SOUTH OTAGO
The Waihola Swans have qualified in first place in the T20 competition after a 102run win over the Valley Stingers, played at the Crab Grounds in Milton.
The Swans batted first and made 209 for the loss of two off their 20 overs. Waihola lost opener Shannon Young early in the innings but the Bungard brothers, Jordie and Dylan, set about their work. Jordie was dismissed for 33, which brought Brodie Flannery to the crease. Dylan and Flannery formed a formidable partnership in the middle, hitting some huge boundaries and giving the Stingers bowlers no respite. Their partnership was well over 100 and they finished on 74 not out and 73 n.o. respectively. They hit five fours and 15 sixes between them. None of the Valley bowlers found their feet and they were punished accordingly. Opening bowlers Lachie Johnston and Richard Ray picked up their side’s only wickets.
In reply, the Stingers ended up well short after batting out their 20 overs. Bevan McCall was again Valley’s highestscoring batsman with 28. Lowerorder batsman Richard Ray was next best with 17. The Swans bowled extremely tight lines and did not offer any loose deliveries. Craig Gordon shone with the ball again for Waihola with two for 13 off three overs. Jarrod Kay also bowled well; his two for 23 off four was a decent return for a good spell of bowling.
The Kai Kings have joined the Swans in the T20 final with a fourwicket win over the Milton King Crabs, played at the Royal Landfill in Kaitangata. The King Crabs batted first and could only muster 101 off their 20 overs. Several King Crabs batsmen got a useful start but could not carry on. Opener Braden Adams topscored with 17. Phil Scott was next best with 14. Kings strike bowler Marc Phillips picked up very impressive figures of two for two off his four overs on his return from injury. It is very pleasing to see him back on the field after injuring his eye on rep cricket duty. Orry Young also picked up two wickets for 23 off his four.
The Kings chased the total down in the 16th over with four wickets in hand. They lost toporder wickets early on: Crabs bowler Rhys Mathieson picked up the precious scalps of Blair Benington and Jason Young for no runs to give his side a chance at defending the low total. Experienced batsmen Tony Phillips and Pat McKenna steadied the ship and pushed the Kings towards victory.
Phillips departed before another mini collapse but McKenna was there at the end to see his side home. He finished with 57 not out. Phillips (28) was the next best for the Kings. Rhys Mathieson recorded two for 24 off his four overs and Phil Scott took two for eight off three.
The Clutha Comets have sealed their spot in the third and fourth playoff next week with a 12run win over the Owaka Bandits at Swamp Hen Park, in Owaka. The Comets elected to bat first and made 145 for five off their 20 overs. Experienced batsman Tim Hutton was the star for the Clutha side. He timed his innings perfectly and showed patience as well as brute force and aggression. Clutha was in trouble at four for 30 before Hutton and allrounder Jared Crawford put on an excellent partnership. Crawford was a perfect foil for Hutton; he ran well between the wickets, rotated the strike and hit boundaries when he had to. Hutton finished on 57 not out. Crawford was run out for 37 but the damage had already been done. Jeremy Gray was the best of the Owaka bowlers with three for 30 off four overs. His three wickets all came in the same over. Colin Sparey was miserly once again for the Bandits. He took one for 14 off his four.
In reply, the Bandits were dismissed for 133 in the secondlast over. Francis Parker topscored with 40 not out. He looked comfortable at the crease and hit some powerful strokes. He ran out of partners, running his last one out trying to retain the strike. Steve Clarke was next best with a nicely hit 28. Heath Faddeson was a star in the field for the Comets. He took three wickets for 11 off three overs and produced two magical catches and a superb runout in the secondlast over. His enthusiasm and athleticism were outstanding. Jared Crawford (two for 15) and Connor Smith (two for 20) also bowled well.
Next week sees a doubleheader at the Cosmic Bullring in Balclutha. The home side, the Comets, host the Valley Stingers in the third/fourth playoff before the Waihola Swans and the Kai Kings face off in the T20 final.