Pleasant Point’s Richard Stowell sends down a delivery against Star in their match at Aorangi Oval while umpire John Threlkeld observes proceedings.
Pleasant Point, Timaru and Celtic all recorded victories in the latest round of the senior club competition on Saturday.
Celtic maintained their lead at the top of the standings with a 39-run win over Waimate, Timaru recorded a 58-run win over Temuka and Pleasant Point produced a superb allround display to knock over Star by 47 runs.
Point had played just one game at Aorangi Oval this season and that was a victory over Waimate and against Star they made it two from two at their temporary home ground.
After the match was delayed slightly to let the pitch dry out, Star won the toss and decided to bowl first.
However, things did not quite go to plan as some lusty blows early from Tim Bell (31) had Point racing along to 47 after just nine overs before Blair Gunn claimed the first of his three wickets.
Tim Leonard (15) was the next man out falling lbw to Craig Hinton and when Gunn removed Mcfarlane, Point looked to be in a touch of bother after losing three wickets for 10 runs.
Blair Brown (25) and Latham Gibb (58) stepped up for the home side with a 37-run partnership to get things on track, before Brown after some clean striking down the ground went for one to many aggressive strokes and was bowled for Gunn’s final wicket of the day.
Gibb continued to hang around and eventually found his touch smashing his way to 58 before he became one of Chris Hyde’s three wickets.
Hyde, with 3-19, helped Star restricted Pleasant point to under 200.
Hyde removed new Point recruit Stanley Mair and Gibb in successive deliveries.
Star stuttered in their chase of the total, never really getting any partnerships together.
Wicketkeeper Sam Richardson showed some patience late in the order to top score with 24. Only Hyde (22) and extras (34) provided some support.
Left-arm seamer Richard Stowell was the standout bowler for Point taking 4-39, while Brown picked up 3-36.
Mair bowled with some real pace but was unable to pick up any wickets during his nine overs.
Timaru maintained second place on the ladder with a 58-run over Temuka in their match at The Temuka Oval.
Batting first Timaru scrambled their way through to 119 batting first thanks largely to contributions from Josh Dick (42) and Sam Robinson (25).
Vaughan Tarrant was the best of the home sides bowlers taking 3-23, Dillon Lees and Nick Maguire chipped in with two wickets apiece.
In reply no one got going for Temuka with all 10 batsmen failing to make double figures, the only shining light for the side was the extras column which totalled 27.
Medium pacer Dallas Saunders was the best of an impressive Timaru attack picking up 3-14 while Prabodha Arthavidu, Brad Leonard and Supeshala Jayathilake claimed two wickets each.
That was the fourth successive week that Temuka had failed to score 100 in its innings. The side will quickly need to rediscover its batting touch if they want to remain in the semifinal race.
Meanwhile, Celtic scored 159-9 against Waimate before dismissing the home side for 120 in its reply.