Easts make it on indifferent pitch

There would be time for smiles later on but, in the immediate aftermath of his team's three-wicket win over Canterbury Country in yesterday's club one-day final, East-Shirley skipper Scott Pawson looked rather spent.

Chasing just 96 to claim the title, Pawson was convinced Easts had blown it when they had sunk to 69 for seven. But a 27-run partnership between his brother, Jason, and Tim Muir for the eighth-wicket enabled the top-qualifiers to get up with 19.2 overs to spare.

"I daresay there'll be some excitement later on but the main feeling right now is relief more than anything," the captain said.

"The [Hagley No3] wicket wasn't that great, to be honest, but nerves always play a big part in finals.

"On any other day of the week you'd chase 96 down pretty easily, but finals are different."

"Indifferent" might be the best way to describe the pitch that the, supposed, showcase final was played on. It did plenty all day, with some balls staying down and others rearing off a length.

In towering fast bowler Struan George, Canterbury Country possessed the perfect bowler to exploit the conditions. He got the ball to do all sorts as he ripped the heart out of Easts' batting order, taking five for 20.

"That was a top-class bowling performance and Struan was helped by us having to take the lunch break, which meant he could bowl his 10 overs on the trot," Pawson said.

Having begun their reply before the scheduled lunch break, Pawson said the 40 minutes off only added to Easts' nerves.

"At 60 for seven I thought the game was over but in Tim Muir and my brother, Jason, we had the perfect guys out there.

"It just needed a couple of guys to bat together for a while and Jason said that if it took them until the 40th or 45th over to nudge their way there, then they were going to do that."

While that was exciting in its own way, Pawson felt the match should have been played at either side's home ground (MainPower Oval or Burwood Park) or even QE II Park, where batsmen would have had a better chance to shine.

Two-day competitionThe latest round of two-day matches began on Saturday, with first innings results decided in all but one match.

Marist-Harewood, St Albans and Sydenham were all well in front after day one of their games, with Lancaster Park-Woolston handily placed to gain a first innings advantage over Burnside West-University.

They went to the close on 206 for six.

That left them 21 runs short of overhauling BWU's effort of 226 for five declared.

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