A roundup of premier club cricket games played in Dunedin at the weekend.
North East Valley 269 beat CDK 148 by 121 runs
You do not usually win the Bing Harris Shield in February — but North East Valley are certainly making steady progress as they seek a third title in four years.
The table-topping Swans played well with bat and ball to put CDK to the sword in the Dunedin premier club game at Memorial Park on Saturday.
The Hounds won the toss but struggled to make early inroads as all of North East Valley’s top eight made starts.
After Shaedon Miller (26) and Hunter Kindley helped nudge the score past the 100 mark, the middle order made hay.
Thorn Parkes smacked three fours and three sixes in his 41 off 34 balls, and Andrew Sheridan made 31 off 35.
The glue of the innings was provided by Will Hamilton. He belted 76 off 72 balls, hitting seven twos and four sixes, as the Swans pushed on to 269 in the 48th over.
While the Valley batters had a reasonable day out, the star of the innings was a CDK bowler.
John McGlashan College old boy Solomon Harcombe produced a fine spell to finish with five for 23 from 8.2 overs.
CDK’s chase was the tale of one man.
Jack O’Connor did everything he possibly could for the cause, thrashing an unbeaten 80 off 70 balls (eight fours, three sixes).
He needed support, though, and while Lewis Harper cracked 29 off 31 from the tail, the rest of the batting order told a sorry tale, and the Hounds were rolled for 148 in the 29th over.
Kaleb McKay led the Valley bowling with four for 27, and Miller and Gus Holt each grabbed two wickets.
Albion 265 beat University-Grange 226 by 39 runs
University-Grange produced a vastly improved effort with the bat but could not mark their 150th celebrations with a win at Tonga Park.
A week after scoring just 23 all out, the Spartans made a gutsy 226 before falling short of Albion’s target.
Wickets tumbled early before Aditya Rangwani (41 off 47) and Vinay Chandrappa (21 off 26) started the fightback.
Otago bowler Andrew Hazeldine then showed his ability with the bat, smashing 54 off just 24 balls (four fours, five sixes), and Venkat Kotte had contributed 57 off 90 when the end came in the 54th over.
Patrick Arnold led the Albion attack with four for 43.
Earlier, Albion had another special knock from one of the in-form batters of the Dunedin premier club competition to thank as they posted 265 from 42.4 overs.
Joshua Olliver was among the runs again — and the man does not like to hang around.
A few weeks after thrashing 143 off 54 balls, he smoked 132 off a more sedate 88, hitting 15 fours and nine sixes to dominate the Eagles’ innings.
Hazeldine’s good day out began with six for 53 from 14.4 overs.
Taieri 163 beat Green Island 116 by 47 runs
Taieri’s hopes of retaining the Bing Harris appear forlorn but at least they won the Battle of the Saddle at Brooklands.
Marno Potgieter was the man to thank, as his fighting half-century was effectively the difference in the game.
Taieri’s innings was faltering — badly, with six of the first seven wickets to fall going for single figures — when Potgieter staged his rescue job.
He grafted for 102 balls for his 66 to get Taieri to a defendable 163.
Joel Meade powered Green Island’s attack with a second consecutive five-wicket bag, five for 36 from 14 overs, backed up by Mayank Malhotra’s four for 44.
Meade (34) and Brad Kneebone (32) made starts but the Swamp Rats’ reply fell well short at 116 in the 36th over.
Ruben Clinton and Avinash Shastri each took three wickets for Taieri.
