By BRAYDEN LINDSAY Timaru Herald
Sam Carlaw’s four wickets in six balls produced a remarkable turn around to help Celtic to a 30-run victory in their South Canterbury club cricket clash.
He picked up 5-21 in a superb spell of bowling against Timaru at Anzac Square to help the 2015/2016 champions defend a smallish total.
Celtic made 122 batting first, after being 24-6 early in their innings.
Andrew Buckingham and Tom Pavletich rescued the innings with 42 and 35 respectively to help them through to a winnable total.
Timaru seam bowler Brad Leonard was the chief destroyer with four wickets.
In reply, Timaru were cruising a 76-2 before a Carlaw run out triggered a huge collapse.
After his fielding heroics Carlaw ran through the middle to lower order with his left arm off-spinners to secure the six points, while Pavletich claimed 2-1 as Timaru were bundled out for 92.
Supeshala Jayathilake tried his best to hold the Timaru innings together with 40 but lacked support from his team-mates.
He was the last man out caught on the boundary off Carlaw.
It saw Celtic join Timaru on 21 points at the top of the table.
In the other match of the round, Pleasant Point survived Star comeback to claim a 10-run victory.
-
Pleasant Point's Tom Costley plays a shot through the off side. He made an unbeaten 65.
-
Star's Hamish Dickson sends down a delivery against Pleasant Point.
The match was played at the Pleasant Point Domain, the first since the side made the transition to senior cricket last season.
Due to wet weather over the last 10 days, it was staged on artificial rather than the freshly-laid grass surface.
Pleasant Point won the toss and like last season when they beat Star, opted to bat first.
Adam Beck, who along with brother Liam transferred from Celtic to Pleasant Point this season, started well hitting 35 up the top.
His opening partner Tim Leonard made 28 as the pair put on 68 for the opening wicket before Adam Beck found the safe hands of Chris Ware at mid off.
When Leonard went two runs after Adam Beck, Star looked to be getting themselves back into the clash before a great 91-run partnership from Liam Beck and Tom Costley.
Liam Beck hit four boundaries and a six in his innings of 50, while Costley’s 65 not out had just three fours and a maximum.
The pair played a number of elegant shots and made batting look easy at times with some superb running between the wickets.
Latham Gibb chipped in with 19 late in the innings to help Pleasant Point through to 222.
Craig Hinton picked up three wickets, including two in the final over, while Hamish Dickson bowled superbly through the middle to grab two wickets.
Star’s pursuit of Point’s total started poorly.
Phil McGregor played a delivery from Stan Mair back onto his stumps, giving the South Canterbury quick his first wicket of the season.
Next ball he struck Adam Fahey in the helmet.
Fahey continued on but watched Chris Ware and Chris Hogan fall to Geoff MacFarlane in quick succession.
When Fahey fell with Star on 23, it looked like it would be over quickly but a superb partnership between Daniel Campbell and Paul Arkinstall had Star back in the match.
The pair put on 138 with Campbell smashing 81 and Arkinstall 72.
Campbell and Arkinstall both struck eight fours but after they went a late onslaught from Blair Gunn (17 not out) proved in vain as Star fell just short.
Point’s victory puts them equal on points with Star in third place.
Meanwhile, the wet weather which forced club cricket on to artificial also meant the representative clash between North Otago and South Canterbury was cancelled.