Young shows his firepower
Ex-black Cap on 98no First-day honours to Otago
CRICKET
Reece Young finally got his chance to prove to the Black Caps selectors that he still has plenty to offer with the bat in the longer form of the game.
It has been more than a month since Young was axed from the national side, but the return to Plunket Shield cricket – after a long diet of the 50- and 20-over versions – gave him his first bat against a red ball since he played in the Black Caps historic test win over Australia in Hobart in December.
The 32-year-old scored a superb, unbeaten 98 yesterday for Canterbury as they reached 321-8 at stumps against Wellington in Rangiora.
He was patient when he needed to be, but scored quickly as he laced his innings with some aggressive, yet controlled shots.
He faced just 113 balls and gave the Wizards the backbone their innings needed.
He will resume this morning within sight of his seventh firstclass century, but nearly had a shot at it last night.
He started the final over of the day on 93 but reverse swept Jeetan Patel for four from the first ball then lost strike with a single.
Without taking anything away from Young’s mature knock, he was helped by a typically gritty 230-minute stay by opener George Worker.
Worker’s 197-ball stay yielded 64 before he was bowled by Patel, but by batting as long as he did, in initially tough conditions, Worker allowed the middle order a somewhat easier ride as the initial movement left the Mainpower Oval track.
Worker and captain Peter Fulton (55) put on 117 for the second wicket as they blunted the Firebirds’ attack early.
The visitors were much better in the afternoon session. Mark Gillespie aside, they hadn’t made Worker and Fulton play enough, and their only wicket in the first 52 overs came when Tom Latham was given caught behind when he didn’t hit a ball from Scott Kuggeleijn.
Gillespie and Harry Boam were the pick of the Wellington bowlers. Gillespie picked up just one wicket; Boam finished the day with 4-48 – his best figures at this level.
Meanwhile, bad light and rain interrupted the Central DistrictsNorthern Districts game in Gisborne but Northern reached 283-8 at stumps. Otago took the honours on the opening day of their fifth-round Plunket Shield match against Auckland at University Oval yesterday.
Returning to first-class cricket for the first time since November, Otago were able to muster 226 after being sent into bat by the Aces, with Derek de Boorder and Neil Broom scoring half-centuries before some late hitting by Neil Wagner and Ian Butler allowed the home team to scramble through to some respectability after being 56 for four.
Otago’s season has been marred by poor top-order starts and yes- terday was no different, with Chris Martin helping to take the top off the home team’s order before Mitchell Mcclenaghan chimed in for his first five-wicket bag at this level, ending the innings with figures of six for 87.
Auckland struggled in their reply, crumbling to 19 for four in the face of some searching bowling by Warren Mcskimming and Neil Wagner.
Neal Parlane was made to work hard as he tried to shore up the Auckland batting effort, lasting 79 minutes for 11.
Skipper Gareth Hopkins topscored for Auckland with an unbeaten 28, adding 34 runs with Colin Munro as Auckland went to stumps at 80 for five.