Talk about the ball ruling the bat.
The latest round of the Dunedin premier club competition on Saturday was all about the bowlers.
The highest team score was 123, and the highest individual score was 41, which was on the odd side given most of the Otago players were in action as they prepare for the resumption of the Ford Trophy.
Green Island 123/7 beat CDK 120 by three wickets
Joel Meade has been known more as a batter during his long career, but he showed his wicket-taking knack with the ball as Green Island eventually got over the line at Sunnyvale.
The Swamp Rats might not have immediately been confident their decision to insert CDK was the right one.
Otago wicketkeeper-batter Max Chu got the ball rolling for the Hounds with 20 off 16 balls, and Jamal Todd bashed 41 off 40.
CDK were looking reasonably set at 92 for three, but when Todd fell to Meade, the collapse began.
Jack O’Connor nibbled his way to 19 off 32 to give the Hounds some hope.
Meade quickly dashed that as he finished with the excellent figures of five for 21 from eight overs.
Blair Soper added three for 32 as CDK folded for 120 in the 35th over.
Green Island might have had a stacked top order — five of the top six were past or present Volts — but it mattered little as they plunged to 65 for seven.
Enter Mayank Malhotra (23 not out) and Elliot Santner (33 not out), who combined for an unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 58 to get Green Island over the line.
Rhys Milmine took three for 34 for CDK.
Albion 102 beat Taieri 58 by 44 runs
Albion kept their Bing Harris Shield hopes humming with a convincing win in a low-scoring game at Tonga Park.
Luke Ritchie (four for 21) and Matt Bacon (three for 30) were the destroyers as defending champions Taieri crumbled for 58 in just the 16th over.
There were four ducks, a 1, a 2 and a 3 in a forgettable innings by the Plainsmen.
Only Cameron Jackson’s spirited 24 off 21 balls and a late 16 off 17 from Marno Potgieter gave Taieri much hope of chasing down the moderate target.
Earlier, Albion managed to eke out 102 in the 37th over.
Lewis Garden contributed 21 at the top of the order and Ollie Ritchie (33) and Taylor Cumberland (22) made useful runs.
Avinash Shastri had himself a day for Taieri, taking five for 24 from 11 overs, and had handy support from Regan Flaws (four for 11).
North East Valley 24/1 beat University-Grange 23 by nine wickets.
Yep, 23.
Kaleb McKay shone for North East Valley with six for 15, and Shaedon Miller had four for eight, as the Swans maintained their lead at the top of the table.
And that is really all we need to say about that.
