Aces snatch victory over Central Stags
The Auckland Aces joined the Wellington Firebirds in the winners’ circle at the end of the opening round of the Plunket Shield, striking late in the day yesterday to deny the defending champion Central Stags.
At the tea interval on day four at Eden Park Outer Oval, the Stags needed 80 runs to win with five wickets and hand and wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver leading their charge, not out on 57.
Willem Ludick came and went for nine, with the target reduced to 65, but Cleaver and Ben Wheeler got it down under 50, and it was looking like the Aces’ declaration at 189-9 earlier in the day, when they led by 230, might have been too generous.
New recruit Kyle Jamieson made the vital breakthrough for the home side, trapping Cleaver lbw for 72 with 47 runs still needed, and fellow seamer Matt McEwan made light work of the Stags’ tail from there, finishing with 4-39 as the Aces won by 38 runs.
Aces wicketkeeper, Ben Horne played the key role in batting them into a winning position, finishing not out on 55 as they added 55 runs to their overnight total, while receiving good support from offspinner Will Somerville, who made 42.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland: Auckland Aces 210 &
189-9 dec (Ben Horne 55no, Will Somerville 42; Willem Ludick
3-43, Seth Rance 3-49) beat Central Stags 169 & 192 all out (Dane Cleaver 72, Brad Schmulian 32; Matt McEwan 4-39) by 38 runs.
With the Firebirds completing a win over the Volts inside three days at the Basin Reserve, the only other match yesterday was between Canterbury and Northern Districts at Hagley Oval.
Both sides had found conditions ripe for batting across the first three days in Christchurch and nothing changed on the final morning, where Northern added 106 runs in 18.1 overs for the loss of a single wicket before rain brought proceedings to a halt.
Northern had made it to 498-6 in reply to Canterbury’s 390 when the rain arrived, with Daryl Mitchell not out on 170, his highest first-class score.
Canterbury are away to the Firebirds in the second round.
At Hagley Oval, Christchurch: Canterbury 390 met Northern Districts 498-6 (Daryl Mitchell 170no, Tim Seifert 119, Mitchell Santner 96).