A dominant innings by Harry Chamberlain set up a big 43-run win for Leeston-Southbridge over country cricket rivals Weedons on Saturday.  

The result put Leeston-Southbridge alongside Sefton at the top of the 2022/23 Canterbury Country Premier One Day competition, with Weedons and Darfield, who took care of Peninsula-Harbour at the weekend, rounding out a settled semi-final group.  

At Weedons Domain, the Southbridge Hotel LSCC XI elected to bat first but were in early trouble when Charlie Robson knocked off their opening pair cheaply.  

Chamberlain, however, swung the game back his side’s way, negotiating a tricky moving new ball and compiling a classy 93 runs off just 80 balls, including 11 boundaries.  

A cameo unbeaten 32 off 21 balls by young number 10 batsman Ethan Booth helped lift Leeston-Southbridge to 233/8 off their allotted 45 overs.  

Former Canterbury Kings star Jeremy Benton was the pick of the Weedons bowlers, with his left-arm spin snaring three wickets.  

In reply, Weedons battled hard, especially keeper-batsman James Watson (43 runs off 76 balls) but struggled to get the combined side’s tight bowling away.  

Several batsmen got starts but couldn’t go on with the job and Weedons eventually fell 43 runs short.  

A five-wicket bag for Darfield’s Will Greenslade set up a comfortable home win over Peninsula-Harbour.  

Akhil Pant’s 40 runs off 66 balls was the only batting highlight as the visitors collapsed to be all out for 92 in 31.4 overs.  

Darfield knocked off the required runs in just 20.4 overs despite three quick wickets from David Neal.  

The season’s struggles continued for Ohoka as they fell to a low-scoring six-wicket loss to fellow strugglers Oxford-Rangiora-Southbrook on Saturday.  

An unbeaten 22 from number Austin Hamilton helped Ohoka reach 93 all out, with seven different bowlers taking wickets. 

But it wasn’t enough as the Vikings picked up a rare win behind 43 off 33 balls by Gus Mowat.   

The game up in Cheviot got abandoned after 20 overs.

Short scorecard: 

Leeston-Southbridge 233/8 (H Chamberlain 93, T Gruijters 33, E Booth 32no, D Munro 21; J Benton 3/37, C Robson 2/42, J Kane 2/60) 

Beat Weedons 190/9 (J Watson 43, C Robson 29, B Leonard 22, B Nightingale 21; C Beatson 2/25, T Gruijters 2/29, S Chamberlain 2/35).  

Peninsula-Harbour 92 (A Pant 40; W Greenslade 5/11, N Jenkins 2/8)  

Lost to Darfield 94/4 (N Jenkins 19no; D Neal 3/17).  

Ohoka 93 (D Coles 22, A Hamilton 22no; N Cook 2/9, D Smith 2/9, S Fleming 2/32) 

Lost to Oxford-Rangiora-Southbrook 94/4 (G Mowat 43; G Mauger 2/22).  

Article added: Tuesday 07 March 2023