Representative Cricket

NORTH OTAGO vs OTAGO COUNTRY HAWKE CUP SOUTHERN ZONE ELIMINATION SERIES Molyneux Park, Alexandra 9/10 December 2006

Index | Sen Rep 06/07

After the loss to Southland and then the return fixture being rained out, the North Otago team was left with a must win match against Otago Country in Alexandra. The team was looking to improve their batting effort after the first game saw them bowled out for 38 in their first innings. North Otago was hoping that batsman Shaun Haig would return for the match, but after he scored his maiden first class century for Otago he kept his place in the first class side. The bowling attack was bolstered with David Sewell making his first appearance for the side for the season and took five wickets in the first innings.

The following article written by Matt Smith appeared in the Oamaru Mail during the week. It is reproduced here in full, with thanks to Matt Smith and the Oamaru Mail for providing it for the website.

North Otago player/selector Mark Patterson hopes a more determined North Otago side turns up at Centennial Park this weekend for their return clash with Otago Country.
A disappointing second innings of 84 from North Otago took away any winning chance for the visitors in their match against Otago Country at Alexandra on Saturday and Sunday.
Couple that with a frustrating eighth-wicket partnership in the first innings from two Otago Country players and there’s plenty to work on for North Otago.
“We’re being a little bit hard on ourselves as we should be,” Patterson said.
“We haven’t beaten around the bush...we have really tried to put the heat on and say ‘look, this just isn’t good enough’.”
North Otago has struggled to get any momentum in their batting efforts this season, and Patterson agreed many players were struggling to hold their concentration for two long days.
“Too many guys are getting out playing big shots before they’re set,” he said.
“We are quite an inexperienced side apart from one or two of us, so I think it’s a big learning curve for the guys – just the sheer weight of time that you’ve got to play.” On the bright side, Patterson was impressed by the left-arm opening bowling combination of David Sewell and Bevan Wilson.
“(Sewell) really showed on a flat Molyneux Park wicket why he’s played 11 seasons of first-class cricket,” he said. “He has that extra level he can go to which other bowlers don’t quite have.”
Patterson has more pressing concerns this week. His very occasional farm worker, Shaun Haig, notched up his maiden first-class century for Otago last week and is unlikely to be available for the North Otago side – or for giving Patterson a hand on his Tapui farm.
“He was booked in to help me with weaning my lambs but that looks like it’s on hold as well,” Patterson said.
North Otago looked set to grab a first-innings lead when Otago Country were reeling at 81/7 but a 90-run partnership between youngster Brayden Hill and former Southlander Fraser Wilson changed the complexion of the game totally.
The pair guided their team past North Otago’s first innings total of 155 and ended up helping Otago Country through to a commanding 67-run lead at the halfway point of the match.

The short scoreboard for the match:
North Otago 155 (Thomas Shields 38, Jarrod Waldron 20, Blair Cooper 41; John Lovelock 3/35, Fraser Wilson 3/37, Brendan Domigan 2/26) and 84 (Geoff Smith 30, Tony Gray 11; Simon Harper 5/8, Brett Paterson 2/15, John Lovelock 2/17) lost to Otago Country Otago Country 222 (Leighton Morgan 36, Jimmy Pile 24, Brayden Hill 50, Fraser Wilson 71; David Sewell 5/49, Bevan Wilson 3/61, James Lovelock 2/31) and 18/2 (David Sewell 1/10, Bevan Wilson 1/6) by eight wickets.