ANOTHER outstanding bowling performance by Kevin Teahen with 7-20 to follow up team-mate Julian Danby’s second century of the season delivered Temuka a crushing 103-run victory over defending champions Celtic in the latest round of the Daily Freightways Trophy.
The other matches were even more intriguing, as results were achieved only in the final over. At Ashbury Park, wicketkeeper Tim Mackle’s unbeaten 90 sealed victory for Timaru in the local derby after Star again managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Geraldine bowled Waimate all out with one ball to spare and four runs still needed in a Knottingley Park nailbiter.
Temuka batted first at home and were 36-2 when Danby arrived at the crease. His innings of 100 dominated not only the Celtic bowlers but the Temuka scoreboard as he continued his fine season. While other batsmen got starts, it was in a supporting role that they were best, and tallied with another large extras total by Celtic, Temuka were able to post a competitive 219-9.
Celtic were soon in trouble as Teahen’s first breakthrough came with the total on 7. Although opener Ryan De Joux with 29 and Mark Tutton in the middle order with 39 showed some resistance, it soon became the Kevin Teahen show as he took his seven wickets from nine overs. He was well supported in the field, especially by Adrian Cunningham who took five catches. If it had not been for a ninth-wicket partnership of 29 the match might have been over even earlier.
A devastating knock (for Star supporters) by Tim Mackle took the match away from Star’s grasp as they again failed to finish off the job. Star batted first in what also doubled as a Twenty/20 trial and after losing an early wicket settled in as Chris Anders and Nathan Tubb got starts before an unbeaten 86-run partnership between Todd Elliotte with 44 and Mark Evans 35 got Star through to 206-6 off their 45 overs.
In reply, Robbie Rankin and Gerald Piddock added 28 runs for the first wicket before the middle order began a steady procession back to the pavilion and Star were in control with Timaru 60-6.
Mackle and Jordy Morrow together set about resurrecting the innings and together added 108 runs before Morrow was out top edging a cut shot four runs short of his 50.
This changed little as Mackle treated all the bowlers with the same disdain, hitting the ball cleanly and regularly to or over the boundary. He was noticeably hard on himself when mistiming or opting for the wrong shot, but after a let-off with a dropped catch he added a further 40 runs in tandem with Hayden Leonard to give Timaru the win with four balls to spare, reminiscent of last season’s two-day match.
Geraldine made the most of their long trip to Waimate with Ben Millar 39 and Stephen Pagan 37 adding 56 runs for the first wicket. After their wickets fell, though most batsmen got off the mark no one stood out. Eventually, Geraldine posted 156-9. Matt Devlin’s left-arm spin claimed four wickets for Waimate. Reuben Allan’s two wickets came from a miserly nine overs that only conceded nine runs.
The target of 157 was always on as Nathan Sew Hoy 24 and Craig Booth 29 led the way for Waimate but this week the tail did not have as much sting and Waimate were eventually dismissed four runs short of a tie and five short of a win from the second-last ball of the day, with Geraldine off-spinner Chris Esh finishing off a tidy spell to take 4-28.
These latest results in the one-day competition mean that only one win separates all six sides, with Timaru, Star and Celtic on 15 points, and Temuka, Waimate and Geraldine on nine. No team yet has a jump on the field in securing a finals spot.