Ashburton retained the Richards Trophy, which it won from South Canterbury last season, by beating North Otago by 101 runs on the first innings in a two-day match which concluded at the Ashburton Domain oval on Saturday.
Although North Otago started off soundly, Ashburton's first innings score of 342 was too formidable and the innings closed shortly after 3 p.m. for 241.
Interest in the match fell away sharply after North Otago's first innings had been completed. The Ashburton captain, A. Dennis did not enforce the follow on, and even though Ashburton's batsmen failed dismally in the second innings, scoring 73 for six wickets declared, the home side was not endangered to any extent.
When North Otago began its second innings it was 174 runs behind Ashburton's combined totals, with only 42 minutes' play remaining.
The North Otago opening batsmen, J. White and I. Geddes resumed their partnership on the second day, having scored 28 at stumps on the first day. Both men batted confidently and after 20 minutes of play had made a stand of half a century.
They scored at a good rate, with White being particularly aggressive, but the partnership was broken at 67 when Geddes was bowled by a good ball from the young junior representative player R. Horton. Two balls later he dismissed Johnston, and North Otago was two down for 67.
White made an excellent 64 - which included 12 fours - before he caught in the covers by A. Stead. He scored from well-timed drives and shots to leg.
M. Sandri and A. Long were associated in a partnership of 49 for the seventh wicket, and considerable interest was taken in the last wicket stand of M.Collings and W. Wardle. The pair came together with the score at 222, and in a bright period of batting added 19 runs before the innings closed at 241.
Ashburton's fielding was far below the standard set by the North Otago players, and during the innings six possible catching chances were missed.
The fast-medium bowler, Sandri. Who bowled well throughout the match but who was comparatively unsuccessful in Ashburton's first innings, was mainly responsible for the home team's early collapse in the second innings, taking three wickets for 23 runs.
The innings was declared closed at 5.8 p.m. (?) with six wickets for 73. In the 42 minutes to stumps North Otago scored 57 for one wicket, with I. Geddes and G. Johnston unbeaten on 29 and 24 respectively.
Good wicketkeeping by D. Long for North Otago was a feature of the match. Of the 415 runs scored by Ashburton, Long conceded only four byes.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Richards Trophy -
North Otago vs Ashburton County at Ashburton Domain Oval, Ashburton
Ashburton County 342 ( E.M. Flaherty 79, B. Ashworth 77, I.J. Griffins 58, T.A. Dennis 51, C. Robertson 47, A. Stead 11, J.C. Brown 4-83 ) & 72-6dec ( T.A. Dennis 19no, M. Wills 16, A. Stead 13no, C. Robertson 12, M.F. Sandri 3-23 )
North Otago 241 ( J.S. White 64, I.T. Geddes 33, A.D. Long 32, J.B. Carleton 30, M.F. Sandri 24, A. Kelman 15, M. Collings 11no, Price 3-42, Horton 3-49, McCormick 2-53 ) & 57-1 ( I.T. Geddes 29no, G. Johnson 24no )
First innings win to Ashburton County
Full scorecard for the match