AGONY FOR TEMUKA: Celtic secured the Tweedy Cup without bowling a ball on the final day of the senior club cricket round-robin competition on Saturday.
Celtic secured the Tweedy Cup without bowling a ball on the final day of the senior club cricket round-robin competition on Saturday, after Star upset Temuka by five wickets.
The Magpies controlled their own destiny and needed just to beat bottom-of-the-table Star at Temuka Oval to secure the title for the most consistent team for the three longer formats of the game.
Star, buoyed by three consecutive wins in the twenty20 format, had other ideas.
A strong all-round bowling performance restricted Temuka to just 120.
Henry Race then made an unbeaten 64 to hold the Star run chase together and ensure they would surpass the target with 13 overs to spare.
Temuka had just two players make double figures, with opener Rory Lorimer making 46 and Matt Woods contributing an unbeaten 33.
However, Temuka lost wickets in clumps which meant they struggled for momentum and the absences of South Canterbury players Nick Horsley and Ritchie Preston were felt in a big way.
Star captain Jeremy Lane and allrounder Hamish Dickson each grabbed three wickets, while Race also managed two.
Temuka were in the match when they had Star at 58 for four and then 79 for five but Race and Craig Hinton added an unbeaten 42 to make sure the win was comfortable.
It was Murray Prattley’s day at Knottingley Park, even if he left the ground with a twinge of regret despite his match-winning efforts for Waimate with both bat and ball in their two wicket win over Timaru.
With nothing but pride at stake, Prattley almost single-handedly won the home team the 35-over encounter, thanks to four wickets with the ball and 99 with the bat.
Had he not been caught behind on the second juggle by Timaru wicket-keeper Josh Smallridge from seamer Josh Dick, he would have had the perfect send-off to the 2012/2013 season.
Timaru amassed 217 all out in their turn at bat, with the majority of the middle-order contributing something.
Smallridge led the way with 52, while captain Zane Sanders made 21 and Gerald Piddock, in possibly his final match in the top flight for Timaru, contributed 18.
After Smallridge’s departure, out of sorts former South Canterbury batsman Sam Porter pushed the total past 200 with a brisk 43.
The talented teenager showed the form which had seen him become a Hawke Cup bolter earlier in the season.
Prattley’s four for 24 was the best Waimate could muster with the ball, as they rested some of their frontline attack from their usual duties.
Lachie Robertson opened the bowling and took two wickets with his seamers.
Prattley hit 13 fours and a six in his knock as Waimate tried to preserve wickets in their chase.
The tactic paid off and two big sixes from Theo Davidson when his team needed 13 off the last over made the equation comfortable during the final balls.