Ferguson fired up by Wagner
The scariest fast bowler in New Zealand cricket thought it was only a matter of time before he got some of his own medicine.
Sure enough, Lockie Ferguson got a crack on the end of his thumb from a Doug Bracewell short delivery in Nelson last week but played on for Auckland a few days later, even if the fracture was on the right thumb he grips the ball with.
It was minimal bother for the 26-year-old 150kmh man, who defied the pain to tear through Otago’s batting lineup on Eden Park’s Outer Oval for career-best match figures of 12-78, to usher in Auckland’s first Plunket Shield win by 135 runs yesterday.
‘‘To be fair I was probably due one, having pinned a few other lads,’’ Ferguson quipped, of the knock he suffered against Central Stags.
‘‘Dougie got me with a decent short one right on the end of the thumb. I’ve just got a little fracture, nothing to write home to Mum about. It was a bit niggly last week but it settled down and luckily it’s under the nail so not on the part of the thumb where I hold the ball.’’
Still it was vulnerable when he batted. Especially against Otago’s test left-armer Neil Wagner who’s not widely known for taking it easy on a tailender.
‘‘I wasn’t planning on hanging around too long facing Waggy. I know he was targeting my thumb. I just tried to get a few cheap runs and have a bowl.
‘‘He actually got me on the thumb on the first innings, that one I got out to, the bugger.
‘‘I’d expect nothing less. Wags and I are good mates, we play hard on the field. I enjoy it just as much as he does and we give it to each other but he’s the first to come and have a beer with me afterwards.’’
The prognosis was 4-6 weeks before the fracture fully healed, and Ferguson hinted he may sit out next week’s game after playing three tough ones on the bounce.
After toiling away for 2-127 in Wellington’s mammoth 553-3 at the Basin Reserve, Ferguson snared 5-129 in Nelson before Bracewell ended his involvement. There was heavy bruising and swelling around his thumbnail but not enough for Ferguson to miss Auckland’s first home match. ‘‘A few Panadol and it was good to go.’’
Ferguson’s first innings 7-34 was career-best innings figures and his eighth five-wicket bag.
There were some classic fast bowler’s dismissals. Opener Brad Wilson was snared at short leg to a snorter and former teammate Rob Nicol was trapped in front by a sandshoe-crushing yorker. Derek de Boorder left one that tailed back and castled him then debutant Warren Barnes missed a lighting full toss that sent his middle stump cartwheeling.
After showing promising signs on Black Caps debut last summer, Ferguson got New Zealand Cricket’s final central contract for this season after Mitchell McClenaghan opted out. He looks certain to feature in black in coming months, more likely in white ball cricket unless one of the test pace frontliners breaks down.