Cricket: Oops ... maybe not all even in Hawke Cup

WICKET MOMENT: Hawke's Bay senior men's representative players celebrate a wicket during day one of the three-day Hawke Cup challenge match at Milner Park, Oamaru, today. PHOTO/OTAGO DAILY TIMES

Hawke's Bay have lost two wickets in their second innings after skittling North Otago to hold a 10-run lead over the Hawke Cup holders in the three-day cricket challenge match in Oamaru today.

The Pay Excellence-sponsored Bay senior men's representative team had lost opener Matt Edmondson cheaply for the second time in for their second dig and nightwatchman Ajaz Patel for a duck, on the heels of an anaemic first-innings total of 122 runs from 33.4 overs.

The challengers contained the hosts in 50.5 overs for 125 runs on a lush, watered wicket at Milner Park.

It was the twin-spin attack of GC Pretorius and Central Districts Stag Ajaz Patel that caused North Otago batsmen all sorts of trouble.

South African Pretorius took 6-39 from 12.5 overs, including four maidens as Patel stifled the batsmen at the other end with 11 wicket-less overs for as many runs, including seven maidens.

Bay captain Jacob Smith, at first change, took 2-14 from six overs while opening seamer Liam Dudding claimed 1-11 from seven overs, including two maidens.

Dudding and Smith had struck early to have North Otago at 46-3 in 20 overs.

The Colin Schaw-coached Bay side's collective ability was put to the test to eke out a first-innings victory but it doesn't seem to matter as rain is unlikely as the match threatens to be done and dusted by tomorrow.

Opener Lachie Kingan top scored for the cup holders with 37 runs and No 5 Jeremy Smith posted 25 runs on an "up-and-down" wicket.

Ironically, the two innings had a Smith versus Smith scenario unfolding in the two innings.

Jeremy got Jacob's wicket as a bowler and the latter got the former's scalp with a catch off a Pretorius delivery.

Earlier, the Bay were in dire straits after losing seven wickets for 100 runs at lunch.

North Otago, chasing a historic first defence, won the toss and had the Bay padding up but only four Bay batsmen got into double figures.

After 15 overs at drinks, they were 3-65 with the hosts, remarkably, employing only three bowlers to do the job.

North Otago's South African import, Francois Mostert, had claimed the wicket of opening batsman Matt Edmondson for nine runs, caught Brady Kingpan.

Jeremy Smith nailed the other three early scalps -- No 3 Rupert Young lost his furniture for 10 runs, No 4 Indika Senarathne returned to the changing rooms for a two-ball duck after playing a shot down the throat of Jerimiah Shields and Smith failed to carry on from a solid start.

The collapse continued to lunch with Christian Leopard, Angus Schaw and Pretorius departing cheaply.

Right-arm fast Mostert finished with the figures of 4-65 from 13.4 overs, including a maiden, in the first innings as well as the scalps of Edmondson and Patel in the second dig.

Jeremy Smith claimed 3-21 from 10 overs, including four maidens, while fellow right-arm medium pacer Ben Cant emulated his figures, albeit bleeding 34 runs.

Coach Schaw named Dominic Thompson his batting 12th man. Cameron Grubb is running out the snake lollies for the Penguins.