Winning the toss was obviously the all important factor on the Ashburton pitch for the Hawke Cup elimination match played over the weekend with a total of 668 runs being scored over the two days.
Ashburton won the toss and under Hawke Cup rules whereby a first innings win is the deciding factor it was obvious that batting first was the right decision.
North Otago had an early breakthrough when Trevor Robertson had Ashburton opener Smith caught by Bob Wilson with the total at 14.
The other opener Alan Williams fell with the total at 69 and when Chapman went five runs later North Otago appeared to be poised for the breakthrough.
Dennis Mably and Warren Eddington, however, put paid to any optimism that may have been showing in the North Otago ranks with this pair adding 185 for the fourth wicket before Mably was dismissed for 106 after batting for 226 minutes; his 50 coming up in 135 minutes and his century in 218 minutes. His innings included 13 fours and two sixes.
Ashworth and Eddington continued the attack adding 49 in 45 minutes before Ashworth was out leg before to Taylor. Eddington was the sixth wicket to fall with the total at 355 after the allrounder had been at the crease for 241 minutes for his 162.
Eddington's 50 came up in 74 minutes, his century in 146 minutes and his 150 in 224 minutes. Included in his fine innings were 21 fours and one six.
The last four wickets fell for the addition of only 29 runs leaving North Otago 35 minutes of play on the first day. The North Otago bowlers toiled through 89 overs and two balls with Trevor Robertson taking five for 96 off 22 overs.
Peter Simpson, making his debut, took two for 80 off 14 overs and two balls while once again Chris Taylor was called upon to play the sheet anchor role bowling 34 overs and taking two for 75.
North Otago were unfortunate to lose Russell Martin in the eighth over for 4 and the North Otago total at 15. However, Bob Wilson and Graeme Ballantyne carried safely through to stumps with the score at 24.
Wilson and Ballantyne started the second day confidently adding 81 for the second wicket before Ballantyne was run out, the first of three in the North Otago innings. Lindsay Robertson and Wilson added 99 for the third wicket before Robertson in fine form was out for 56 - the second run out of the innings.
Chris Taylor made only one run the third run out in a row adding only three runs for the fourth wicket.
Graeme Johnson joined Wilson for only nine minutes before he was out for a duck and after a grand innings opening batsman and North Otago captain Bob Wilson was finally out after batting for a marathon 285 minutes for 83.
His innings included only seven fours a measure of the concentration and application required in Hawke Cup cricket.
But with the departure of Wilson with the total at 211 North Otago was up against it. Ian Laird batted defiantly for 30 adding 42 for the seventh wicket with Alan Sandri while in the bottom of the order Peter Simpson was unbeaten on 21 at the close of the innings with North Otago still exactly 100 runs short of the target.
Mitchell was the pick of the Ashburton bowlers taking three for 60 while Richardson and Hansen the opening attack both took two wickets.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series
North Otago vs Ashburton County at Ashburton Domain Oval, Ashburton
Ashburton County 384 ( W.L. Eddington 162, D. Mably 106, A. Williams 32, C. Williams 28, R. Ashworth 23, T. Roberson 5-96, C. Taylor 2-75, P. Simpson 2-80 )
North Otago 284 ( R.S. Wilson 83, L. Robertson 56, G.J. Ballantyne 48, I. Laird 30, P. Simpson 21no, A.D. Sandri 17, Mitchell 3-60, Hansen 2-51, Richardson 2-69 )
First innings win to Ashburton County
Full scorecard for the match