Friday night's opening round of the Dick Hunt Holiday Twenty20 Competition saw Oamaru defeat Albion by 73 runs while Valley secured their maiden win of the season with a 38-run triumph over Glenavy.
After winning the toss at the outer oval and choosing to bat, Oamaru posted an imposing 170/6 from their 20 overs. Early wickets left them at 3/27, but Matt Brien steadied the ship with a blistering 52 from 31 deliveries, striking six boundaries. Jordan Horrell provided solid support with 30 from 24 balls in a crucial partnership. When Brien fell at 117, late contributions from Lachlan Brookes (30 not out) and Ricky Atwal (24 not out) propelled the total to 170.
Tom Squire took 2/28 and Joshua Miller claimed 2/16 for Albion.
Albion's chase never gained enough momentum, finishing at 10/97 in 17.4 overs. Sabareesh Ramesh provided early fireworks with a rapid 21 from 10 balls, but his run out at 28 triggered a collapse. Tom Squire battled through to 24 not out, but found little support as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Brien completed a match-winning all-round performance, devastating Albion's batting order with figures of 4/8 from four overs, while Hunter Wardle chipped in with 3/11 as Oamaru's bowling attack a comprehensive 73 run victory.
Valley recovered from a shaky start to post a defendable 112/8 after winning the toss and batting first. Billy Wilson played the anchor role to perfection, carrying his bat for an unbeaten 49 after his side slumped to 3/12 in the fourth over. Glenavy's Zach Graham took 4/18, supported by Ross McCulloch's 2/14.
Chasing 113, Glenavy never established any needed partnerships and were dismissed for 74 in 14.5 overs. George Mavor took 3/22, while Campbell Fowler's 4/16 kept the pressure on throughout. Despite a brief late flurry, Glenavy couldn't build any sustained momentum. Jack Cameron mopped up the tail with 2/2 to complete Valley's 38 run victory.
Short Scorecard(s)
Senior - Dick Hunt - Round 1
Glenavy vs Valley Senior at Weston Domain
Valley Senior 112-8 ( B. Wilson 49no, Z. Graham 4-18, R. McCulloch 2-14 )
Glenavy 74 (C. Fowler 4-16, G. Mavor 3-22, J.E. Cameron 2-2 )
Valey by 38 runs.
Oamaru Senior vs Albion Senior at WCS Outer Oval
Oamaru Senior 170-6 ( M. Brien 52, A.J. Horrell 30, L.X.F. Brookes 30no, R. Atwal 24no, T. Squire 2-28, J. Miller 2-146 )
Albion Senior 97 ( T. Squire 24no, S. Ramesh 21, M. Brien 4-8, H.J. Wardle 3-11 )
Oamaru by 73 runs.
Second Grade - Holiday Club20 - Round 1
Union Club30 vs Albion Club30 at WCS Outer Oval
Albion Club30 98 (K. Chetty 3-22, D. Martin 2-4, A. Mishra 2-16 )
Union Club30 101-3 ( A. Mishra 27, K. Chetty 26no )
Union by 7 wickets.
Oamaru Club30 vs Valley Club30 at Weston Domain
Valley Club30 97-6 ( S. Isbister 20, J. Minnaar 2-18 )
Oamaru Club30 98-1 ( J. Bartlett 55no )
Oamaru by 9 wickets.