A gripping finish was the feature of the two-day representative cricket match between North Otago and Otago B which concluded on Saturday.
After leading by seven runs on the first innings when the declaration was made - forty minutes before lunch on the second day North Otago were forced to employ a large lump of generous bowling in the thirty minutes before tea in order to encourage the Otago batsmen to branch out and score the required runs for the declaration which came at tea.
This left North Otago the task of scoring 167 runs in the last 130 minutes of play with the compulsory 20 overs in the last hour.
The local side suffered an early setback when the opener Michael Ross went lbw to Wayne Martin from what appeared to be suspiciously like a bat pad decision. Bob Wilson and Graeme Ballantyne added 60 plus for the second wicket before Ballantyne was cleaned out by Bee for 26.
Three runs later on 67 Norm McKenzie was run out for one after a fine piece of fielding by Ford close in on the off side. Wilson was next to go having compiled an excellent 44 with North Otago 63 short of the target with six wickets still in hand.
Chris Taylor and M. Ross added 32 for the fifth wicket with Taylor in complete control with the bat cutting superbly and driving confidently and being prepared to loft the ball over the heads of the field, the mark of an in form batsman.
However with the loss of Taylor for 45, this on top of an unbeaten 35 in the first innings, it appeared that North Otago was assured of victory needing only 19 runs of the remaining five overs. However, the Otago medium pacers cut down on the run rate.
Sixteen runs were required off the final three overs, thirteen off two and with one over remaining to be bowled six runs were needed. However, Graeme Taiaroa was run out on the first ball of the last over. Brain Nuttall joined Trevor Robertson and two valuable runs were picked up on the fourth and fifth balls of the over. The final ball from Martin to Nuttal saw North Otago needed four runs for the win a task that only appeared only remote with the Otago field set very deep. Nuttall swung and took off for the run. However the ball was firmly in Bob Bowman's gloves and he lobbed the ball into the stumps at the strikers end to run out Trevor Robertson.
Ex patrate Peter Bee clean bowled his three victims as well as taking a great catch to dismiss Taylor while the other three wickets to fall (there were three run outs) went to Wayne Martin at a cost of 33 runs.
The match was made more notable by the fact it was the first two-day representative fixture played on Centennial Park, Although heavy rain earlier in the week had made the wicket a little slow on the first day, the drying conditions on the second day produced a true bounce.
However, the match was marred by lack of public support. The public could not be labelled apathetic. That tag must be worn by the North Otago Cricket Association which saw fit not to bother to publicise the game. So much for the promotion of the sport!
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Friendly -
Otago "B" vs North Otago at Centennial Park Oval, Oamaru
Otago "B" 169 ( J. Gordan 38, R. Bowman 26, G. Smith 20, B. Duncan 17, R. McPherson 11, I. Hogg 11, N.W. McKenzie 5-33, T. Roberson 2-27 ) & 173-5dec ( R. Bowman 45no, G. Smith 37no, S. Harrop 25, I. Hogg 21, B. Duncan 20, J. Gordan 14, C. Taylor 2-20 ) & 175-6dec ( C. Taylor 35no, R.S. Wilson 31, G. Taiaroa 30no, G.J. Ballantyne 17, N.W. McKenzie 13, Steel 4-42 ) & 163-9 ( C. Taylor 46, R.S. Wilson 44, G.J. Ballantyne 26, Martin 3-33, Bee 3-55 )
First innings win to North Otago
Full scorecard for the match