Nick Horsley’s 157 led Temuka to victory
Nick Horsley has done it again. The former Northern Districts first-class batsman produced the individual highlight of senior club cricket which threw up some one-sided results on Saturday.
After scoring back-to-back half-centuries to get his summer under way, Horsley’s classy 157 led Temuka to a massive 192-run win over Pleasant Point, Star recorded a comfortable victory on the road against Waimate and Timaru and Celtic tied.
The match of the round between Timaru and Celtic at Ashbury Park produced a tie, a rare outcome in cricket.
The last tie was recorded in the one-day competition between Timaru and Celtic eight years ago, while in the 2013-2014 season there was a tie in a two-day match between Timaru and Roncalli/Celtic.
Timaru batted first and snuck through to 168-9 off their 45 overs thanks to some handy contributions from Tim Mackle (34 no), Supeshala Jayathilake (24) and Josh Dick (21).
A good spell of bowling from Tom Pavletich saw him dismiss Timaru’s Sri Lankan trio of Jayathilake, Prabodha Arthavidu and Sasindu Nanayakkara as he picked up 3-33, while Dan and Jimmy Laming picked up two wickets apiece.
In reply, Celtic started well, coasting to 39 without loss before Adam Beck (12) was the first of Jayathilake’s two victims.
Dan Laming made 55, with Jimmy contributing a handy 28 and Willie Wright, batting at No 6 made 27.
With 14 required off the final over, Celtic could only manage 13 and had to settle for a tie.
Timaru captain Arthavidu said it was a frustrating result. “We let the game slip. We had it in the bag and did not finish it off. The two wides in the last over were costly,” he said.
“Beating Celtic is great but we didn’t quite manage it. We will take the three points and look ahead to next week.”
Horsley showed his class once again in a lopsided fixture in Temuka. After being dropped early, he made the visitors pay and went on to post the first century of the senior club season.
He walked to the crease in the third over and batted until the 43rd over, with his 157 featuring 13 fours and six sixes as the home side posted 280 off their 45 overs.
Dillon Lees was the next highest scorer for Temuka with 29, while the extras column contributed 28. Captain Cam Lundie was the best of the Point bowlers with 3-58.
Pleasant Point never threatened as they were dismissed for just 88, with Brad Tegellaars top scoring for the third week in a row with 18, while Blair Brown scored 17.
Nick Maguire and Lees were the best bowlers for Temuka, taking 3-21 and 3-28 respectively, while only three Pleasant Point batsmen made it past 10.
In the final match, Star scored a comprehensive eight-wicket win over the winless Waimate, who posted 116 at Knottingley Park.
Waimate started well with a 71-run opening stand between George Morgan and Ruha Davis, with the former stroking down the ground, scoring seven boundaries in his neat 50 before he was athletically caught and bowled by Star medium pacer Hamish Dickson, who finished with 3-17.
Davis went for 13 and Waimate captain Glen Drake was out cheaply soon after, chopping on a full delivery from Dickson. The rest of the Waimate order did not stick around, with Jacques Marais taking 4-17 and Blair Gunn 3-36.
Star set out in a positive fashion to knock off the 117 required with Adam Fahey and Phil McGregor producing a fine opening stand of 94 to place the visitors in a strong position. Fahey unleashed a number of cracking shots during a fine innings of 68 before guiding one to gully off left-arm spinner Drake.
McGregor batted through the innings to finish 20 not out.