Southland cricket's big few days; Six things you should know
We take a look at six things attached to Southland which are worth highlighting.
It’s been a big few days for Southland cricket for various reasons. Logan Savory highlights six things you should probably know.
It includes the emergence of the next generation of Southland cricketers, why Jacob Duffy just might be in the form of his life, and who has been crowned Southland’s 2024 T20 champions.
Like father, like son (sort of) #1
Sam Hodson produced a special highlight at the Year 7 District tournament in Timaru with his unbeaten 117 playing for Southland Country on Saturday.
Sam opened the batting against Dunedin and his 117 came from just 76 balls as Southland Country posted 321 for seven from its 40 overs.
Sam’s father Jonathan is a well-known figure in Southland cricket circles considering he had a 16-year stint playing Hawke Cup Cricket for Southland.
Although Jonathan was best known as a left-arm quick bowler where it seems son Sam is now making his statement as a batsman.
In recent years Jonathan Hodson has played a key role in helping cricket thrive in Te Anau.
Like father, like son #2
Twenty-four hours after Sam Hodson’s impressive performance there was another example of the next generation of Southland cricketers emerging.
Geoff Folster was one of Southland’s finest club and Hawke Cup cricketers. It included captaining Southland for many seasons and racking up 21 senior club centuries.
On Sunday son Will Godsell-Folster also impressed at the Year 7 Districts tournament with his impressive innings of 92 from just 56 balls playing for Invercargill Metro against Dunedin.
And the 2024 Southland club T20 champions are…
Invercargill-Old Boys.
Invercargill-Old Boys has beaten Appleby in the club T20 grand final thanks to some batting heroics late in its chase from Ryan Acland.
Appleby won the toss and chose to bat first. It posted 120 for eight thanks largely to Kieran Lloyd’s 47 from 49 balls opening the batting.
Spinner Jake Kura was the pick of the Invercargill-Old Boys bowlers taking four for 24 from his four overs.
Invercargill-Old Boys struggled for a good part of the chase and were 49 for four at one point before Kieran O’Neill first produced an important 41 from 32 balls.
But there was still plenty of work to do when Acland entered the game, which included needing 15 off the final over for victory.
Acland did just that and finished with 25 from 10 balls to lift Invercargill-Old Boys to the thrilling victory.
Statement on national stage
Southland coach Jason Domigan declared when teenager Charlie Ottrey made his Hawke Cup debut at the end of 2023 that there was real confidence the youngster was up to it.
That was backed up with a handy knock of 38 on debut against Otago Country.
However, Ottrey made his biggest statement playing for Otago in the lead up to the national U17 tournament.
In a two-day fixture against Canterbury he struck 171 from 133 balls which included 15 fours and 14 sixes in a remarkable display of batting.
Keep an eye on the name Charlie Ottrey. He’s a Southland cricketer on the rise.
Form of his life
At 29-years-old and 12 years into a professional cricketing career, Jacob Duffy might just be in the form of his life with the ball.
He’s getting the ball to swing and at good pace. That was highlighted on Friday when he took two for 14 from four overs in the Southern Volts’ tied T20 match with Central Stags in Dunedin.
The Central batsman battled to play Duffy as he sent down outswingers at pace.
How he didn’t pick up the man of the match honour was baffling.
No doubt the Black Caps selectors’ eyes will still be on Duffy.
Making history
Southland’s Harriett Cuttance has this week been playing for the first-ever Aotearoa Wahine Māori cricket team.
The Gore cricketer is part of the Māori women’s team which wis taking part in the Pacific Nations Cup starting in Auckland.
Other teams taking part in the tournament include Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji, and Vanuatu.