Canterbury Country put the Hawke Cup away for the winter after it repelled North Otago's challenge at Rangiora.
Canterbury Country batted through the second day of North Otago's Hawke Cup challenge to be 364 for six at stumps giving it a first-innings lead of 185, with four wickets still in hand. Canterbury Country dismissed North Otago for 179 on the first day and at stumps was 67 for one with Liam Bartholomeusz on 67 and Jack Boyle on seven.
This pair added 96 for the second wicket, before Boyle was dismissed for 33. Bartholomeusz went for 91 five runs later. Shanan Stewart and Harry Chamberlain added a further 36 runs before Chamberlain was out for 30. His brother Sam did not trouble the scorers, falling without any addition, while captain Andrew Robertson went with the total at 206. Stewart and Henry Shipley dominated the later stages of the second day and at stumps on the second day had taken Canterbury Country through to 364 for six, with Stewart on 130 and Shipley on 37, an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 158. Francois Mostert took four for 76 and Jeremy Smith, two for 33 off 17 overs for North Otago. The runfest continued on the final day yesterday. Stewart and Shipley added 37 runs before Shipley was run out by Jeremy Smith for 56, with the total at 401.
Stewart continued to dominate the North Otago attack, adding a further 36 runs with Will Williams, before he was caught behind for 173 by Lachie Kingan off Jeremy Smith's bowling, an innings containing 23 fours and a solitary six. The last two wickets fell with the total at 446, leaving North Otago 267 runs in arrears going into its second innings. At lunch on the final day, North Otago was two for one, with Kingan out for one and North Otago needing a further 265 runs to make Canterbury Country bat again. At tea, the respective captains Andrew Robertson (Canterbury Country) and Jordan Horrell (North Otago) agreed that the game be drawn and Canterbury Country retained the Hawke Cup on the first innings.
- Terry O'Neill
