The Waihola Swans jumped to the top of the South Otago premier standings with an emphatic 155-run win over the Valley Stingers in a Challenge Cup game in Milton on Saturday.
The home side scored 244 for seven from their 40 overs, largely thanks to a whopping second-wicket partnership between captain Dylan Bungard and Rowan Craw.
Bungard was aggressive from the outset with a couple of early sixes, while Craw was more circumspect and happy to rotate the strike.
After the positive start, the run rate slowed as the two were happy to conserve energy in the heat of the day and make Valley really work for their rewards.
The partnership passed 200 while Bungard notched his first century of the season.
He was dismissed for 103, and Craw fell just short of his maiden South Otago ton on 95.
Valley claimed a few scalps in the final few overs, but the damage had already been done.
In reply, Valley’s chase ended in the 23rd over thanks to a fantastic spell of bowling from opener Ashley Manson, who grabbed five for 16 off eight overs.
The Clutha Comets and the Milton King Crabs produced potentially the quickest 40-over game in South Otago history.
Milton were skittled for just 51 inside 15 overs.
Strong opening spells from Clutha bowlers Daniel Sutherland (two for 12) and Connor Smith (two for 20) set the tone before Kelan Smith (four for 11) ripped through the middle order.
In reply, the Comets took just 3.2 overs to chase the total down. Skipper Caleb Carson hit an unbeaten 53 off 19 deliveries (seven sixes and one four) in a tremendous display of power hitting.
The Kaitangata Kings beat the Owaka Bandits by 19 runs.
The Kings were asked to bat and made 167 all out in the final over of the innings.
Orry Young led the way with 54, and some key runs at the end of the innings and 29 extras helped the home side through to a very defendable total on a lush Landfill outfield.
Will Clark was the pick of the Owaka bowlers, returning career-best figures of three for 24.
In reply, Gordon Edwards and Matt Morahan put together a promising partnership of 34 for Owaka, who slumped from 71 for three to 76 for five.
Edwards (37) was joined by Daniel Simmonds and the two looked to combine well before they both departed off the bowling of Luc Thomson.
Some tail-end hitting from Will Clark (16) and Francis Parker (15) got Owaka close but the Kai bowlers closed out the innings for a well-deserved victory.
Kobe and Thomson picked up three wickets each for the home side.
— Francis Parker
