In a game of fluctuating fortunes, the Southland representative cricket side defeated North Otago by three wickets in a two-day match at Oamaru during the weekend.
Start performer was the Southland and New Zealand representative, J.C. Alabaster, who scored 98 and 24 when his side vitally needed runs and took 10 wickets for the match, his figures in North Otago's first innings being seven for 67.
Southland, in its first innings, had lost seven wickets for 66 runs when Alabaster joined A.W. Gilbertson, who made a most valuable contribution of 64, while the New Zealand representative was in command from the outset and went on to make 98 when his wicket fell to a splendid ball from G. Cowles.
On the confident batting display he had given Alabaster was unlucky to miss the century.
Again in the second innings, Southland requiring 80 runs to win, had lost six for 25 when Alabaster joined Vear and their partnership of 52 was a match-winning effort, only three runs being required for victory when Alabaster went to Grenfell for 24.
North Otago was in a commanding position in the early and middle stages of both Southland's innings, but allowed the initiative to slip away. These changes of fortune make for interest in cricket.
North Otago's number one bowler, G. Cowles, turned on a splendid performance. He took seven for 60 in Southland's first innings, and at one stage had three wickets for three runs, and in this period seven of 10 overs were maidens. Cowles claimed four for 37 in the visitors second strike.
A Cartwright also bowled consistently for North Otago, taking respectively two for 44 and two for 36. A feature of the match was the smart North Otago fielding which lapsed only against the powerful hitting of Alabaster, who was in brilliant form.
Top scoring North Otago batsmen were K. Ellis with 43 in the first innings and with 31. R. Dempster, ninth in the batting order, in the home team's second strike. Ellis also fielded smartly, although he had the misfortune to be struck twice by hard-driven balls from Alabaster. J. Vear was the top scorer in Southland's second innings.
The weather on Saturday was ideal for cricket, but with a heavily overcast sky yesterday afternoon and light rain in the closing stages, there was some doubt whether the fame would be played to a finish because of the bad light, but play continued and Southland scored the winning hit at 4.45 p.m.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Hawke Cup - Zone Series
Southland vs North Otago at St Kevin's College, Oamaru
North Otago 143 ( K. Ellis 43, A.G. Cartwright 18, P. Grenfell 16, J.C. Brown 15, Alabaster 7-67, Truscott 2-18 ) & 134 ( R. Dempster 31no, W.B. Kerr 22, G. Cowles 16, A.G. Cartwright 16, K. Ellis 12, Sharp 3-20, Truscott 3-21, Alabaster 3-71 )
Southland 200 ( J.C. Alabaster 98, W. Gilbertson 64, G. Cowles 7-62, A.G. Cartwright 2-44 ) & 80-7 ( D.J. Vear 30no, J.C. Alabaster 24, P. Truscott 17, G. Cowles 4-37, A.G. Cartwright 2-36 )
Southland won by 3 wickets
Full scorecard for the match