In the Southland premier league club competition, Marist, Metropolitan and Waikoikoi each earned valuable wins before the one-day competition takes a break over the holidays and resumes on January 18.
Marist beat Old Boys by nine wickets at Queens Park on Saturday.
Old Boys batted first and was rolled for just 100 in the 38th over. Opening batsman Liam McWilliam (60) and Amarpreet Singh (19) were the only two Old Boys to reach double figures. Jason Milne carried on his good form for Marist, taking four wickets for 13 runs off nine overs.
Marist opening bat James Ng was keen to finish the game early, scoring 22 off 14 deliveries. After Ng was dismissed, Blake Harper (24) and Ethan Yeo (33) saw Marist through to victory with nine wickets to spare in the 25th over.
Metropolitan had a thrilling win over Southland Boys’ High on Queens Park’s second field. Boys’ High set an imposing total of 213 for eight from its 50 overs. Captain Benji Culhane (71) was again in control, Hamish Skelt scored 48 and Jed Mockford (38) also impressed.
Metro bowler Jason Osbourne took three wickets for 25 runs from his 10 overs. Osbourne then scored 74 with the bat from just 63 balls. Osbourne’s 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Matthew Burgess (50) was key to the successful run chase. Alec Mathieson did his best for the school with four for 38 but Metro snuck home in the 49th over with its last batsmen at the crease.
Waikoikoi beat Appleby by 20 runs in the third game. Waikoikoi batted first on its pitch and made 252 for eight. Appleby put together a spirited reply with Keiran Lloyd making 95 and Ankit Pursharthy 70 but came up short.
In the division one competition, Blue Mountain had a win at home against Wyndale. Blueys batted first and scored 124 from its 40 overs, Pargat Sanha top-scoring with 24. Sandha then dominated the second innings with the ball, taking six wickets for 11 runs off his six overs. Wyndale did put up a good fight; Jeremy McLeod had the visitors on track at 100 for six but once McLeod fell to Sandha for 77, Wyndale folded to be all out for 110.
Central Western had an 84-run win in Gore against Albion. Central scored 147 for nine off its 40 overs, captain Grant Kean steadying the ship with 43 runs in the middle order. In reply, only youngster Devon Brown (20) showed any resolve for Albion as it capitulated for 63 in the 28th over.
In division two, Waikoikoi B bowled Marist B out for 113 and Waikoikoi chased it down in 37 overs with five wickets to spare.
Southland Boys’ High B beat Riversdale by 114 runs. The school side scored 179 from its 40 overs, thanks largely to opener Lachie Nimmo, who anchored the innings with 71. Riversdale opener Jarrod Lindsay scored 30 but once he was dismissed his team went from 62 for three to be all out for 65 in the 16th over. Shaun Clapperton took five wickets for seven runs.
- John Langford
