Central Stags wobble as wickets tumble
Midway through day one of their four-day cricket match in Napier, Central Stags held a tight grip on the Plunket Shield.
Leading rivals Wellington by four points entering this week’s final round, the Stags skittled Northern Districts for just 134 as swing king Seth Rance tore through the visiting batsmen to take 6-26, his best first-class figures.
But Scott Kuggeleijn had other ideas, after his counterattacking 48 not out averted a sub-100 total for ND.
The fast bowler marked out his run up and charged in, using the Nelson Park bounce to devastating effect to run through the Stags for just 99 in 32.5 overs.
Kuggeleijn ended with 7-48, also his best first-class innings haul, and when ND went to stumps 2-0 in their second turn they had a lead of 37 after a mind-boggling opening day where 20 wickets tumbled.
Once a Wellington Firebird, Kuggeleijn did a job for his former team-mates who need a Stags slip-up to go past them and claim their first New Zealand first-class title in 14 years.
He had opener George Worker chopping on to a bouncy third ball of the innings, then nicked off prolific opener Greg Hay for one before captain Will Young played an extravagant shot first ball which he won’t look back on fondly.
Rance topscored for the Stags with 33 before Kuggeleijn removed him to a short one aimed at the body in the lengthening shadows.
Earlier Rance bamboozled ND with his swing and formed a destructive duo with speedster Adam Milne who claimed the big wickets of Black Caps Corey Anderson (19) and Tim Seifert (3) in his 3-47.
At Nelson Park, Napier: Northern Districts 134 (Scott Kuggeleijn 48no, Nick Kelly 40; Seth Rance 6-26, Adam Milne 3-47) and 2-0 v Central Stags 99 (Rance 33, Tom Bruce 32; Kuggeleijn 7-48).
Allrounder Logan van Beek returned at the right time for Wellington to avert what looked a horror day at Eden Park’s Outer Oval and keep them in the title hunt.
Having missed the Firebirds’ heavy defeat to ND with a hamstring strain, van Beek was back and snared 6-46 to help the Firebirds dismiss Auckland for 304.
The third-placed Aces, who are out of title contention, looked set to plunder when openers Michael Guptill-bunce and Sean Solia added 133 after they were sent in by the visitors.
But after Guptill-bunce (91) and Solia (72) were removed by senior men Hamish Bennett and Jeetan Patel respectively, Auckland lost their last seven wickets for 28 as van Beek hit his straps.
Black Cap Martin Guptill contributed just 14 while Robert O’donnell stood firm at No 3, 93 not out after four hours at the crease as van Beek mopped up the tail.
The Firebirds will need to force the pace with the bat, needing an outright win on what looks a good pitch to have any hope of overhauling the Stags.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland: Auckland Aces 304
(Robert O’donnell 93no, Michael Guptill-bunce 91, Sean Solia 72; Logan van Beek 6-46) v Wellington Firebirds.
In the battle of the bottom two sides, Otago had the better of day one in Dunedin.
Pacemen Matt Bacon (4-55) and Warren Barnes (3-48) shared seven wickets as the Volts dismissed Canterbury for 255.
Opener Chad Bowes topscored with 85 off 134 balls before Bacon removed him 15 short of a century, and none of the other Canterbury top-six topped 25.
Andrew Hazeldine snared Otago opener Brad Wilson before stumps to end the day on a positive note for the defending champions, who already have the wooden spoon locked up for 2017-18.
At University Oval, Dunedin: Canterbury 225 (Chad Bowes 85, Theo van Woerkom 41; Matt Bacon 4-55, Warren Barnes 3-48) v Otago Volts 5-1.