DUCK UNDER: South Canterbury's Bill Walsh top scored for his side with 63, but it was the Canterbury Wizards who won the pre-season 50-over match by 41 runs at Aorangi Oval, yesterday.
The Canterbury Wizards beat a South Canterbury XI by 41 runs in a pre-season 50-over match at Aorangi Oval in Timaru.
The Wizards amassed 283 from their 50 overs on a typically placid Aorangi Oval pitch, yesterday.
Black Cap Shannan Stewart anchored the innings with a sublime 101 not out from 93 balls.
The innings included seven boundaries and two sixes.
He was supported by opener Joel Abraham who made 69 and Dean Brownlie who managed 56.
Brownlie and Stewart put on 110 for the third wicket, and were quick to capitalise on anything short.
The pick of the South Canterbury XI bowlers was Andrew Ellis.
The Wizards all rounder, playing for the South Canterbury XI, took two for 37 from his 10 overs.
The two South Canterbury bowlers used, Craig Hinton and Sam Carlaw, failed to take a wicket.
Carlaw bowled 10 overs for 51 and Hinton conceded 26 from his four overs.
South Canterbury started positively thanks to the efforts of Richie Preston.
The opener hit a run-a-ball 44, which included three fours and a six off Richard Sherlock’s second over.
He put on 74 with Bill Walsh for the first wicket.
When he departed, Ed Kilbee kept the runs coming, while Walsh was much more sedate.
The English-import, Kilbee, looked like he was going to score his first half century on New Zealand soil, but he fell three runs short after skying a ball down to fine-leg.
The South Canterbury XI were on the run rate at 150 for two in the 32nd over.
Walsh slowly came out of his shell, on his way to top-scoring with 63, while Ellis added a breezy 34, but once he was dismissed, the chase lost momentum.
The South Canterbury XI went from 206 for two to 235 for seven, as Willie Lonsdale, in particular, proved hard to score off.
The Canterbury paceman ended with three for 35.