Celtic’s second-stringers did the job again, Temuka did enough to edge Roncalli College, and Star sunk to yet another low, as the senior one-day cricket competition returned on Saturday.
Star were bowled out for 31, in less than an hour at Knottingley Park, while Temuka beat Roncalli by four wickets at Temuka Oval and Celtic defeated Timaru by 29 runs at Ashbury Park 4.
Star’s season went from bad to worse on Saturday, as Waimate’s spearhead pace bowler Matthew Sew Hoy took six for 14 to dismiss the 10-men visiting team for 31, inside 13 overs.
Waimate chased the target down easily, with a returning Glenn Drake spending a couple of overs at the crease after a seven week injury layoff.
Not one Star batsman made double figures, and captain Phil McGregor said a combination of things lead to their embarrassment. “It was a mixture of good bowling, poor shot selection and the pitch.
“There’s not much more to say.” A terrific spell of bowling from Temuka’s Vaughan Tarrant was enough to give his team the edge over Roncalli.
Tarrant took four wickets for four runs from 6.5 overs to help dismiss Roncalli for 118.
Ryan de Joux made 26 at the top of the innings for the schoolboys, while Temuka’s opening bowler Nathan McNicol took three for 23.
In reply, former Northern Districts batsman Nick Horsley hit 29, but it was a match dominated by extras.
Temuka conceded 34, while Roncalli gave away 33 to inflate both totals.Temuka chased down the target with 13 overs to spare.
Ben Watson was the pick of the Roncalli bowlers with three for 28.
Celtic and Timaru met for the third time in a month and again it was Celtic who got the better of the situation.
Former South Canterbury player Jacob Naylor ensured he would remain in the sights of the representative selectors with 63, while Andy Scott made 48 to get the defending champions to 219 for eight from their 45 overs, despite being depleted by defections for the Hawke Cup game against Mid Canterbury.
Abhishek Baadkar, Brad Leonard, Josh Smallridge and captain Hayden Butler each took two wickets. The Timaru run-chase was highlighted by many starts, but no-one managed a match-changing innings.
Butler said his team was always chasing the game, despite a spirited 48 from Leonard.
Timaru were eventually bowled out for 190 in the 44th over.
“There are plenty of guys getting starts but we need to get at least one big score.
“There are still things to learn,” Butler said.
Opener Gerald Piddock had to bat at No11 after suffering a fractured finger.