notable exception.

After Neville Goodwin went after a useful innings of 34, it was left to Sampson to right the innings in the middle order. He responded magnificently, if somewhat fortunately, with one hook nearly which only just cleared forward square leg. He treated the bowling on merit and hit the loose ball hard as he raced to 56 before being caught in the gully when trying to cut.

The tail again failed badly as visiting fieldsmen showed speed and accuracy in throwing as well as taking most catching chances offering. The pick of its bowlers was medium pacer Stuart Kendell, who had a long spell of in-swingers which seldom lost line or length until Sampson attacked. Chris Taylor and Ken Thickett proved useful spinners, but most of their wickets were gained from bad batting.

Johnston had taken the side to 5 for 162, but the expected runs from the tail did not eventuate and North Otago looked certain to top 200 by noon. Then Sampson came on to relieve Ross Drenan, who had bowled a good line. Sampson soon had Graham Johnston l.b.w. and nine runs later clean bowled Ian Pitches, who played all over a yorker.

Taylor, who batted well in the indecisive match two weeks ago, batted well again and possibly deserved a higher place in the order. He watched while the final four wickets added only 31. He had compiled 29, and the bulk of them while the lower order crumpled.

Ashburton owed much to Sampson and Michael Hooper, having his first major assignment at this level. They contained a side which had looked keen and capable of scoring quickly and aided by good fielding they deserved their bags of wickets.

Although it lost a wicket early, Ashburton had no trouble in batting through to stumps. Ray Beaven scored 49, while 131 went onto the team total, Maurice Hansen 28 and Sampson 26 before the innings closed at 195.

Short Scorecard(s)

Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series

North Otago vs Ashburton County at Ashburton Domain Oval, Ashburton
Ashburton County 186 ( B.V. Sampson 56, N.A. Goodwin 34, R.L. Beaven 26, M. Hansen 18, B.P. Isherwood 18, M. Holmes 12, R.J. Thomas 11, C. Taylor 4-30, K. Thickett 4-66 ) & 195 ( R.L. Beaven 49, M. Hansen 28, B.V. Sampson 26, B.P. Isherwood 20, N.A. Goodwin 18, M .Hooper 13, C. Taylor 2-37, K. Thickett 2-62 )
North Otago 161 ( I. Pitches 54, R.S. Wilson 31, C. Taylor 29no, S.J. Blakely 13, Hooper 5-34, Sampson 3-49, Drennan 2-38 )
First innings win to Ashburton County
Full scorecard for the match