North Otago has gained the Zone four Hawke Cup challenge this season after beating Mid Canterbury on the first innings in Oamaru and in Alexandra Otago Country denied South Canterbury an outright win and even with one further game to play cannot match North Otago’s points.

North Otago won the toss and put Mid Canterbury in to bat on a pitch which had a slight greenish tinge and the decision to bowl first appeared to have been the correct one by Jordan Horrell as the home side through Ricky Whyte and Ben Cant took three wickets with Mid Canterbury slumping to 92 for six But any thoughts of a collapse were quickly extinguished with the arrival of experienced Tom Meyrick and seventeen year old Kieran Hunt. Hunt who is captain of the Ashburton College first X1 was only included in the playing X1 late on Friday evening after a late withdrawal according to coach Garfield Charles. Hunt on debut rose above the occasion and with Meyrick produced a seventh wicket stand of 123, bypassing in the process the previous best seventh wicket stand for Mid Canterbury set back in 1973 of 113 set by Brian Sampson and Allan Williams. Meyrick(50) went at 215 before Hunt’s fine innings of 68 which included eleven fours ended with the total at 248.The last three wickets added a further 32 runs to set North Otago a formidable task as it strove for a first innings win to move closer to a Hawke Cup challenge. Francois Mostert was the most successful bowler taking five for 68.

North Otago staggered to three for 35 before Ben Cant joined Jeremiah Shields. This pair resurrected the North Otago innings to carry the side through to 133 before Shields(27) was leg before ending the 98 run partnership. At stumps on the first day Cant was unbeaten on 77 and North Otago was 136 runs in arrears with six wickets in hand. Middle order batsmen Ben Cant and Francois Mostert took control in the first session on Sunday morning with the pair adding 125 for the fifth wicket before Cant was dismissed for 113. Mostert and Sean Conlan then added a further 48 runs passing the Mid Canterbury first innings total of 280 with Mostert bringing up his century in the process going to lunch 313 for six.Mostert went on to make 159 his being the final wicket to fall with the North Otago total 416, the highest innings total in its history.Nathan Smith(41) added late runs leaving Southland to begin its second innings 136 runs in arrears. Bowling for Mid Canterbury Sean Stagg and Bevan Ravenscroft took four wicket each .

Mid Canterbury faced 32 overs before the game was called off an hour before the scheduled completion time giving North Otago its fifth Hawke Cup challenge. With Mid Canterbury 144 for three.

Short Scorecard(s)

Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series

Mid Canterbury vs North Otago at Milner Park, Oamaru
Mid Canterbury 280 ( K. Hunt 68, T. Meyrick 50, B. Ravenscroft 41, M. Winter 31, W. Southby 20, J. Southby 15, B. Houston 14, F. Mostert 5-68, R.I. Whyte 2-20 ) & 144-3 ( J. Southby 69, N. Gilbert 32, W. Southby 16, B. Houston 15no, A.J. Horrell 2-49 )
North Otago 416 ( F. Mostert 159, B.C. Cant 113, N.G. Smith 41, J.H. Shields 27, A.J. Horrell 15, G.R. Cameron 12, L.T. Kingan 12, S. Stagg 4-75, B. Ravenscroft 4-89 )
First innings win to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match

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North Otago 2014-2015 |