Two out of three ain’t bad for Hinds

board, opening batsmen Ben Smith and Dane Cleaver got into their work - taking to Lister in his second over.

The pair looked like they were getting set in, but it wasn’t to be as Mcclenaghan claimed Cleaver (10) for the first wicket in the fifth over before Lister claimed his first scalp five overs later when Smith departed for 23.

Losing a wicket every five overs became a theme for the Stags, who lost captain Will Young (8) in the 10th over before Jesse Ryder - who looked in good form - was triggered LBW for 30 in the 15th. Ryder clearly didn’t agree with the call, walking down the wicket and applauding the umpire before making his way to the sheds.

Josh Clarkson fell four overs later to leave the side at 104-5 and in serious need of a solid partnership to steady things. Tom Bruce and Doug Bracewell obliged, bringing up their 50-run partnership from 44 balls before Bracewell (38) lost his middle stump to Matt Mcewan.

Bruce (56) was the only batsman to carry on from his start, bringing up his half century before being Nethula’s third victim of the afternoon.

The tail showed some life, but the Auckland bowlers were firmly in control, dismissing CD for 224.

With a very achievable target set, the visitors got into their work - scoring around four runs per over in the early going. The Stags attack got their tails up in the eighth over though, when Ben Wheeler got Michael Guptill-bunce caught behind for 12.

After Guptill-bunce departed, fellow opener Colin Munro looked to try lift the run-rate, scoring a quick 39 before falling to Blair Tickner. His lead was followed by Glenn Phillips who, together with Craig Cachopa, added to the scoreboard.

The pair put on a 64-run partnership before Phillips (48) was caught on the boundary, however it set the platform for the team to reward their bowlers by finishing off the win. The Central Hinds quickly got their season back on track with a successful weekend against Northern Districts.

After being comfortably beaten in three games by Wellington in the first round, the Hinds rebounded with two wins and a loss against ND at Hamilton at the weekend.

The Hinds won the Twenty20 match on Friday by seven wickets and the first one-day game on Saturday by four wickets, before being beaten by five wickets in yesterday’s one-dayer.

Central Districts’ batting was poor in the first round and they didn’t put in their best performance, but things were much improved this week.

Yesterday’s game was the only match where the Hinds batted first and they scored 213-8 from their 50 overs.

Opener Rebecca Burns made 36, and Anlo van Deventer 27, before Kerry Tomlinson came in and top scored for Central with 52 from 57 balls.

Hannah Rowe scored 33 and Rosemary Mair was on 36 not out at the end of the innings. Mereana Hyde took 3-21 for ND. The Hinds did a reasonable job defending the modest total, but couldn’t stop ND reaching 214-5 with 2.5 overs to spare.

Opener Katie Gurrey got them off to a good start with 49 and No 3 Bernadine Bezuidenhout scored

43.

The Hinds fought back to have ND at 162-5, but Regina Lili’i and Kate Anderson saw them home, both scoring 28 not out.

Hinds seamer Melissa Hansen took 2-34.

CD had a relatively straight forward chase in Saturday’s one-day game.

ND won the toss and elected to bat, scoring 170 all out in 44.3 overs.

Spinner Mikaela Greig was the pick of the bowlers with 3-38 from 8.3 overs and she effected a run out. Fellow spinner Jess Watkin also starred with 2-39 from 10 overs, taking the wickets of the two openers.

Lili’i top scored for ND with 52. The Hinds lost a couple of early wickets, but then van Deventer made 21 at No 4 and Tomlinson scored 34.

Rowe, playing her 50th match for the Hinds, then teamed up with Mair for a match-winning partnership of 60 for the seventh wicket.

Rowe was unbeaten on 35 and Mair on 34 not out, her highest score.

In Friday’s Twenty20, ND batted first and scored 130-2 from 20 overs.

ND openers Gurrey (31) and Natalie Dodd (32) had an opening stand of 60, before Greig got rid of both of them.

Then Sam Curtis scored an unbeaten 22 and Bezuidenhout made 33 not out.

Hinds opener Watkin then cut loose to get them home, reaching 131-3 in 15.4 overs. Watkin hit three sixes and 10 fours in a 36-ball

66.

Watkin was out stumped but van Deventer made 19 and Tomlinson was unbeaten on 21.

The Hinds’ next round of games is against Canterbury at Lincoln near Christchurch on December 27-29.