Guptill plunders ton in narrow win over Stags
If there were any concerns Martin Guptill wouldn’t be ready for the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia, they should be gone.
The 30-year-old, who has been out of action with a hamstring injury since the third ODI against Bangladesh last month, plundered 112 from 95 balls in his first game back since limping off the field in Nelson.
His innings, which included 15 fours and there sixes, helped Auckland beat the Central Stags by four runs (Duckworth-Lewis) in their Ford Trophy match at the Eden Park Outer Oval on Wednesday.
Auckland set a mammoth 392-3, with Guptill sharing a 208 run firstwicket partnership with Glen Phillips (102), the new mark for biggest opening partnership for Auckland in the 50-over format.
Their partnership surpassed the 166-run stand between Bryan Young and Blair Pocock during the 1998-99 season.
Guptill tweaked his hamstring running between the wickets on New Year’s Eve and was forced to retire hurt on six.
He missed the rest of the ODI series and the T20 series against Bangladesh, but his return to action, and form, couldn’t have come at a better time with the Australians lurking.
No 3 Sean Solia continued his bright start to domestic cricket, scoring an unbeaten 70 in Auckland’s total.
Powered by a marvellous unbeaten ton by George Worker, the Stags made a good fist of their chase, reaching 249-3 before rain halted play 34.4 overs into the innings.
Sensing the weather closing in, Dane Cleaver blitzed a rapid 77 from 50.
But when play was called off at about 7pm, the Stags were caught just short via the Duckworth-Lewis system.
Meanwhile in Whangarei, the Northern Knights thumped the Otago Aces by 125 runs to pick up their second commanding win on the trot.
After setting the visitors 260 to win, the Knights only needed 38.3 overs to knock over the winless Volts.
Otago No 8 Derek de Boorder’s 43 was the only innings of any substance as the Volts lost their first eight wickets for 81 runs and never recovered from losing opener Michael Rippon in the first over.
Neil Broom, who was playing his first game since fracturing a finger in the first T20 against Bangladesh on January 3, could only muster two runs.
Zak Gibson was the chief destroyer for the hosts, finishing with 4-31 from his nine overs and taking the key wickets of Broom, Jimmy Neesham and Brad Wilson.
In the capital, Wellington beat Canterbury by 10 runs, with the Duckworth-Lewis system required in another rain affected match.
After the match finally got underway at 3.30pm and was reduced to 27 overs per side, Wellington reached 166-6.
Former Canterbury fast bowler Hamish Bennett then crippled his former side’s run chase with three early wickets, including Chad Bowes first ball of the innings.
Opener Jack Boyle struck 68 to give the visitors a shot, but rain returned with the red and blacks on 123-6 after 22.2 overs - not enough, according to the Duckworth-Lewis system.