Otago Country scored a nine wicket win over North Otago yesterday to take the lead in the Hawke Cup elimination series with North Otago taking the minor points for a first innings lead.

Otago Country was set the task of scoring 100 runs in three hours to take the game, a task it accomplished in just over 120 minutes and with nine second innings wickets in hand.

Leighton Morgan and Will Sommerville added 68 in their opening stand before Sommerville was dismissed for 25 but Morgan(38 not out) and Brendan Domigan(22 not out) took the side through to 100 for one in the 24th over.

Otago Country won the toss and put North Otago in to bat. North Otago lost opener James Cutt(16) with the total at 31. Duncan Drew who opened with Cutt added 45 while Glynn Cameron added 38 before North Otago slumped to 120 for four and at 169 for eight looked set for a low total. The North Otago tail led by Craig Smith(41) and the last three wickets added an invaluable 87 runs before the final wicket fell at 256.

Russell Nevill took four for 42 while Cameron Rutherford claimed three for 65 off 20 overs.

A vital third wicket stand of 52 between Corey Blair(57) and opener Will Sommerville(42) took Otago Country's total through to 93 and it was only a 46 run partnership of 46 between Scott Paulin(36) and Jon Lovelock(28) that enabled Otago Country to finish it innings at 229 giving North Otago a first innings lead of 27.David Sewell and Craig Smith both finished with three wicket bags.

North Otago provided only token resistance in its second innings with only two players, Glen Paterson and James Ferris reaching double figures as the side collapsed to be all out for 72 leaving Otago Country the task of scoring 100 runs for maximum points.

Brendan Domigan who featured with the bat the previous weekend against Southland with a century took North Otago apart claiming five for 24 off ten overs while Russell Nevill took three for 22 off 40 balls.

Short Scorecard(s)

Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series

Otago Country vs North Otago at Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru
North Otago 256 ( D.J. Drew 45, C.A. Smith 42, P.M. Odell 42, G.R. Cameron 38, D.G. Sewell 17no, J.R. Cutt 16, J.G. Ferris 15, Nevill 4-42, Rutherford 3-65, Sommerville 2-21 ) & 72 ( J.G. Ferris 23, G. Paterson 11, B. Domigan 5-24, Neville 3-22, Rutherford 2-16 )
Otago Country 229 ( C. Blair 57, W. Sommerville 42, S. Paulin 36, J. Lovelock 28, C. Rutherford 18, M. Knox 14, Smith 3-48, Sewell 3-58, Odell 2-36 ) & 100-1 ( L. Morgan 38no, W. Summerville 25, B.J. Domigan 22no )
Otago Country won by 9 wickets.
Full scorecard for the match

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North Otago 2008-2009 |