Otago Country
was looking for maximum points in its second Hawke Cup match
of the season against North Otago but instead gave up
first-innings points to the visiting team during the weekend.
Rain delayed the start at Molyneux Park in Alexandra until
just before noon on Saturday.
Captain Brendan Domigan put North Otago into bat after
winning the toss.
The home side was looking for early wickets and picked up
three before lunch.
North Otago was 115 for three when rain halted play for half
an hour just after the lunch break.
Eight overs were lost during the delay but it was a blessing
in disguise for Central Otago as Ben Purvis picked up a quick
wicket shortly after play resumed, dismissing Duncan Drew for
three courtesy of a sharp catch in the gully by Cam
Rutherford.
Otago Country picked up three more wickets before stumps on
day one but North Otago was firmly in control of the match at
290 for seven, meaning an outright win was near impossible
for the host team at that point.
Yesterday, North Otago was dismissed for 352 before lunch,
captain Stephan Grobler (107) and Tim O'Malley (95)
top-scoring. Grobler hit 11 boundaries on his way to the
century including a six off Blair Brown's first over.
Domigan led from the front with the ball and was the best of
the Country bowlers, with five for 89 from 27.2 overs, while
Fraser Wilson also chimed in with three for 58 from 24 overs.
That brought the home side's openers, Jonathan Homer and
Scott Paulin, to the crease, looking to save the match and
possibly put Country in a position to chase down the 351 to
secure a first-innings win. However, Otago Country was unable
to bat out the day and and was dismissed for 268 late in the
day.
Only Rutherford showed any real fight with the bat, scoring
72.
The pick of the North Otago bowlers, Jeremiah Horrell, took
three for 45 off 13 overs.
South Africa condemned Sri Lanka to its fifth successive
one-day international defeat with what home captain AB de
Villiers described as a "clinical" five-wicket win in the
second one-dayer at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday,
AFP reports.
Despite an innings of 92 not out by Dinesh Chandimal, Sri
Lanka's total of six for 236 was not enough to put real
pressure on the home side, which won with eight balls to
spare.
Hashim Amla made 55 and man-of-the-match JP Duminy an
undefeated 66 for South Africa.
Amla hit five fours and two sixes and took advantage of the
early powerplays as he and Graeme Smith (28) put South Africa
in control with an opening partnership of 76.
Duminy, by contrast, hit only one boundary in his 87-ball
innings.
Dhammika Prasad took three for 46 but South Africa was able
to play cautiously against dangerman Lasith Malinga, who
conceded just 38 runs but took his only wicket in his final
over when the result was all but assured.
Sri Lanka has lost 12 out of 18 one-day internationals since
contesting the World Cup final against India in April.
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