By Jonathan Leask  January 13 2010

Mid Canterbury’s senior cricketers suffered a one wicket defeat against the New South Wales Emus on Monday.

In trying conditions on the Ashburton Domain Oval Mid Can- terbury failed to take the last wicket to claim a win over the touring Australian side.

 The result would have left captain Lyall Jemmett disappointed with a loss in his milestone 100th game.

 Mid Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat after rain had delayed the start of play and reduced the match down to a 45 over affair.

 It was the tourists who had the first say in the match when Robert Madden was run out for two with the score on seven. Mid Canterbury responded with a 49 run partnership between Liam McLeod and Jemmett. McLeod departed for 21 just before lunch, which saw Jemmett joined at the crease by the in-form batsman Des Kruger and the pair made it to through to lunch.

 After lunch Jemmett and Kruger put together a 74 run partnership to set Mid Canterbury up for a late charge at a big total.

 It was Kruger who was the first to go, bowled for 46. Jemmett made the most of his 100th appearance making it through to 58 before he too was dismissed in the 39th over to leave Mid Canterbury in a position to launch at 149-4.

 With six overs remaining the home side looked to up the tempo and its way to a big total, however Mid Canterbury failed to capitalise on its strong position. Bo Houston and Robbie Polson were tied down and made to work hard for every run. Houston fell for eight and Polson followed shortly after, run out for 15.

 The final over was action packed. Richard Print was bowled without adding to the score to leave Mid Canterbury 177/8. Then Ryan Cockburn was run out on the penultimate ball of the innings, which meant number 11 batsman Sean Cunneen had to make the walk out to the crease for the last ball. Cunneen was quickly turned around as the Emus finished the innings with a wicket as Mid Canterbury capitulated in the final over to be all out for a competitive total of 180.

 “Going into the last five overs or so we lost some momentum and lost four or five wickets also. We should have got through to 200 really,” coach Dayle Jemmett said.

 “We still thought it was a good score on that wicket and the conditions.”

 As the weather deteriorated it was the Emus’ turn at bat. The patches of rain made the conditions difficult for the bowlers running in, but it was to their advantage once delivered.

 The second innings started the exact way Mid Canterbury would have wanted as Print took a wicket in the first over. After a chance went begging Print struck again to have the Emus 10/2. Cockburn then came on and proceeded to take three wickets.

 The tourists had to battle the rain and Mid Canterbury was bowling to the conditions, and after Lyall Jemmett struck in what was an expensive over the Emus were in dire straits at 74/6.

 A solid seventh wicket partnership saw the visitors to 107 before Print returned to take his third wicket and reduce the Emus to 107-7, still needing 107 runs with only three wickets in hand.

 Cunneen returned in his second spell to pick up his first wicket of the day to make the equation harder for the Emus at 111/8.

 Kruger had been expensive but managed to pick up the ninth wicket leaving the Emus reeling at 121/9.

 That was where the match took a major turn as the tail most certainly wagged. The Emu number nine batsman took control of the innings, with able support from his number 11, and slowly but surely began to haul in the runs. The pair put on an incredible 60 run partnership without offering anything more than a few half chances, to snatch an unlikely victory from Mid Canterbury’s grasp, hitting the winning runs on the first ball of the last over.

 Print again was the key figure with the ball as he returned figures of 3/15 form his nine overs. Cockburn was also rather economical as he also bagged 3/25 with Cunneen, Jemmett and Kruger all taking a wicket.

 “We did find it hard to bowl with a wet ball but that’s no excuse really. We bowled ok and the fielding was ok, we just didn’t apply enough pressure or have the right intent to win this one.”

 The next fixture for Mid Canterbury is against Otago Country in Alexandra in early February.

Pictured: Close calls were the order of the day for the Mid Canterbury senior cricket team. Des Kruger had a close call in more ways than one as he gets his body behind the ball on his way to 46. - Photo Sarah Chamberlain 110110-SC-163