Lefties dominate trophy runfest At a glance
Not for the first time in the past year, former Black Caps opener Hamish Rutherford blared out a ‘don’t forget me’ message to the national selectors on a recordbreaking Sunday at Dunedin’s University Oval.
Rutherford plundered the Central Stags bowlers in his highest list-A score of 155, to guide Otago Volts to their record 50-over total of 407-4 in their Ford Trophy match. It ensured a 125-run victory over the bottom-placed Stags.
He wasn’t the only left-hander to prosper, as Black Caps World Cup opener Henry Nicholls hit
120 for Canterbury against Auckland Aces on a sunburnt Colin Maiden Park. The visitors posted
332-6 which was enough for a thrilling four-run victory to join their rivals atop the table on 20 points.
And, sure enough, Wellington Firebirds run machine Devon Conway picked up where he left off as the Twenty20 Super Smash top runscorer, rattling up 138 in the hosts’ total of 265-8 against Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve.
ND scraped home by one wicket in another nailbiter, leaving the Twenty20 champions in fifth spot.
All kinds of records tumbled in Dunedin after captain Rutherford chose to bat first against a handy Stags new ball attack of Seth Rance (2-77) and Ben Wheeler (0-76).
Rutherford and Mitch Renwick put on 189 off 24.2 overs, a list-A first wicket record for Otago, before Renwick (47) was caught behind off Rance.
Rutherford, 30, was utterly dominant at the scene of his test debut century against England in
2013. His 155 spanned just over two hours and 104 balls, including
19 fours and seven sixes.
His 11th list-A century came up off just 71 balls, and he went on to top his previous best of 154 before he was caught at midwicket off the bowling of Willem Ludick in the 30th over.
Nick Kelly’s hard-hit 79 saw the Volts top 400, then Anaru Kitchen snared four wickets to ensure the Stags never really had a chance. Will Young’s 62 in his first trophy match since shoulder surgery was a highlight for the visitors.
In his first 50-over innings since the World Cup final last July, when he scored a crucial half-century against England, Nicholls opened for Canterbury on Sunday and cruised to his fifth list-A ton.
Having been ruled out of the third test in Sydney this month with the flu, Nicholls hit stride in a hurry in his 120 off 124 balls against the competition-leading Aces, including 15 fours racing across the lightning fast brown outfield.
Stephen Murdoch’s 83 ensured a big total, but the Aces made a good fist of the chase thanks to Jeet Raval’s 60 then a whirlwind 101 off 73 balls from Ben Horne.
In Wellington, Conway hit his seventh list-A century after the Firebirds were sent in, as the clock ticks down slowly to September when the South African becomes eligible for Black Caps selection.
In a match featuring the return of Neil Wagner (0-36) after an inspiring display of skill and endurance in the three-test series in Australia, Conway hit more than half his side’s total in a dazzling 138 off 113 deliveries.
The 28-year-old hit 12 fours and four sixes as former Firebird Anurag Verma (4-62) had the most success for the visitors.
Henry Cooper (83) topscored and despite seamer Iain McPeake’s four-wicket haul for the Firebirds, ND scrambled home with two balls to spare.