Enthusiastic teamwork, some superb fielding and a bowler with real pace paved the way for South Canterbury's comprehensive innings and 22 run victory over North Otago in the Cyclone series two day fixture played at Centennial Park over the weekend.
Put into bat by North Otago skipper Bob Wilson on a rock hard pitch South Canterbury were given a solid start by Barrie Andrews and Larry Williams who put on 44 for the opening stand.
But it was the form of Michael Hawke and Alan Bligh what really laid the foundation for South Canterbury's first innings total of 241. Hawke going through to 53 and Bligh, who in Timaru club cricket had a run of five ducks in a row this season, played with superb confidence and technique producing some magnificent on drives to top score with 65.
Poised at four for 197 South Canterbury appeared set for at least the 300 mark but fortunes fluctuated dramatically.
South Canterbury skipper Phil D'Auvergne went in controversial fashion after umpire Alex Keith consulted fellow umpires George Morris standing at square leg before giving D'Auvergne out bowled by Chris Taylor and D'Auvergne's exit from the field of play with one more fitting of an actor at Stratford on Avon as he tried to out start Umpire Keith as he stalked from the field.
Without any addition to the score Bligh's fine innings came to a close when he followed a rising ball outside the off stump from Greg Martin and Wilson at first slip took the catch.
Three runs later Gary Austin became Martin's second victim in this spell when Lindsay Robertson took the catch and Martin made it three in a row then one later Trevor Robertson plucked out the catch and from 197 for four South Canterbury went to tea on the first day at 205 for eight.
After tea North Otago could not retain the grip and drive home the advantage and Barry Ward and Dave Gudsell took the total through to 241 before Ward was the last batsman out.
Former South Canterbury and Southland bowler Ian Chapman took the top off the South Canterbury innings claiming the wickets of Andres, Williams and Hawke to finish with four for 80 while Greg Martin who bowled 14 overs in his first spell finished with four for 56 off 23 overs with Chris Taylor taking two for 47.
North Otago opened its innings at five past five on the first day and the batsmen were certainly unprepared for the speed and hostility of South Canterbury paceman Harvey King.
Bob Wilson was the first to go when he was brilliantly caught in the gully by Bligh with the total at nine and one run later King struck again when Martin gave the catch to John Davies at short forward square.
Neville Donaldson and Lindsay Robertson added 22 for the third wicket but then the wily D'Auvergne tempted Robertson into the drive from a shorter ball and Hawke took the catch low down at mid on and then Donaldson was brilliantly caught of King's bowling when he got an edge which flew to Ward behind the stumps and although he could not control it John Vercoe dived wide to his left to take the catch and North Otago saw the first day out at 34 for four.
Survival was the name of the fame in the first session on the second day. The first hour produced 10 runs with the 50 coming up in 150 minutes but the wicket fell regularly and when the innings closed 25 minutes after lunch North Otago had reached 100 and D'Auvergne forced to follow on.
North Otago started with great confidence in its second innings but lost two early wickets before Bob Wilson and Neville Donaldson featured in the best stand of the weekend adding 60 runs for the third wicket with Wilson in commanding form.
He was particularly strong square of the wicket on the offside and off one Davies over he drove four fours off successive balls and his fine innings of 57 finally ended when he played a lazy shot back to Andrews.
But then the collapse began from two down for 85 the loss of Wilson's wicket started the landslide.
Donaldson went at 86. Graeme Ballantyne at 90 as did Chris Taylor, Greg Martin at 109, Alan Sandri four runs later and the last two wickets fell at 119 leaving North Otago 22 runs short of forcing South Canterbury to bat again.
King again in his brief spells troubled all the batsmen taking four for 18 off eight overs and four balls while D'Auvergne took three for 22 of 14 overs.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Cyclone Hawke Cup - Zone Series
South Canterbury vs North Otago at Oamaru
South Canterbury 241 ( A. Bligh 65, M. Hawke 53, L. Williams 30, B. Andrews 20, B. Ward 18, D. Gudsell 15, G. Martin 4-56, I. Chapman 4-80, C. Taylor 2-47 )
North Otago 100 ( T. Roberson 22, G. Martin 18, C. Taylor 15, L. Robertson 13, Austin 3-18, King 3-22, D'Auvergne 2-16 ) & 119 ( R.S. Wilson 57, N. Donaldson 14, T. Roberson 14, King 4-18, D'Auvergne 3-22, Andrews 2-23 )
South Canterbury won by an innings and 22 runs
Full scorecard for the match