North Otago must break out of the habit of losing, player-coach Keith Gardner said today after the side's six wicket loss to Central Otago in a zone six one-dayer cricket game at Molyneux Park in Alexandra yesterday.
After a woeful performance by the North Otago upper order - the first five batsmen amassed 14 runs between them - Gardner said the highly talented North Otago team needs to put behind them the heavy losses of the past.
"We think a lot about the fact that we have been badly beaten by teams before and it's a habit that needs to be broken," he said.
"If we think of ourselves as going to lose then people will treat us like that. It's an attitude thing. We've got talent in the team, it's just a matter of performing to break the 'group culture' that we're in. It's the on thing that's holding us back."
After winning the toss and electing to bat North Otago scored 129 all out in 36.5 overs.
"The batting conditions were very good and we missed out on an opportunity. We knew we had to get over 200 runs to be competitive and we though that 220 might have been possible." Gardner said.
However, the snappy Central Otago bowling attack quickly made it clear that life for North Otago wasn't going to be easy. When the wicket of opener Duncan Drew fell when North Otago had 14 runs on the board, it became the first of three ducks within a matter of minutes.
Drew was trapped leg before by Richard Hooks, and moments later, Gerry Ward was narrowly run out after an unfortunate misunderstanding between him and Gardner. The fourth man to the crease, Jason Mavor, was sent back to the pavilion lamenting a brilliant yorker bowled by Hooks.
When Gardner went to force the ball through the offside he nicked the ball to Gary Lockhart at second slip, North Otago were precariously perched at 21 for four.
Thankfully, captain Kelvin Mansfield and Neil Rushton went on the attack to salvage some pride. Mansfield applied himself stringently until it appeared North Otago were out of trouble, then started to unleash his shots. With Rushton's classy knock of 25, the pair added 81 runs for the eighth wicket.
Hooks was the best of Central bowlers taking three for 23 off nine overs.
In reply, North Otago's bowling showed a vast improvement on their batting.
"We bowled exceptionally well but never had a target to defend. Central took the percentage approach and came out to make sure of the win," Gardner said.
"Top class" seam bowling by Rushton, Paddy Bleach and Richard Sidon on a wicket favouring the batsmen restricted the scoring and at one stage the home team was poised at three for 46.
However, North Otago's meagre total hadn't left them with much hope of salvaging a victory and it was overtaken in the 37th over, leaving Gavin Sinclair (36) and Lindsay Breen (32) unbeaten at the crease.
Sidon took three wickets for 18 runs off ten overs, Bleach one for 27 off nine and Rushton none for 21 off eight,
"It was a poor batting performance. What we need now is two people to stand up and say we want to do the job. It's up to two people to lead the way with a big partnership," Gardner said.
North Otago will play Dunedin Metropolitan in a one-dayer at Centennial Park on Sunday.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Districts One Day Series - Round 2
North Otago vs Central Otago at Molyneux Park, Alexanra
North Otago 129 ( K.J. Mansfield 38, N.W. Rushton 25, K. Gardiner 12, J. Grubb 12, Hooks 3-23, Sinclair 2-1, Sinnamon 2-22 )
Central Otago 131-4 ( G. Sinclair 36no, L. Breen 32no, B. Hart 12, R. Sidon 3-18 )
Central Otago won by 6 wickets
Full scorecard for the match