The gap between the top teams and the rest in South Canterbury senior men’s cricket was evident in the first day of round two of the two-day competition.
Each of the three games are well advanced, after a team in each match failed to turn up the heat with the bat in the first innings.
James Laming took advantage of some inept Timaru batting to take 5-21 on the first day of Celtic’s match at Rockdale Rd.
For the second week in a row, the Timaru batsmen failed to fire, and they were humbled for just 53, after being asked to bat by Celtic captain Craig Davies.
Only South Canterbury representative Srinivas KS offered any resistance for Timaru, with 24, while captain Hayden Butler was the only other man to make double figures, with 11.
In pursuit of the total, former South Canterbury representative Matt Mealings showed South Canterbury coach Richard Davidson why he should not be left out of the mix come Hawke Cup time, with a stubborn 62 not out, which included 10 fours.
Mealings shared in a 100-run unbroken partnership with Jeremy Liddy, who relished his rare promotion in the order, to make 50.
Celtic declared at 122 for 2, 69 runs ahead of Timaru’s first innings. Timaru’s second innings went better than their first, but still wickets tumbled.
Srinivas KS made 32, while Zane Sanders was dismissed in the second-to-last over of the day for 20, to leave his side teetering with a 25-run lead with six wickets left.
Temuka will look to humiliate Roncalli College early on day two, after 5 for 40 from Kevin Teahen saw the home side skittle the schoolboys for just 133 in their first innings. Andrew Brooks and Harry Millar top-scored with 23.
Richie Preston then belted 82 to continue his good early-season form, while his opening partner, David Fisher, added 34, to lay the platform for Temuka to declare at 206 for 6, after just 32 overs.
Roncalli captain, Jacob Naylor, snared three wickets, however he was one of the four victims of a superb final spell of bowling from Temuka, who in 11 overs before stumps, left the visitors in trouble at 25 for 4, still 48 runs from making Temuka bat again.
Two sides who won last week, Star and Waimate, clashed at Waimate.
Star finally found consistent form with the bat, thanks to another smart knock from captain Phil McGregor, who managed 81.
With all but one of the top six making double figures, it allowed Star to make 213 for 7 from their 50 overs, despite James Devlin’s 4 for 47 for Waimate.
Last week’s centurion Glen Drake was unable to repeat his match-winning innings from last week, making one, as his side were rolled for 75, in reply.
Star bowler, Craig Hinton, continued his devastating form, taking 6 for 32 from 14.3 overs, bowling through the 28-over innings. Following-on, Waimate lost Alan Reid to be 15 for 1 at stumps, still requiring 123 runs to make Star bat again.
HONOURS BOARD
James Laming 5 for 21
Craig Hinton 6 for 32
Matt Mealings 62 not out
Jeremy Liddy 50 not out
Phil McGregor 81
Richie Preston 82