Central Stags secure top spot

The Central Stags have secured top spot in the Ford Trophy with one round to spare ahead of the finals after dramatically beating the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

The Auckland Aces and Northern Districts are tied for second on the ladder after contrasting results in the seventh round of New Zealand cricket’s domestic 50-over competition when several Black Caps were granted time playing for their provinces.

Canterbury blunted Auckland’s run chase in Christchurch while ND’S mammoth total of 341 in the first innings was too much for the Otago Volts to chase down in Dunedin.

CD were struggling on 180-7, still needing another 78 for victory in Wellington, but an excellent eighth-wicket partnership by Adam Milne and Seth Rance knocked off the required runs.

WELLINGTON v CENTRAL Basin Reserve, Wellington

Milne and Rance blasted 78 between them to ensure Central Stags will be top of the standings ahead of the semi-finals after their win in Wellington.

The hosts posted 257-7 from their 50 overs as Malcolm Nofal (78 from 104 balls), Stephen Murdoch (58 from 68) and Luke Woodcock (58 from 50 balls) passed 50 when just one other Firebirds batsmen reached double figures.

George Worker’s 70 from 107 balls had the Stags heading towards their victory target while losing regular wickets, and when Worker fell, the Stags were still well short of the 258 they required.

But Milne (34 from 34) and Rance (41 from 34) steered them to victory with three overs to spare and they’re nine points clear of Auckland and ND in second place.

CANTERBURY v AUCKLAND Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Reigning champions Canterbury climbed off the foot of the table into fourth and the last semi-final spot after knocking Auckland over with a 38-run victory.

After opener Michael Pollard’s well-compiled 57 from 60 balls, Black Cap Henry Nicholls was

steering Canterbury towards a good total after winning the toss and batting first.

But Tom Latham scored just two and when Nicholls fell for 70 from 78 balls, Canterbury’s innings stalled as Tarun Nethula was spinning Auckland back into the contest.

Tim Johnston’s quick-fire 32 from 21 balls helped Canterbury to 266 all out in the final over and, in the end, Auckland fell well short in reply with test opener Jeet Raval top-scoring with a laboured 58 from 87 balls as the Aces were bowled out for 228.

OTAGO v NORTHERN Otago Oval, Dunedin

Northern Districts moved level on points with Auckland in second on the ladder after a resounding 66-run victory down in Dunedin.

Nick Kelly’s 106 from 92 balls propelled ND towards a massive score and the likes of Dean Brownlie (56 from 51) and Daniel Flynn (37 from 13) blasted the visitors up to 341-8 when their swashbuckling innings ended.

ND scored more than 100 runs from their final 10 overs and Otago never looked close to chasing down their winning target despite Derek de Boorder’s knock of 77 from 75 balls. When de Boorder fell with 23 balls left, Otago were 272-8 and then bowled out two overs later as ND confirmed their place in the semifinals with Auckland and the Stags.