Stags thrash Canterbury
Central Districts have solidified second place in the Plunket Shield standings after an innings-and-86-run hiding of defending champions Canterbury in Christchurch.
CD wrapped up the four-day game with two sessions to spare, bowling Canterbury out for 218 in 97.2 overs yesterday, 86 runs short of making CD bat again.
The Stags top order piled on the runs in the first innings, scoring 498-7 thanks to hundreds from George Worker and Greg Hay and half-centuries from Brad Schmulian and Jesse Ryder.
They then rolled Canterbury for 194 and enforced the follow on.
Canterbury, in their second dig, resumed the final day at 143-4, 161 runs behind.
Cole Mcconchie didn’t add to his overnight score and was out for 56 and the other not out batsman, Cam Fletcher, went on to score 50. Their partnership of 91 was their best of the innings.
Tim Johnston showed some lowerorder resistance with 44, but CD seamer Blair Tickner tidied things up, taking 4-41 from 18 overs, his best figures in first-class cricket, and effected a run out, fielding the ball at mid on and throwing down the stumps at the striker’s end.
Doug Bracewell took 2-65, while Seth Rance, who took a five-wicket bag in the first innings, had just one in the second.
CD are just behind Wellington, who have taken maximum points in their first three games.
The Stags’ next game is against Otago in Dunedin, starting on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Auckland had their first win when they beat Otago by 135 runs at Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland
Otago started the day at 140-6, still needing 181 runs to reach their target of 321, but they didn’t last long and were all out for 185 in 62.1 overs.
Auckland quick Lockie Ferguson followed up his seven first-innings wickets with 5-44 in the second innings, as it took less than nine overs to dismiss Otago.
It is the first time Ferguson has taken more than 10 wickets in a match and his third consecutive first-class five-wicket bag. It is even more impressive considering he had a broken thumb.
Derek de Boorder was on 39 not out overnight and didn’t add to his score. Mark Craig went on from 14 not out to score 29 and Neil Wagner was unbeaten at the end on 27.
Debutant Ben Lister took 3-41.
In the final game, Wellington came back to beat Northern Districts by 82
runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton, in what should have been a straight forward chase for ND.
ND resumed the final day at 112-3, needing 178 more runs to win, but Wellington bowler Logan van Beek engineered an ND collapse, taking 6-57, his first 10-wicket haul in a match.
ND were all out for 207 in 65.3 overs, a way off their target of 290.
Dean Brownlie went from 43 not out overnight to top score with 72 and Tim Seifert, who had to retire hurt on 5 after being hit in the head on Thursday, came back on Friday to score 43.
Spinner Jeetan Patel chipped in with 2-41 and paceman Hamish Bennett picked up 2-47.