A wicket off the sixth last ball of the game in failing light gave North Otago a win over South Canterbury in the U-Bix Cup qualifying round played at Knottingly Park, Waimate, over the weekend.
Feature of the game was the superb tight bowling from North Otago backed up by some ravenous fielding.
Ian Chapman and Neville Donaldson carried the bulk of the bowling load bowling 87 overs between team and claiming of nine of the 10 wickets to fall.
Chapman's effort was a herculean one with the lanky medium pacer bowling a mammoth of 50 overs, 20 of which were maidens to return the outstanding figures of six for 87 while the accurate Donaldson off his 37 overs, 20 of which were maidens took three for 42 while skipper Norm McKenzie off the first ball of the final over of the match beat the bat of Harvey King found a pad and the big South Canterbury bowler adjudged leg before.
South Canterbury won the toss and put North Otago into bat on a pitch which looked as though it would favour the seamers. South Canterbury's decision appeared to be the right one for the North Otago openers, Bruce McGregor and John Wilson were back in the pavilion with only 11 runs on the board.
Michael Pitches who took 26 minutes to get of the mark settled in with Lindsay Robertson to rebuild the innings and this pair added 53 for the third wicket before Pitches was run out after Robertson had played a shot to point.
Pitches backing up slipped and a quick return from Gudsell to the bowlers end caught Pitches out of his ground.
Robertson who had been tied down by D'Auvergne had rush of blood 14 minutes before lunch when he lifted his head and played all over a delivery to be clean bowled for 26, a score identical with Pitches.
McKenzie and Cook saw the side safely through lunch on the first day with the total at 80 for the loss of four wickets.
Disaster struck North Otago immediately after lunch when McKenzie was clean bowled by Ritchie the third ball after the break and North Otago looked to be in some trouble at 80 for five.
"Tussock" Johnson was to be the saviour of the side when with Cook he added 62 for the sixth wicket before Cook pulled a ball to Andrews and was out for 38.
Johnson brought up his half century with a lofty six off D'Auvergne but was out shortly after for 51 with the total at 161.
Newcomer Jock McKay produced what was to be an invaluable innings of 20 batting at nine and the final North Otago wicket fell shortly before 5 o'clock.
North Otago made full use of the final 80 minutes of play and snapped up the wickets of opener Russell Dennison (1) and Mathew Harrison (6) before the close of play on the first day.
Drizzly rain saw the start of play delayed until shortly after 1 o'clock on the second day which saw South Canterbury open at 47 for two.
Chapman struck again for North Otago 20 minutes after the start when he had Barry Ward leg before and then with the total at 85 had opening batsmen Barrie Andrews caught by Jock McKay for 54.
Donaldson got into the act when 11 runs later he had D'Auvenge caught behind by Johnson to have South Canterbury teetering at 96 for five.
Colin Gates and John Davies provided a stubborn sixth wicket stand of 40 before Donaldson broke the partnership and then wickets began to fall as North Otago battled against time of the win.
It came off the first ball of the regulation 20th over in the last over. Davies batting at five was the only batsmen to give Andrews support with an innings of 42.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - U-Bix Cup - Zone Series
North Otago vs South Canterbury at Knottinglay Park, Waimate
North Otago 196 ( G. Johnson 51, P. Cook 38, L. Robertson 26, M. Pitches 26, J. McKay 20, Ritchie 4-30, D'Auvergne 3-56 )
South Canterbury 172 ( B. Andrews 54, J. Davies 42, C. Gates 18, B. Ward 13, L. Hewitson 12, I. Chapman 6-87, N. Donaldson 3-42 )
First innings to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match