Timaru’s Zane Sanders came good at the right time, after a mixed day, to secure maximum competition points for his team in their two-day senior cricket match with Temuka at Ashbury Park 4.
Sanders dropped Temuka’s Hayden Broker when he was on nine, and the Magpies stalwart rode his luck to 52, to help set up a testing run chase for Timaru of 96 runs from 17 overs.
Sanders held firm with the bat though, scoring 39 not out to guide his side home by four wickets.
In other results on Saturday; Celtic’s bowlers backed up the hard work of their batsmen to win by an innings and 93 runs over Roncalli College, while Star squeaked home by one wicket over a gallant Waimate.
Timaru started the day at 195 for five, a lead of 32 on Temuka’s first innings.
Boundaries were hard to come by, but a career-best of 15 from Jeremy Smallridge, which included his first boundary in senior cricket, kept the runs flowing.
Former Geraldine pace bowler Tom McKnight picked up four of the last five wickets to fall to end with four for 27, after missing the first day’s play.
Neil Loow combined with him to take three catches, he also dropped one, as Timaru were bowled out for 253, a lead of 90.
Temuka looked unlikely to make the follow-on, at 65 for five, as they crawled along at two runs an over. Opener Adrian Cunningham was the initial anchor of the innings in making 26, in an 80-ball, 110-minute vigil.
Broker was dropped four times during his innings, but he hung around and found support from Vaughan Tarrant (29) and Che Latta (13), to frustrate the Timaru bowlers.
Temuka became more aggressive after the tea-break, elevating their run rate as they looked to set a testing total.
Last-man dismissed Nathan McNicol was out five minutes before the last hour of play, when three overs would have been lost for a change of innings.
Instead Timaru were left chasing 96 to win from the mandatory 17 overs which had to be bowled in the final 60 minutes.
Abhishek Baadkar was the best of the Timaru bowlers, with three for 45 from 20 overs, to go with his 50 with the bat in the first innings.
Sanders and stand-in captain Jordan Morrow each took two wickets.
Timaru set about the run chase in a frenzied manner and lost wickets as a result.
Dhananjaya Murari was caught trying scoop the ball over his shoulder in a dismissal which was the worst of some rash stroke-play.
McKnight was the main benefactor on his way to five for 39.
Timaru lost wickets but kept up with the run rate.
Sanders played aggressive, conventional cricket and, when he was joined by the technically solid Gerald Piddock, the win was achieved, albeit with five balls to spare.
Morrow said his team “went flat after the tea-break”, which allowed Temuka to prosper.
Broker said it was an enjoyable game, and he was pleased with the fight shown with both bat and ball on the second day.
He praised the efforts of McKnight, who he said should be considered for the South Canterbury team.
A stubborn 72 from Star captain Phil McGregor got his side home by the barest of margins against Waimate at Mountainview High School.
Waimate trailed by 18 runs but still had 10 second innings wickets in hand at the start of the day.
They had contributions from many batsmen Glen Drake (35), Jason Sew Hoy (28) and Matthew Sew Hoy who hit four fours and a six on his way to 29.
Waimate were bowled out for 174, with the medium-pace bowling of Tyson Hamilton and Alex McKenzie taking three wickets each for Star.
The batting woes continued for Star early in the pursuit of 132 for victory, as four of the top five batsmen failed to make double figures.
Waimate thought they had McGregor trapped leg-before wicket on four from the bowling of Alan Reid, but with player umpires being used, confusion ruled and McGregor survived.
Reid still managed four for four for 67, but McGregor found support from Matt Heywood (25) and Grant Managh (21 not out), as Star scraped home.
McGregor said the batting was the big worry along with getting a consistent team on the field.
They lose opening bowler Craig Hinton until February.
Jason Sew Hoy said his team lacked the luck they needed for the win.
Celtic continued to dominate Roncalli College at the Celtic Sports Grounds.
Roncalli made just 104 and 116 in their respective turns at bat to suffer an innings defeat, after Sam Carlaw spun his way to another five-wicket haul after Celtic enforced the follow-on, after they amassed 313 for five in their sole turn at bat on day one.
Davies said Carlaw was in fine form.
“He wasn’t unplayable, but he was putting it in the right spot.”