South Canterbury recorded maximum points in the U Bix Cup elimination match played in Oamaru against North Otago last weekend.
The match which was played over the new hours of 10am to 7pm developed into an enthrawing duel before the final runs were scored on the tick of 5pm on the final day.
For North Otago it was a match cluttered with disappointments. Selector Ian Chapman viewed the match with mixed feeling.
"We batted pretty well in the first innings but overall I was disappointed in the batting. On the other hand I was pleased with the efforts of the bowlers, particularly Trevor Robertson and Graeme Ballantyne.
"Overall we did pretty well to hold the South Canterbury side but we've obviously got problems with our openers. I was disappointed with the effort in the second innings. Whilst there were 12 low decisions in the match this was certainly no reflection on the umpires.
"With the track playing low many of the batsmen were inclined to play back and they paid the penalty."
North Otago lost early wickets after winning the toss and electing to bat against South Canterbury. Robert Laney went in the second over of the morning for four with the total at seven and then young Kieran Forde who was brought up the order in the absence of Graeme Ballantyne who was clean bowled by Harvey King for two with the score at 19.
Further bad news was to follow. Michael Pitches swished at a Greg De Joux delivery and Barry Ward behind the stumps took the catch to send Pitches packing for only one run and North Otago in dire straits at 31 for three.
Two runs later opener Trevor Robertson was caught at first slip by John Davies to give Bruce Carlaw his first wicket and with Robertson out for 18 North Otago had slumped to 33 for four.
Graeme Johnson and Graeme Pitches added 19 for the fifth wicket before Johnson played a casual shot and he was back for four.
Pitches set about consolidation g the innings and he was given invaluable assistance from David Reid.
Reid stayed at the crease for 116 minutes whilst scoring only six runs.
However his contribution gave North Otago breathing space. Pitches was finally out with the total at 88.
His 52 contained seven fours and with Reid added 36 valuable runs for the sixth wickets. Reid stayed around whilst another 11 runs were scored before he was finally leg before to Phil D'Auvergne for six.
Bruce Sewell and Graeme Ballantyne batting confidently before Sewell when on 16 and looking in good shape lifted the head to a D'Auvergne delivery and lost his bails for 16.
Robbie Duncan gave Ballantyne support taking the total through to 131 before his was the ninth wicket to fall.
The tail wagged a little with Ballantyne showing more aggression hitting five fours in his unbeaten knock of 31 before Chapman was bowled to Carlaw was bowled by Carlaw and the innings closed at 149.
Bruce Carlaw the outstanding South Canterbury contributor took four 49 off 24 overs and two balls as well as displaying rare enthusiasm in the field.
The wily D'Auvergne off 27 overs of which 15 were maidens finished with three for 28 while Harvey King (one for 28). Brad Ritchie (one for 18) and Greg De Joux (one for 16) took the remaining wickets to fall.
South Canterbury's openers Russell Dennison and Michael Hawke got the visitors away to a reasonable start putting on 22 before Dennison was caught by Laney off Trevor Robertson's bowling for 13.
Seventeen further runs were added before Robertson struck again and Robbie Vincent was adjudged leg before for three.
It was Robertson with the wind at his back who struck without any addition to the South Canterbury total when the incoming batsman John Davies was caught leg before without scoring and South Canterbury were 39 for three.
Barry Ward joined Hawke and the pair added a further 13 runs before Ward was this time caught by the ubiquitous Robertson off Chapman's bowling and South Canterbury were 52 for four.
It was Chapman who struck the next vital blow when he had Hawke leg before for 31 and at 63 for five the match was evenly balanced.
D'Auvergne and Carlaw saw South Canterbury through to 79 for five at stumps on the first session of play on the second day. The pair added a further 25 runs before D'Auvergne was taken off a bat pad catch by well close in off Chapman's bowling for 38.
Carlaw and De Joux did a sound job for South Canterbury carrying the total through to 128 before Carlaw was out with the total at 128, the seventh wicket to fall.
