Sears puts Firebirds on top

Ben Sears returned to the Wellington Firebirds with a bang as they dismissed Northern Districts for 246 on day one of their Plunket Shield clash at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui yesterday. But it was Logan van Beek who had the standout moment of the bowling and fielding effort, when he took a one-handed grab in the gully to dismiss Northern Districts opener Jeet Raval for

42 off the bowling of Jamie Gibson. Sears took

4-55 after missing round five with an injury, while Gibson took 3-40 as the Firebirds pinned the hosts back. At stumps the Firebirds were

31-0, with Black Caps test opener Tom Blundell not out on 11 and Luke Georgeson not out on 19. ■ At Queen’s Park in Invercargill, the Auckland Aces got on top of the Otago Volts on the back of a blistering innings from Glenn Phillips and a more sedate one from captain Rob O’Donnell, who won the toss and chose to bat. But that was only after the first session was lost as the result of drainage issues. The sight of no play under blue skies left local officials embarrassed and the home team soon joined them as Phillips blazed 11 fours and five sixes on his way to making 92 off 64 balls. The Black Caps batsman was caught by Nick Kelly off the bowling of Michael Rae and fell eight runs short of his hundred, but O’Donnell was on hand to pick up the slack. At stumps the Aces captain was not out on 92 himself – having hit 11 fours and a pair of sixes, but having faced 92 more balls than his team-mate – alongside Will Somerville who was on two, with their side 273-6.

At Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui: Northern Districts 246 all out (Jeet Raval 42, Joe Walker

41no, Ish Sodhi 33; Ben Sears 4-55, Jamie Gibson

3-40) met the Wellington Firebirds 31-0 in 13 overs.

At Queen’s Park, Invercargill: Auckland 273-6 in 74 overs (Rob O’Donnell 92no, Glenn Phillips

92; Michael Rae 3-62) met the Otago Volts.