North Otago produced an outstanding team performance to gain first innings points against Central Otago in its opening U-Bix elimination game played at Centennial Park.
It was a particularly satisfying result of the team coach Gavin Laird and captain Mark Wilson who had been ostracised for selecting too many inexperienced players. However, it was the younger members of the team who laid the foundation for the win with a class batting display on day one of the two-day match.
Aaron Ewing, Mark Wilson, Avon Robertson and Daniel Kinney all made significant contributions after Central won the toss and elected to field.
Openers Ewing and Robertson gave North Otago a good start scoring 85 for the first wicket. Robertson took some time to get of the mark but once he got started took his score aggressively to 60.
He hit five fours and three sixes in his inning which lasted 107 minutes before playing on a shorter ball from Willcocks.
Once Ewing and Robertson were dismissed North Otago slipped to 179 for six and it was left to Wilson and Kinney to stage a recovery. The pair did not disappoint scoring 89 runs for the seventh wicket.
Kinney was dismissed for 37 by an almost unplayable ball and North Otago went to tea in a vastly improved position of 268 for seven..
Wilson continued scoring freely after the break putting 32 for the eighth wicket with Craig Hore until he was finally out leg before wicket for 84. The North Otago captain hit six fours and one six in his innings which lasted 216 minutes.
North Otago was finally dismissed for 311 with an hour and a half of play remaining.
Central Otago reached a reasonably good position at 71 for two at stumps with the not out batsmen Aagon Wills on 48 and Gary Jenkins on five.
However, North Otago pace bowler John Crombie struck early on the second day taking two wickets with successive balls in his 17th over to have Central in trouble at 96 for four.
Crombie continued destroying the middle order batting finishing with the figures of seven for 57 off 32 overs as Central Otago folded to be all out for 229. Stephen Neil took his first wicket in a U-Bix Cup game when he bowled Hinton while Alex Lemon took the other wicket taking Peter Marshall leg before wicket.
Lemon also featured with a brilliant throw from 30 metres to hit the stumps running out Blair Willcoks.
Aagon Wills was clearly the best of the Central Otago batsmen scoring 91 before he was caught and bowled by Crombie, Willis was the only batsman who looked comfortable against Crombie's pace batting for 222 minutes and facing 197 deliveries.
With no chance of an outright result North Otago batted out the remaining two sessions to be 128 for seven at the close of play. Wilson followed his top score in the first innings with a useful 31 while Crombie was not out on 40.
Wilson was justifiably pleased with the result against a highly rated Central Otago side. He said there were some outstanding individual performances although he thought the first innings win resulted from a good team effort.
"Avon and Aaron really set up the win with their partnership in the first session. They batted very well on a wicket that did a bit in the first hour."
"We got the runs and John bowled brilliantly on the second day to keep us on top. But it was really a good team effort - we all got behind each other and supported the bowlers."
North Otago would be retaining the same team for its second U-Bix Cup game against Ashburton at Ashburton Domain this weekend with the exception of Robertson who is playing for the Otago Colts. Robertson will be replaced by Valley batsman Andrew Rowland.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - U-Bix Cup - Zone Series
Central Otago vs North Otago at Centennial Park Oval, Oamaru
North Otago 311 ( M. Wilson 85, A. Robertson 60, D. Kinney 37, A. Ewing 27, C. Hore 19, P.D. Bleach 14, K.J. Mansfield 12, G. Lockhart 4-109, Hinton 3-36, Willcocks 2-41 ) & 128-7 ( J.B. Crombie 40no, M. Wilson 31, D. Kinney 13, A. Robertson 11, K.J. Mansfield 11, McAuley 3-50, Marshall 3-53 )
Central Otago 229 ( A. Wills 91, P. Marshall 24, G. Lockhart 18, B. Willocks 18, G. Jenkins 16, C. Lockhart 13, S. Hinton 11, J.B. Crombie 7-57 )
First innings win to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match