Common sense bows to rules
RULES are rules and there was simply no consideration to go late and end the Plunket Shield game at the University of Otago Oval on Sunday.
It took just 10 minutes and 18 balls yesterday for Otago to lose its fourth straight Plunket Shield game.
Canterbury had needed 15 runs to win the game in its second innings and when stumps were pulled on Sunday night it was six runs short, having lost the wicket of opener Michael Davidson.
Common sense would suggest on a beautiful Dunedin night the teams would have just stayed out for a few extra minutes and played out the game as there was only going to be one result.
But it was ruled by the officials the teams had to leave the field.
The teams came back out yesterday and after a couple of maidens by the Otago bowlers, Canterbury batsman Ken McClure hit a four, and then a push through square leg gained the two runs needed for victory.
Match referee Gary Baxter said though it would seem com mon sense to have kept playing on Sunday, the rules had to be adhered to so play had to end.
Canterbury had already claimed the extra 30 minutes on Sunday to try to finish the game but could not quite seal the victory then.
Baxter said the playing conditions had to be followed as there were other shield games being played.
If the game was played out on Sunday night and then it rained yesterday, it could be argued Canterbury won by an unfair advantage while other teams stayed within the rules.
He said both teams had wanted to play on.
Baxter may write something about the incident in his match report to New Zealand as there was a monetary cost to having the match going into a fourth day. But as it stood, he was comfortable with the decision.
It was the first win of the season for Canterbury and the loss puts the Volts a distant last on the Plunket Shield ladder.
Changes are said to be afoot for the side which is struggling with both the bat and the ball.
But it is hardly virgin territory for Otago to be at the bottom of the ladder as it has a poor return in the longer version of the game.
Over the past three and ahalf seasons, going back to the 201516 season, Otago has played 34 Plunket Shield games, won just four, lost 20 and drawn 10.
The team will switch to twenty20 mode and will take on Canterbury, again at the University of Otago Oval, on Sunday.
In Nelson, Central Districts yesterday batted out the final day to draw its game with Wellington and maintain its lead in the Plunket Shield.