The Waihola Swans cemented their position at the top of the South Otago 40-over competition with a 163-run win over the Valley Stingers at Tuapeka Mouth on Saturday.
The Swans elected to bat after winning the toss and recorded 191 all out in the final over of their innings.
Waihola were 21 for two when Kellan Crowie and Dylan Bungard came together and added 103 for the third wicket before Bungard was bowled by Chris Moffitt for 55.
Crowie (37) and Jared Cunningham (22) were the other leading scorers to get Waihola through to a defendable total.
Pavv Singh was the pick of the Valley bowlers, notching up his first premier five-wicket bag and returning figures of five for 29 from eight overs.
The second innings was dominated by the Waihola opening bowlers, who tore through the Valley order.
Cunningham and Jared Hayes made the most of Valley’s lack of patience as the home side were rolled for just 28 inside 15 overs.
Cunningham returned the fantastic figures of seven for 12, while Hayes had three for 15.
The Kaitangata Kings solidified their position inside the top two with a 42-run win over the Owaka Bandits.
After being put into bat, the visitors made 157 for eight from their 40 overs.
Jason Young top-scored for Kai with 43, and both Mark Shepherd and Luc Thomson contributed 23.
Hayden Sheppard led the Owaka attack with three for 34, and Robin Waters celebrated his first over in premier cricket with wickets from consecutive balls.
In reply, a resolute opening partnership between Matt Morahan and Gordon Edwards soaked up a lot of early pressure with no real scoreboard return.
Edwards upped the ante before being trapped in front by Connor Smith for 35, while Morahan grafted away for his 24 but saw batters come and go at the other end, and Owaka were rolled for 115 with less than two overs left.
Daniel Sutherland mopped up the Owaka tail and finished with three for 13 from five overs. Smith also took three wickets.
The Milton King Crabs wrestled back the Cameron Cup as they beat the Clutha Comets by seven wickets
Clutha elected to bat and rushed out of the gate through opening batter Macleod Glaister.
He scored 62, and was joined by Abhijeet Gaoli in a 41-run partnership, but none of the last six batters for Clutha could reach double figures and the Comets struggled through to 142 all out in the 35th over.
Milton were served extremely well by 14-year-old holiday fill-in Mac Dickinson, who opened the bowling and returned outstanding figures of five for 13 off 6.2 overs.
In response, Milton chased the total down for the loss of just three wickets inside 22 overs.
Tim Martin was the major contributor with an unbeaten 60 off 49 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
— North Otago club cricket was abandoned on Saturday.
— Francis Parker
