T20 competition still wide open
THE South Otago T20 club cricket competition was thrown wide open by the latest round of matches. With one round remaining, five of the six teams are able to make the final.
The Valley Stingers beat the Owaka Bandits by nine wickets at Owaka’s Swamp Hen Park.
The Stingers put the Bandits into bat, and were rewarded.
The home side could only muster 88 runs for the loss of eight wickets in its 20 overs.
The Valley attack bowled very well, restricting the Bandits batsmen. The line and length was spot on, and this pressured the batsmen into taking risks which did not pay off. Owaka’s middletolower order offered little resistance.
Colin Sparey topscored for Owaka with 26. Inform batsman Jeremy Gray was next best with 24.
All of the Valley bowlers performed well. Marc Phillips bowled four clinical overs at the death. He recorded figures of two for 12 off his four. Tony Omelvena (214) bowled well to open the innings and his son Alfie FlameOmelvena bowled a key twoover period in the middle of the innings and was rewarded with the wicket of the dangerous Gray.
In reply the Stingers chased the total down for the loss of two wickets in the 18th over. Michael Johnston top scored with an unbeaten 33. His partnership with opener Bevan McCall (28) broke the back of the run chase, and saw them home comfortably in the end. Nathan White and Connor O’Leary took the two wickets for the home side.
The unbeaten Waihola Swans handed the Kai Kings their second consecutive loss in the game played at the vacant Crab Grounds in Milton. The Swans recorded a 21run victory to earn their place in the final.
The Swans batted first and scored 102 for six off their 20 overs. Opener Shannon Young continued his form with a wellstruck 51. Young found gaps for singles early on, and then accelerated towards the end of his innings with some nice boundaries. Extras was the next highest score (13).
Pat McKenna and Orry Young took two wickets each for the Kings side.
In reply the Kings could not chase the total down, and were left stranded nine wickets down for 81 runs. McKenna (23) and Young (22) were the main contributors with the willow. Kai’s top order faltered, and they were in trouble at four for 29 before stabilising slightly to reach 48 when the next wicket fell. But then there was a quick collapse thanks to Swans bowler Jamie Morton, who removed McKenna and two other Kings batsmen in the same over to leave Kai reeling at 55 for eight. They could not recover and gave Waihola another victory. Morton (three for eight off four) and Kellan Crowie (three24 off four) were the star bowlers.
The Lawrence Lions kept their slim chances alive with a 29run win over the Clutha Comets at the Cosmic Bullring in Balclutha. The Lions side batted first and made 111, all out in the 17th over. Captain Sam Wyber pummelled 52 in no time at all at the top of the Lions innings. Wyber hit three fours and four sixes to record his second consecutive half century. Mitch Pryde and JB Lowery were the only other Lions batsmen to hit double figures.
Nick Faddes was the best of the Comets bowlers, with three for 25 off four overs.
In reply the Comets were bowled out for 83 in the 19th over. Caleb Carson (32) and Sam Mosley (13) were the only Comets batsmen to make double figures. Lawrence’s bowling and fielding was top drawer. Hayden Wyber picked up four for 11 off four overs. He was backed up well by Taine Wilson and Adam Wilson who picked up two wickets each. Slade McDowall was lightning in the field, running out dangerous batsman Chris Faddes.
Waihola are guaranteed a finals spot after going through unbeaten. Valley, Owaka, Kai and Lawrence all still have a chance of making the final depending on next week’s results. Owaka host Clutha while Kai host Valley. Waihola host Lawrence in a mate versus mate clash to end the round.