Ball was very much the winner of the weekend as Southland beat North Otago by five wickets in the resumption of Hawke Cup qualifying in Oamaru.
Only one batter passed 50 in four innings as both sides struggled to deal with the seaming conditions.
Southland claimed a 72-run advantage after the first innings, cleaned up North Otago for 130 in the second, and knocked off the target of 59 in 18.3 overs, albeit with a few nervous moments.
Cam Grubb played a typically breezy hand for the home side, whacking 40 off 37 balls as they were dismissed for 107 batting first.
Sithum Niluminda paced the Southland bowlers with three for 26.
North Otago captain Jeremy Smith then ripped out both visiting openers cheaply on his way to five for 37, taking his 100th wicket for the province in the process.
Aaron Hart (52) and Brendan Domigan (38) led the recovery, and Sam Nicholson (24) and Niluminda (20) added a late push as Southland posted 179.
North Otago needed to take the game long to stay in the fight but could only get a few nibbles in their second innings, Hunter Wardle scoring 22 and Jesse Valpy 21.
Niluminda completed a solid double with four for 25, and Nicholson grabbed four for 27.
Grubb and Smith each grabbed two quick wickets to create some excitement but the target was always going to be too meagre to defend.
In Alexandra, Mid Canterbury eased to first-innings points against Otago Country in a game curtailed by rain.
Opener Josh Shackleton scored 44 and Cam Jackson 38, and Sukhdev grafted for an unbeaten 57 off 130 balls as Country made 209.
In reply, top-order batters Des Kruger (80) and Devon Flannery (79) put on 132 for the third wicket to propel the visitors to 246.
Matt West, Barry White and Charanjit Singh each grabbed two wickets for Country before stumps were called.
