North Otago failed in its bid to gain the right to challenge for the U-Bix Cup when it failed by wickets to beat Southland outright at Centennial Park during the weekend.

The game was a personal triumph for North Otago batsman Graeme Johnson, who opening the innings, made an invaluable 64 in the first innings after North Otago had been put into bat by the Southland side.

In the second innings Johnson completed a fine double with 75.

Young teenage bowling prodigy Southland's Richard Wilson took the honours with the ball in North Otago's first innings taking the wickets of the four top upper order batsmen and later claiming the valuable wicket of Norm McKenzie to finish the innings with 5 for 96 off 23 overs.

North Otago's decision to open the innings with Derek Walker failed to produce the desired result with Walker out to Wilson in the 9th ball of the innings.

Johnson, however, was seeing the ball well and anything loose was quickly put away, as North Otago scored with the clock for the first couple of hours of play.

The first 50 came up in 51 minutes; the hundred raised in 93 minutes; the 150 came up a mere 137 minutes and although the rate slackened the 200 came up in 203.

None of the other North Otago batsmen really got going, although Michael Dodd hit six fours in his 43. Boundaries were an essential part of the Johnson innings as well as he raced from 12 to 36 with a succession of boundary shorts.

The North Otago first innings closed at about 2.30pm on the first day wit the score at 221.

Of the other Southland bowlers, Andrew Brookland was the most successful taking 3 for 17 off 7 overs.

The North Otago bowlers struck early in the Southland innings, with Allan Thompson, Shane Brown and Ross Murdoch all back in the pavilion with only 22 runs on the board.

The local bowlers, however, could not build on this early breakthrough and Andrew Brookland and opener Bill Marshall set about resurrecting the innings, taking the score through to 94 before Brookland was out for 54.

Partner Marshall went with the total at 123 with a fine contribution of 34.

Southland at stumps on the first day was 222 for the loss of 7 wickets and skipper Robbie Hill decided to declare, giving Southland a one run lead on the first innings.

John Crombie took 2 for 18 for North Otago, while Paddy Bleach, Norm McKenzie, Kelvin Mansfield, Ashley Flannery and Graeme Ballantyne each took a wicket. McKenzie bowled 21 overs for his 1 for 68.

North Otago opened with a new combination with Todd Patton promoted from 11 to open the innings with Johnson.

The gamble paid off with the pair adding 57 before Patton was out for 29.

John Hills and Johnson added a further 68 for the second wicket and it looked as though the pendulum had swung North Otago's way.

But then in the space of 20 runs North Otago lost Ash Flannery (4), Kelvin Mansfield (0) and Hills (22).

Derek Walker and Graeme Ballantyne then pulled the side around with a 6th wicket stand of 65 before Ballantyne was dismissed for 27.

Dodd then went for 6 with the total of 217 and Walker's excellent innings came to an end when he was dismissed two short of his half century with the total at 226.

Paddy Bleach and Norm McKenzie added 20 for the 9th wicket before Bleach was out for 16 and the declaration was made at 246 for 9, giving North Otago an overall lead of 245.

This set Southland the task of scoring the 246 to win in 135 minutes and 17 overs.

Once again North Otago struck early, with Allan Thompson out to Derek Walker in the second over of the game.

John Crombie struck in the third ball when he clean bowled Bill Marshall for 3 and Southland began to totter at 4 for the loss of 2 wickets.

Shane Brown lost his wicket at 21 but this bought together veteran Ross Murdoch and Andrew Brookland and this pair added 96 for the 4th wicket before Brookland was out for 52.

Murdoch, seemingly immovable, continued to score runs as he and keeper Paul Henry added 74 for the 5th wicket before Murdoch was finally out for 79.

Henry went two runs later, run out for 45.

Although North Otago took the last 4 wickets to fall for only 9 runs it was still two wickets short of outright points when the final ball was bowled at 7.05 last evening, with Southland 27 runs short of victory.

Norm McKenzie took 3 for 6, while John Crombie and Paddy Bleach took 2 for 19 and 2 for 18 respectively.