Star notched their first win of the 2011/2012 season with a 10-run victory over Waimate in the opening night of the the South Canterbury Twenty20 cricket competition.
Friday night cricket at Aorangi Oval produced a match which went down to the final over.
Star made 162-5 from their 20 overs, and Waimate were bowled out for 152 in the final over of their run-chase
Nathan Tubb’s 67 anchored Star’s innings last night, but it was the triple-wicket maiden from Hamish Dickson which turned the match, despite Nathan Sew Hoy’s belligerent 90 for Waimate.
Captain Phil McGregor may have won the toss and chosen to bat, but his side was quickly in trouble at 23-3, thanks to the left-arm spin of Matt Devlin who took three wickets in four balls.
Tubb’s innings, which included six fours and two sixes, kept the run-rate at more than seven an over.
He shared in a 92-run fourth wicket partnership with Danny Campbell, who made 35, before he was stumped by Nathan Sew Hoy from the bowling of Glen Drake.
A handy cameo of 17 from the usually sedate McGregor, left Waimate a chase of more than eight runs an over.
Devlin ended with figures of 3-31 from four overs.
Nathan Sew Hoy’s innings dominated the Waimate run chase. He brough-up his 50 in the seventh over, with the team on 59.
He regularly ran out of partners, but it did not stop him trying to score freely.
He used the strong breeze to muscle balls for six on to the embankments, which had Waimate cruising at more than the required run-rate for the first half of the innings.
The matched changed when Dickson removed Jason Sew Hoy for seven and Scott Willoughby and Connor Farrell without a run being scored.
Waimate went from a state of control at 94-3 to 94-6.
With Sew Hoy still at the crease, Waimate were in control, but when Jeremy Lane had him caught and bowled for his first senior wicket of the year, Star had gained a winning advantage.
Waimate needed 15 off the last over, with one wicket remaining, but a runout saw them dismissed with three balls left in their innings.
Dickson finished with 4-19 from his four overs, while Paul Arkinstall and Craig Hinton finished with two wickets.