The Owaka Bandits are the South Otago Cricket 40-over champions for the 2024/25 season.
The Bandits picked up their third competition win in a row with a hard-fought four-run win over the Waihola Swans at the Crab Grounds in Milton over the weekend.
Owaka batted first and posted 175 for six, largely thanks to a fine opening stand between Gordon Edwards and Jeremy Gray.
The two batted well in excess of 20 overs together and gave Owaka a solid platform of just below 100 before Gray was bowled by Jared Cunningham for 48.
The in-form Jethro Melville was dismissed in the same over.
Edwards was joined by skipper Quentin Gare and the two added another 40 runs before Gare was dismissed. The Owaka middle order failed to fire, but Edwards showed his class with a brilliant 92 runs off 121 deliveries.
Edwards had taken his time to get his eye in, and at one stage was on just six off 48 deliveries. But after receiving plenty of advice from the Waihola fielders, Edwards had the last laugh in the end with a knock for the ages.
Waihola opening bowlers Dylan Bungard and Ashley Manson bowled tight spells, but with only one wicket between them.
The remaining bowlers were quite expensive but took key wickets along the way. Cunningham’s two for 43 was the pick of the returns.
In reply, Waihola lost in-form skipper Bungard in the second over of the innings.
A strong second-wicket partnership between Marc Kohey and Rowan Craw threatened to take the game away from Owaka until Kohey was dismissed by Hayden Sheppard for 19.
Craw and Toby Greene saw Waihola through to drinks where they had a great platform to build on, with just over 100 runs required from 20 overs.
The wicket of Greene shortly after drinks brought Shannon Young to the crease and the two experienced batters looked to whittle down Owaka’s total.
A key moment in the innings saw Craw hole out on the long off boundary after bringing up his half-century, leaving Young plenty of work to do with a lower order that has not batted much this season.
Young was up for the challenge and played some exquisite shots to bring his side closer to victory. The issue, though, was that wickets were falling at the other end.
Two wickets by Owaka skipper Gare and a silly run out left Waihola on the ropes, but with Young at the crease, anything was possible.
With four overs remaining though, Gare took the prized scalp of Young, leaving Waihola’s tail with a lot to do.
Nine runs from the final over ended up as the equation, but Waihola’s tailenders Craig Gordon and Manson could not get their side home as Owaka took the victory and the title.
Craw (58) and Young (36) were Waihola’s top contributors.
Gare put in a heroic captain’s performance of three for 23 to see his side home with a fantastic second spell of bowling.
By Francis Parker
