Stags maintain unbeaten run
The Central Stags remain on top of the Plunket Shield table after maintaining their unbeaten record with a draw against the Wellington Firebirds in Nelson yesterday.
In the other matches, Canterbury needed only a few minutes yesterday morning to beat the Otago Volts by nine wickets, while the Auckland Aces also won by the same margin, cleaning up Northern Districts on Sunday.
The competition will resume on February 21, after the upcoming Super Smash competition. The Stags lead the competition on 57 points, from Auckland and Northern Districts, both on 46.
The Stags, who scored 158 in their first innings and then watched the Firebirds amass 429, resumed their second innings at 184-3 at Saxton Oval yesterday morning, hoping to stave off the Firebirds’ attempts to end their unbeaten run.
No wickets fell in the opening session, as Kieran Noemabarnett reached his half century and Dane Cleaver was three runs short of his own 50 at 271-3.
The pair continued after lunch, putting on 137 together before Malcolm Nofa finally had Noema-barnett caught behind for 76, at 300-4. Cleaver, batting more than six hours, continued on and was unbeaten on 75 when the captains agreed at the tea break to call stumps.
The result extends Central’s record for most first-class matches without a loss to 21, keeping alive the possibility of reaching the national record of 24 when the business end of the competition resumes later this summer.
For the Firebirds, Hamish Bennett’s five-wicket first innings haul elevated him equal with Auckland Ace Matt Mcewan on 15 wickets.
At Saxton Oval, Nelson:
Central Stags 158 and 336-4 (Kieran Noema-barnett 76, Dane Cleaver 75, Brad Schmulian 60) drew with Wellington Firebirds 429 (Michael Bracewell 98, Rachin Ravindra 82).
It didn’t take long for Ken Mcclure to secure victory for Canterbury over the Otago Volts in Dunedin yesterday morning. The Cantabrians only needed six runs to win when play resumed and Mcclure duly obliged, with a boundary and a two, to give his team a nine wicket win.
It was Canterbury’s first win for the season, midway through the eight-round competition, but the Volts remain winless, having suffered four losses in a row.
At University of Otago Oval, Dunedin:
Otago Volts 206 and 246 (Cam Hawkins 76, Hamish Rutherford 63; Kyle Jamieson 3-38, Will Williams 3-6) lost to Canterbury 438 (Cam Fletcher 107; Matt Bacon 4-97) and 15-1 by 9 wickets..