South wins fluctuating annual Argentine North-South match

In a finish befitting the status of Argentine cricket's blue ribbon event, South fended off a late charge by North to win the 101st edition of the annual North-South match at Buenos Aires' Hurlingham Club ground.

South's 23 run win last week climaxed a wildly fluctuating game where the ascendency swung regularly.

After being put into bat, South gave no immediate sign of winning form as it struggled against good fast bowling from Sunjog Chauhan and Andy Perez Rivero.

After losing the early wickets of Charles Gibson and Hernan Pereyra with the score on 35, South battled with a run-rate of two runs per over for some time.

A 57-run partnership from Matias Paterlini and Tommy Francis appeared to provide foundation before two quick wickets again swung the game back North's way.

Francis then teamed with captain Christian Tuñon to accelerate the run-rate, adding a breezy 114 runs for the sixth wicket. Tuñon attacked from the outset with three successive boundaries.

While Chauhan and Perez-Rivero bowled tightly, the North attack lacked depth. Chauhan finished with 5-48 from 27 overs, while Perez Rivero took 2-85.

Francis progressed to a century which included five boundaries, while Tuñon's more assertive innings of 58 included six boundaries and a six.

South finished its allotted time at 269-8, leaving it 20 minutes before stumps on the first day to make an incision on the North batting line-up.

The day finished evenly poised with North 13-1 following the loss of Gaston Arizaga, caught behind off Lucas Paterlini.

The second day was a story of fortunes swinging back and forth.

When North crumbled to be 90-6 before an inspired fielding and bowling performance, an eventual South win seemed assured.

Diego Lord and Paul Ryan helped rip apart the North top order, taking 4-40 and 3-20 respectively, aided by Lucas Paterlini's 2-45.

Only Alex Ferguson (48) and captain Guillermo Kirschbaum (28) exceded 20 for North as it battled to 152 all-out.

When South began its innings already 117 runs ahead, noone could have predicted what was to occur.

Chauhan continued the destructive behaviour displayed in South's first innings taking 3-30 off 20 overs as South collapsed to 90-6.

This left it entering the last day ahead by 207 runs with four wickets remaining.

South added only four runs to its overnight total, as Chauham trampled on the South tail, taking three wickets to finish with 6-35.

New Zealander, Murray Davis, provided a bright start to the North chase, scoring 45 runs, including six boundaries, out of the first 62 runs scored.

Davis' exit saw the commencement of a middle-order collapse as five wickets fell for 23 runs, leaving North shaking at 81-5. Again the ascendancy had swung the other way.

Enter Alex Ferguson and Martin Cortabarria, who struck 37 runs for the seventh wicket. The latter's demise saw a feisty Andy Perez Rivero join Ferguson's in raising the crowd's adrenalin levels with a timely partnership of 42.

Ferguson led the charge towards the South total with three massive sixes before an unplayable yorker from Diego Lord spoiled the party.

Mark Roberts (16) continued the spirited chase before Rivero (22) was remvoed by Pereyra. A plucky North had lost by 23 runs.