Rain, watertight batting thwart Canterbury’s challenge

thwarted Canterbury’s hopes of a quick kill when play resumed after day two on Wednesday was washed out.

Canterbury declared at 159-2 to concede 47-run first innings lead rather than settle for accumulating batting bonus points – Wellington were 39-0 at the close, an overall lead of 86 with 104 overs remaining.

Although Canterbury coach Gary Stead lauded Borthwick and McPeake’s addition of 125 – 10 more than Ernest Bernau and Ken James posted in 1923-24 – he still felt a pitch that spent more than a day under cover was capable of producing a result.

‘‘I still think there’s enough in the wicket there if we’re in the right spot. We just need to be there for longer,’’ said Stead.

‘‘I’m looking for us to bowl them out. I don’t really want to wait around for a declaration.’’

However, Borthwick and McPeake’s ability to survive in what was expected to be challenging condition – and Michael Davidson’s unbeaten 73 after lunch, the Canterbury’s opener’s maiden first class half century – suggest wickets could be difficult to accumulate.

Stead acknowledged as much when admitting: ‘‘It’s in Wellington’s hands how they want to play it really. We’ll certainly be going out to try and take 10 wickets.’’

With Canterbury and Wellington trailing Auckland by 17 and 18 points respectively – and the leaders a possibility of winning in Dunedin – an outright victory is the preferred outcome.

‘‘If there’s not an outright winner in this game you’d think it’s about curtains for us if Auckland do win so I’m sure both teams will want to be playing some cricket,’’ said Stead.

Stead had hoped Borthwick, who earned his solitary test cap in the 2013-14 Ashes series at the SCG as a legspinner, and McPeake – a right arm quick who debuted in the previous round against the Northern Knights – would be dislodged early, but instead they persevered to the brink of lunch.

Borthwick advanced from 35 overnight to his 12th first class century and second since joining Wellington from English county Durham. The left hander batted almost 5- hours and faced 257 balls and struck 13 boundaries before Wellington were dismissed for 206 in the 80th over – an eternity in the context of a game shortened by the elements.

Meanwhile Otago require another 132 for victory at University Oval, with six wickets in hand so the onus is on Auckland-born Anaru Kitchen, fellow not out batsman Derek de Boorder and Black Caps spinner Mark Craig to complete the quest for 218 runs.

Auckland led Otago by 88 on the first innings but then folded for 139 in under 51 overs as Jeet Raval (47) and Rob O’Donnell (46) were the only strokemakers to post reasonable contributions.

Meanwhile, in Hamilton the Northern Knights are zeroing in on their second win of the campaign after pulverising the Central Stags attack for a second time on Seddon Park. The Knights were 165 in the red after spinner Anton Devcich’s career-best 4-43 spiked the Stags’ reply to their hosts’ mammoth 458-6 declared. They then racked up 332-7 at 5.50 runs per over to set the Stags a massive 498 for victory.

The competition’s leading run scorer Bharat Popli added 66 to his majestic 172 to carry his season aggregate to 942 runs at 67.10 with a maximum of four innings to play.

The Stags were 64-3 at stumps, a mere 434 runs in arrears.

SCOREBOARDS