Otago’s Chris Gaffaney performed an almost single-handed demolition job on Canterbury in their Shell Super Max match at Gore’s Hamilton Park yesterday

Lynn McConnell29-Oct-2000Otago’s Chris Gaffaney performed an almost single-handed demolition job on Canterbury in their Shell Super Max match at Gore’s Hamilton Park yesterday.He was into the game after only three balls in the first innings, after Otago chose to bat first.While he had a single to get his eye in from the first ball faced, his next was a six speared over third man, not the sort of thing to endear himself to bowler Warren Wisneski.It was typical of much of the mischief he got up to on the day.Shane Bond was the next bowler to disappear into the Gaffaney agitator as successive fours were taken as Otago made the most of a solid start.Andrew Hore had been largely insignificant at the other end but given the chance in the third over, he blasted a huge six behind square from Wisneski.The first Max hit of the day came in style, a Gaffaney lofted straight drive over the sightscreen at the western end of the ground. Shane Bond, the victim, became Bond the liberated next ball when Ben Yock completed a tidy catch.Gaffaney spent only 13 balls at the crease in making his 37.Scott Waide wasted no time on a sighter, his first ball was six into the Max zone.The tempo slowed a little however, as Stephen Cunis and Darren Reekers took over and Waide was eventually out caught at long-off by Cleighten Cornelius.Life in the Max zone became even more dangerous when Mark Billcliff arrived. He produced carbon copy efforts from Darren Reekers with lofted on drives.It was the perfect impetus for the Otago innings and he departed to the first ball of the ninth over with Otago 126-4.Burson did a superb job for Canterbury when conceding only eight runs from the ninth over. Craig Pryor then carried the side to 150 in the last over, the final ball being driven into the Max zone for eight.Andrew Hore batted throughout the innings and was 20 not out.Otago kept the pressure on from the outset as Canterbury, courtesy of some good fielding, especially a superb outfield throw from Chris Gaffaney which saw Brendan McCullum complete some fine cricket to dismiss Hamish Barton, which left Canterbury 40-3.Then in the next over danger man Warren Wisneski, who had blasted a ball from Black Caps call up Kerry Walmsley well over the mid-wicket boundary for six, was caught in the deep by Warren McSkimming.Shane Bond then took the innings into his own hands, with minimal success. One skied shot backward of square was dropped by Chris Gaffaney and two runs were taken.But moving the ball around to mid-wicket next ball proved an error as Lee Germon proved as safe under the higher ball as Jeff Wilson when he played fullback for Otago.The first ball Stephen Cunis faced, from Mark Billcliff, was also his last, bowled for a duck. Canterbury was 46-7.The follow-on mark of 100 was avoided only in the penultimate over when Cornelius hit two Max sixes from Craig Pryor’s bowling.From the first ball of the last over, bowled by Karl O’Dowda, Ben Yock blasted a superb six over the Max zone but was out to the next ball.But the best Canterbury could do was finish with 122, conceding a first innings lead of 28.Mark Billcliff was especially effective with his bowling taking 3-7 off two overs.In its second innings, Otago looked like losing its way when only 35-2 from four overs.But Gaffaney came to the rescue again. He hit five fours in succession, including one Max hit, and a single, to take 25 runs from the fifth over.That was nothing to the carnage that came subsequently. Twenty-four runs came off the sixth over in which Gaffaney posted his half century with a Max hit for four.In the eighth over, the Gaffaney Wrecking Company was in full force as he took 31 of 33 runs to come from Darren Reekers’ over, including two Max sixes.Then after delicately, by his standards, cutting Cornelius for four, he blasted the next ball for six over mid-wicket. He had scored 103 off 26 balls. He was out attempting to repeat the mid-wicket blast, but miscued slightly and was caught at square leg.Canterbury was left chasing a target of 183 to claim the win.Reekers led the early assault with two sixes and a Max six before he was caught by Craig Pryor from Warren McSkimming’s bowling with his 25 coming from only six balls.It wasn’t until Shane Bond and Cornelius were united that the innings picked up impetus with Cornelius flicking successive sixes from Kerry Walmsley to long leg. However, once Cornelius was out in the sixth over, and then Stephen Cunis followed next ball, the fire had departed the Canterbury effort.After only seven runs were taken from the eighth over, Danny Bulman tried to guide a ball fine through the slips. But an ever alert Brendan McCullum snared a fine diving catch to create even more problems for Canterbury.Ryan Burson had time to blast a Max six but going into the last over Canterbury needed 48 to win with only two wickets available.Ben Yock gave it every effort as Otago lined the Max zone. He hit a six and two Max sixes to get Canterbury to within 15 runs of Otago’s combined total.