SUPER START: Celtic captain Craig Davies hits out during his 34 at the top of the innings in his team’s one-run win over Timaru in the opening South Canterbury senior twenty20 cricket game at Aorangi Oval last night.
A gallant 53 from Josh Dick was not enough to prevent Celtic defeating Timaru by one run in the opening game of the South Canterbury Twenty20 competition at Aorangi Oval last night
Timaru needed 21 off the last over and despite the help of a no-ball six by Sam Porter off James Laming,m they fell short by the smallest of margins
Celtic’s top six, full of current or former South Canterbury representatives, guided the defending champions to 162 for seven.
Timaru, who needed 10 runs an over for the latter half of their chase, mustered 161 for seven.
Celtic captain Craig Davies (34) and Laming (31) put on 78 for the first wicket in just nine overs.
However, when they both departed within four balls of each other, Timaru fought their way back into the contest.
The Celtic batsmen ran well between the wickets, while Timaru’s 15 wides did not help their cause.
Timaru captain Zane Sanders bowled well.
His left-arm off-spinners gave him figures of two for 21 off four overs when his fellow bowlers were put to the sword.
Brad Leonard also bowled well to take one for 19 with his medium pace.
Sanders then opened the innings and blasted a quick-fire 30.
Once he departed, momentum was temporarily lost, and at 76 for four in the 11th over the game looked well in Celtic’s control.
That was until Dick and Sam Porter (47 not out) combined for a 62-run fifth wicket stand.
The two ran hard between the wickets and capitalised on some dropped chances on the boundary from the Celtic fielders.
Porter took a while to find the middle of the bat in the last couple of overs and by the time he did, it was just too late.
Laming finished with three for 45, while Ben Watson’s two for 12 after opening the bowling really put the squeeze on the Timaru batsmen early.