After losing the toss, Country was put into bat in trying conditions. Wickets fell regularly and Country was dismissed for 113 in its first innings. While Scott Paulin (19), James Pyle (16) Cameron Rutherford (18) and captain Brendan Domigan (21) all got starts, it was left to lower-order Queenstown batsman Sean Windle to give the score some respectability with a well-made 24.
Craig Smith, a fringe Otago Volt, was the chief wicket-taker, with figures of four for 25 off 15 overs.
By stumps Southland had a lead of 107 after reaching 220 for seven. Middle order batsmen Shaun Fitzgibbon (93) and Mark Beer (49) put together an excellent partnership of 82 after Southland's top order had struggled. It was four down for 25 and then five for 64, before Beer entered the fray. Smith was also in fine form with the bat, contributing 58 not out.
Warren McSkimming and Ben Purvis picked up the seven wickets between them.
Southland was all out for 276 early on the second day, a lead of 163.
Otago Country could only try to bat through and avoid an outright loss, but overcast conditions greeted it for the second innings and once again the batsmen struggled, falling to 84 for eight. But McSkimming, batting at number seven made 97 and found support from the lower order, Sam Blakely making 29 and Purvis finishing 30 not out as Country reached 225.
That left Southland to get 62 and it did so easily, losing just one wicket. Southland opener Jason Domigan, formerly of Otago Country, scored 33 on the way to the win.
Country manager Mark Patterson was clearly disappointed with the result saying that the batting was definitely an issue, along with some players being unavailable.
"We will definitely have to be looking at our batting for the next match especially at the top of the order," he said.
Otago Country's next Hawke Cup match is against South Canterbury, at Alexandra on January 14 and 15.
