Ryan Bell swapped the Tech colours for the Mid Canterbury green and gold on the weekend and was in good form, claiming five wickets in a massive 30-over effort. Photo supplied.A rain-interrupted Hawke Cup match in Invercargill might not have fallen Mid Canterbury’s way on the weekend, but there was still plenty to smile about.

The baggy green and golds travelled south with high hopes of coming home with points to kick off their Hawke Cup campaign, but it was the hosts who took first innings honours in a match that ebbed and flowed like the weather that surrounded it.

Mid Canterbury’s first success came when they won the toss and chose to wield the willow, a positive outcome which didn’t look quite as attractive when both opening batsmen were back in the shed within the first 10 overs.

Then things began to turn.

An 89-run third wicket stand between Ben Innes and Des Kruger steadied the ship, and when Innes fell for 31 nearly 30 overs later, things looked a lot brighter.

The departure of Innes brought Mid Canterbury captain William Southby to the crease, and he picked up where Innes left off as he and Kruger put together a strong partnership of 88, in which Kruger buried some recent demons and raised his bat, scoring 112 before he was dismissed in the 63rd over.

Kruger, just a few weeks ago, scored 99 and 93 respectively in the same weekend, and then backed that up the following week with a 49, so breaking past the 90s barrier was a great relief for the talented middle-order batsman.

Kruger’s 112 came from 163 balls, with 10 fours and five sixes.

Southby continued to dig in, producing a solid captain’s knock before he was eventually out for 50.

Ryan Bell wagged the Mid Canterbury tail to score 23, as Mid Canterbury were eventually all out for 279 after 92 overs of play.

With runs on the board, Mid Canterbury needed wickets to put themselves in the match.

Shaun Stagg put them right in contention when he snared both opening batsmen for minimal runs, and when Southland limped through to 122 for six, the game was very much Mid Canterbury’s for the taking.

However, a 176-run seventh wicket stand turned the match on its head as Southland’s Benji Culhane and Finn Hurley took it to the Mid Canterbury bowling attack.

Culhane was eventually removed for 105, and Hurley on 81, but the damage had already been done.

Ryan Bell was in sublime form with the ball, claiming 5-160 in his massive 30-over stretch at the bowling crease, while Stagg and Tom Innes both grabbed a brace of wickets each for their efforts as Southland made it through to 330-9, before the match was eventually closed out due to the weather.

In such a good position to power through and claim first innings points, Mid Canterbury came home on Sunday night disappointed at a missed opportunity – but showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Hawke Cup as they now turn their attention to a home match against Otago Country in 11 days.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 1 December 2020