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 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.

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

The hosts posted 257-7 from their 50 overs.

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.

In Christchurch, reigning champions Canterbury climbed off the foot of the table into fourth and the last semifinal 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 spun 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 and were bowled out for 228.

In 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 target despite Derek de Boorder’s 77 from 75 balls.