Canterbury first to book ticket for final
Canterbury are the first team through to the Ford Trophy oneday cricket final after beating Wellington by 27 runs in Christchurch.
While the Firebirds earned the right to host the preliminary final courtesy of finishing first in the standings, they were forced to move the match to Hagley Oval with the Basin Reserve booked out by a Bic Runga concert.
Wellington coach Bruce Edgar played down the change as a minor inconvenience after they overcame Canterbury at the same venue earlier this week to lock up top spot.
But his players could not repeat the result when it really mattered as, after being dismissed for 250, Canterbury rode a disciplined bowling performance to gain direct qualification into the domestic one-day finale next Saturday.
Wellington will at least have use of the Basin for Wednesday’s semifinal against Central Districts, who ended Northern Districts’ campaign with a 48-run victory in the minor semifinal.
Sent into bat by the ‘home team’, Canterbury made a disastrous start when Tom Latham (three) and Henry Nicholls (five) were sent packing inside the first five overs.
Chad Bowes and Peter Fulton (24) managed to steady the ship, the former anchoring the innings with 84, his highest one-day score for Canterbury.
Bowes received plenty of help from Todd Astle, who scored 61 as the pair combined for an 83-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
That seemed to lay the platform for a big finish to the innings. However, only Cole McConchie (40no) produced anything of note as Astle’s departure triggered a lower-order collapse of 5-17 before No 11 batsman Henry Shipley chipped in with 18 crucial runs.
Shipley then led the way with the ball, taking 3-37 including the key wickets of Luke Ronchi and Luke Woodcock in consecutive deliveries when the match was evenly poised heading into the final 15 overs.
Four Wellington batsmen were dismissed in the 20s, with only Ronchi passing the half-century mark before falling for 63.
In New Plymouth, rookie Black Caps batsman Tom Bruce scored his maiden domestic one-day century as Central Districts took another step towards the defence of their title at Pukekura Park.
A week after thrashing the same opponents by 227 runs, Central Districts had to work a lot harder yesterday but the result was the same as the Stags’ daunting total of 336 proved too much for Northern Districts.
Bruce scored 100 off just 81 balls, smashing six fours and eight sixes, while George Worker showed why he is the leading run-scorer in the competition with 79 at the top of the order.
Northern Districts gave the chase a decent nudge but the loss of key men like Corey Anderson (79) at vital times hurt their progress.
All-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn did his best to salvage their season, but he was left stranded on 85no as Northern Districts were bowled out for 288 in the 49th over.