Fulton hits another ton for Canterbury
At 38 years old, the runs are still coming from Peter Fulton.
The veteran Canterbury batsman scored his 19th first-class century on the first day of their Plunket Shield clash against Central Districts at Nelson yesterday, as competition leaders Canterbury reached 297-6 at stumps.
Fulton scored 110 from 180 balls, hitting two sixes and 16 fours before he gave medium pacer Jesse Ryder a simple return catch for a caught and bowled.
Fulton was in to bat early after Canterbury lost opener Jack Boyle in the fifth over, but Fulton and Chad Bowes set the platform with an 89-run partnership before Bowes was out for 53.
CD fast bowler Adam Milne was tight, taking 3-36 from 15 overs.
Joe Walker spun Northern Districts into a good position against Wellington at Mt Maunganui, with his first five-wicket bag. The offspinner took 5-46 from 26.1 overs to dismiss Wellington, who chose to bat first, for 151 in 83.1 overs.
Then by stumps ND had reached 11-1 from 10 overs.
Earlier, Wellington’s innings never got off the ground because they kept losing wickets.
Fraser Colson dug in at No 3 with 66 off 214 deliveries and the best partnership of the innings came between him and Tom Blundell (25) of 43 runs for the fourth wicket.
ND leg-spinner Ish Sodhi took two wickets, including the scalp of Colson and debutant, medium pacer Brett Randell, took two wickets in two balls, but Peter Younghusband survived the hattrick ball.
Then Walker went to work cleaning up Wellington’s tail and he took the last four wickets to fall.
Bad light in Dunedin meant there was an early finish to the clash between Otago and Auckland.
Otago were put into bat by Auckland, but Otago batted out the day and were 266-7 when bad light forced play to be called off 30 minutes early.
It was an even day where there were a few contributions from the Otago batting card, but no batsmen went on to a big score.
The best effort of the day came from Derek de Boorder, who scored 50, but Anaru Kitchen made 36, Brad Wilson 35 and debutant Gregor Croudis scored 31.
Kitchen and de Boorder’s 65 runs for the fifth wicket was their best partnership. Sam Wells was on 46 not out at stumps and Nathan Smith was 12 not out.
Auckland all-rounder Colin Munro had captured 2-24, paceman Lockie Ferguson 2-43 and legspinner Tarun Nethula 2-73.