Back Row: Sam Carlaw (c), Sam Porter, Glen Drake, Prabodha Arthavidu, Tom Costley, Liam Beck, Stan Mair, Tim Leonard. Front Row: Craig Hinton, James Laming, James Blackstock, Adam Beck.
The South Canterbury Hawke Cup team have found a matchwinner with one of their bowlers.
Stan Mair
South Canterbury quick Stan Mair continues to excite.
The right arm seam bowler picked up his third five-wicket bag for South Canterbury to help the side to victory over Mid Canterbury by an innings and 45 runs.
His 7-18 helped skittle Mid Canterbury for just 87 in their second innings.
Mair has played in five Hawke Cup matches and bowled in four of them, snaring 5-40 against Mid Canterbury on debut, three against North Otago and an 8-74 bag against Southland on one of the flattest pitches in the country in South Canterbury’s first innings win.
The Otago Country match was abandoned due to a poor outfield just 12 overs in South Canterbury’s first innings on day one.
The Pleasant Point player has 25 wickets in the four matches he has bowled in.
Mair, who has just three club wickets this season, excels at the higher level.
His efforts were helped by some superb fielding by the South Canterbury side.
Coach Nick Horsley said it was a strong performance by his side first up.
“We’re really happy. We went into the clash slightly under done but the boys played really well.”
The bowling lineup which has been a strong point for South Canterbury in recent season’s stood up again.
“Our bowlers were superb. They bowled great areas in the first session and that really set us up for the match.”
Mid Canterbury won the toss and decided to bat first in their clash at the Ashburton Domain.
They failed to fire with the bat as they were bundled out for just 79.
James Southby’s 17 was their top score.
Tom Costley and Sam Carlaw were the standouts with the ball picking up three wickets each, while Mair and James Blackstock nabbed two apiece.
South Canterbury replied with 211 thanks to a superb knock of 80 from Prabodha Arthavidu.
Again he was the backbone of the South Canterbury innings and played a number of glorious shots in his 183-ball stay.
He stroked seven fours after coming into bat in the first over.
James Laming (27), Glen Drake (41) and Liam Beck (39) provided valuable support.
South Canterbury lost their last seven wickets for just four runs, with five of them falling with the score at 207.
“Artha has been very good for South Canterbury over the last few seasons and again took it upon himself to bat deep into the innings. He is a key member of the squad,” Horsley said.
Mid Canterbury needed 132 to make South Canterbury bat again but were poor once more with the bat and bundled out for just 87.
“Stan bowled really well and the guys fielded well. He came out and bowled like he did against Southland.
“He was patient and bowled very well to a plan.”
Horsley said the side were stoked with that effort first up and an outright win was the target.
“Early on when the pitches do a bit, that’s the sort of result you want.”
Their next clash is against North Otago, the 2015-16 Southern Zone winners, at Aorangi Oval on January 21-22, .
South Canterbury will be going into that clash full of confidence, while North Otago will be eager to claim a win after losing outright to Otago Country in Oamaru.
North Otago scored just 74 before Otago Country made 98 in reply.
A Jeremy Smith 50 helped North Otago to 122 in their second innings but it wasn’t enough as Otago Country scored the 99 runs required with one wicket in hand after being 56-9.
Francois Mostert picked up four wickets in the second innings but it wasn’t enough to help them to a win.