North Canterbury News: December 04, 2020

SPORT
38 North Canterbury News, December 3, 2020
New side tops table
after beating Ohoka
Leeston­Southbridge jumped to the top of
the countrycricket standings with a
comprehensive eight­wicket demolition of
Ohoka on Saturday.
The combined side’svictory sees it
leapfrogWeedons, which suffered ahefty
79­run loss to Darfield, and lead the CRV
Ambreed Country PremierOne Day
2020/21competition.
At LeestonPark, the home side chose to
bowl firstand immediately rolledthrough
Ohoka’s top order.
Sam Chamberlain and Tom Burt did the
damage at the top,hitting goodareas and
grabbing four wickets between them.
Burt bowledaclosetounplayable
delivery to remove the dangerous Will
Hamilton.
But it was atotal team bowlingand
fieldingeffort,creatingtwo run outs,
which resultedinthe dismissalofan
Ohoka side missing afew key players to
injury.The side was all out for apaltry 93
in 35 overs.
Only Harry Fitzpatrick offeredany
resistance and was left stranded on 40 not
out off 86 balls.
After losing RupertYoung for aduck in
the first over after apeach from Austin
Hamilton, Leeston­Southbridge knocked
off the win inside15overs, with
Canterbury Country star Harry
Chamberlain smashing 45 off 31 balls, and
Country development coachesToby Doyle
(15 not out) and formerDutch
international Tim Gruijters (20 not out)
finishing the job.
Big Darfieldwin
Darfield’spowerfultop­order set up a
commanding victory to knock Weedons off
the top perch on its home soil.
Liam Foulkes (26 runs off 52 balls) and
Nick Jenkins(33 off 45) put on a63­run
opening stand, before Jesse Frew (73 off
87) and Canterbury Kings star Henry
Shipley(52 off 56) put on 109 for the third
wicket and set up afine first inningstotal
of 222/6 in the side’sallotted 45 overs.
Weedons’ reply stuttered to17/2, with
all­rounder Frew again in the action to
remove the openers, and the run chase
never recovered.
James Richardsagain showed his class,
top­scoring with an unbeaten 59, but aside
from keeper­batsmanJames Watson (26),
he got little help and the side was all out
for 143 in the 39th over.
Southbrook defaults
Crisis­hit Southbrook,winless since the
opening roundback on October 3,
defaulted against fellow­strugglers
Lincoln after being unable to find enough
available players.
In the other game, Seftonbeat Cheviot
by sevenwicketswhile the Oxford­
Rangiora Vikings had the bye in this
round.
Shortscorecards
Ohoka 93 (H Fitzpatrick 40; W
Macfarlane 2/16, SChamberlain2/17, T
Burt 2/19) lost to Leeston­Southbridge97/2
(H Chamberlain 45, TGruijters 20no)
Darfield222/6 (J Frew 73, HShipley 52,
NJenkins 33, LFoulkes 26; ADeb 4/41)
beat Weedons 143 (J Richards 59no, J
Watson 26;WGreenslade 2/14, JFrew 2/27,
LFoulkes 2/27, JPauling 2/42).
Cheviot 114/9 lost to Sefton116/3.
Hope family tribute
... Junior driver Ben
Hope paid tribute to his
late grandfather, Peter
Hope, at the Rangiora
Raceway last week,
driving three winners
in aday. PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP
Special racing tribute
Aspecialtribute hasbeen paidto
former harness racing licence­holder
PeterHope,who diedrecentlyat89.
Grandson Ben Hope drove three
winners at the Rangiora HarnessRacing
Club’s recentmeetinginhis honour.
Ben won with Loyalistinrace three,
Krystal Delight in race six, and Baxter in
race seven.All threeare trained by his
parents, Woodend Beachtrainers Nina
and Greg Hope.
Peter, who trained46winners and
shared in the ownership of the Denis
Nyhan­trained, free­legged champion
pacerRobalan,died in Blenheim on
Friday, November 13.
Rangiora horseman GavinSmithalso
looked likely to drivethree winners at
the meeting, but fateintervened when
Fun In The Dark, his drive in race 6,
brokeand fell with200 metres to run,
tipping Gavin from thesulky.
Apost­race veterinary checkofthe
marerevealedlamenessinafront leg
and she was stood down from racing
pending aveterinary clearance and the
completionofone satisfactorytrial.
Gavin was not hurt in the crashand
joked after the race that he didn’twant
to be greedy winning three races.
His first win came in the second race,
withMuscle Bank, who looked
impressiveclearing out at the finish by
5 1 ⁄2 lengthsfor her first winfrom only two
starts.
Muscle Bank is trained by Phil
Burrows and it was his third training
success this season from anew property
in Rangiora established earlier this year
by one of themare’sowners, Ron Dawe,
and his brother, Kevin.
Gavin’s other win came in racefour,
withanother trotting mare, Miss
Moppet, trained by Matt Purvis at
Woodend Beach, who also trains Fun In
The Dark.
Quick
as aflash
3
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