Volt from the blue: Rae’s stunning figures not enough for win At a glance

It’s rare a bowler snares record figures for his province then finishes on the losing side.

For Otago seamer Michael Rae that was the bittersweet ending to one of his more memorable days on a cricket pitch, snaring 7-35 against Auckland in the Ford Trophy match at Eden Park’s Outer Oval yesterday.

The third-best list-A (domestic 50-over) bowling analysis on New Zealand Cricket’s records didn’t avert the Volts’ first loss of the competition, by 133 runs to the Aces who bounced back from successive defeats to Northern Districts.

Rae, 25, was playing just his eighth list-A match and had a previous best of 3-45. He shifted Evan Marshall’s 7-49 against Auckland at Carisbrook in 1993-94 from Otago’s record books and now sits behind only Willie Watson (7-23 for Auckland v Otago in 1984-85) and Andrew Penn (7-28 for CD v ND in 2000-01) on the all-time list.

Still, Auckland’s total of 246 was plenty, as they unleashed some bowling fireworks of their own.

Ross ter Braak (4-27 off eight overs) demolished the Volts’ toporder.

At 18-5 it was looking bleak for Otago, and a brisk 41 from Dale Phillips provided only brief resistance. Rae (5) was last man out, removed by spinner Will Somerville

(3-26) as Otago were done in the

37th over.

Canterbury’s dream season continued, after they plundered with the bat at Hagley Oval and inflicted ND’s first loss, by 137 runs.

Runaway Plunket Shield leaders, and 2-0 in the trophy after dual wins over Wellington, Canterbury racked up a daunting 346-8 via centuries from Chad Bowes and Ken McClure.

The pair added 200 for the second wicket with similar lively knocks. Bowes’ 110 off 110 deliveries featured 10 fours and a six, while McClure hit 107 off 100 and featured one more six than his team-mate. The latter’s previous best list-A score was 45.

Former Black Caps Jeet Raval (45) and Dean Brownlie (53) both needed to kick on for the visitors, while Will Williams and Ed Nuttall shared six wickets for Canterbury whose bowlers finished the job again.

In Palmerston North, former New Zealand under-19 batsman Jakob Bhula hit a mature 97 not out to guide Wellington to their first victory, and leave Central Districts still winless.