Lindstone joined De Joux and with the latter the dominant member of the duo South Canterbury finally passed the North Otago total with three wickets still in hand.
However South Canterbury could not build on the advantage and in the space of four runs lost its last three wickets to see the innings close at 158, with De Joux finally out for 37.
Bowling for North Otago Ian Chapman produced a tremendous performance bowling unchanged throughout the innings from the southern end of Centennial Park and he finished with five for 63 off 37 overs and three balls, 18 of those overs were maidens.
Trevor Robertson cracked the top of the South Canterbury batting taking three for 55 off 22 overs while Graeme Ballantyne off 15 overs took two for 38.
The North Otago second innings finished in dismal fashion with the last five wickets falling for the addition of only two runs.
Disaster struck, from the start when with the very first ball of the innings Harvey King has Robert Laney leg before and North Otago were 0 for one. This certainly lifted the morale of the South Canterbury side.
Kieran Forde who once again played a three featured in a second wicket stand of only seven runs with Trevor Robertson before he was out leg before to Brad Ritchie, the eighth leg before decision in the game.
Michael Pitches and Robertson added 29 for the third wicket before Pitches was brilliantly caught in the slips by Robbie Vincent to give King his second wicket of the innings. Robertson lasted a further eight runs before he fell to another brilliant catch low down in the slips to D'Auvergne.
The arrival of Graham Johnson to the crease heralded an impetus in the North Otago scoring rate as he began to bat in positive fashion.
David Reid was the next to go with the total at 60 another leg before decision this time to Carlaw who was to finish the innings with a superb analysis. Johnson's dismissal with the score at 74 heralded the end of the line.
He was out leg before on the front foot to King and with the departure of Johnson the innings folded.
Graeme Pitches went without any addition to the score. Graeme Ballantyne picked up two runs to take the total to 76 and then without any further scoring lost the last two wickets of Sewell and Chapman.
Bruce Carlaw bowling from the southern end bowled only 29 balls but finished with four for two. King off 12 overs took four for 30 while Brad Ritchie who did come under the scrutiny of the umpires for his follow through took two for 26.
The South Canterbury chase for the 68 runs required to gain those first innings points in the U-Bix Cup elimination round started on an encouraging note for North Otago for in his first over. Ian Chapman claimed the wicket of Michael Hawke and South Canterbury were one wicket down with no runs on the board.
Russell Dennison and Barry Ward added 17 runs for the second wicket before Dennison went leg before to Chapman for no score after having been at the crease for 25 minutes.
Ward had been the major force in the partnership but he did not last long for Robert Duncan bowling his second over in representative cricket claimed a wicket with his second ball of that over and Ward was out for 17.
Robbie Vincent and John Davies came together and this pair saw South Canterbury safely through with an enterprising unbeaten 52 run partnership for the fourth wicket. When the winning runs were scored Vincent was not out on 31 and Dawe made 21.
North Otago skipper Ian Chapman was the most successful bowler taking two for 24 off nine overs while Robbie Duncan finished with one for 14 off three overs.
North Otago will now go on to meet Central Otago in Alexandra next weekend while South Canterbury will meet Central Otago in Timaru in mid-December.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - U-Bix Cup - Zone Series
South Canterbury vs North Otago at Oamaru
North Otago 149 ( G. Pitches 52, G.J. Ballantyne 31no, T. Roberson 18, B. Sewell 16, Carlaw 4-49, D'Auvergne 3-28 ) & 78 ( G. Johnson 18, T. Roberson 17, M. Pitches 14, Carlaw 4-2, King 4-30, Ritchie 2-26 )
South Canterbury 158 ( P. D'Auvergne 38, G. De Joux 37, M. Hawke 31, B. Carlaw 15, B. Dennison 13, I. Chapman 5-63, T. Roberson 3-55, Ballantyne 2-38 ) & 69-3 ( R. Vincent 31no, J. Davies 21no, B. Ward 17, I. Chapman 2-23 )
South Canterbury won by 7 wickets
Full scorecard for the match