Dutch star shines

Dutch international Logan van Beek made a welcome return from the T20 World Cup when the Wellington Firebirds secured a 68-run victory over the Central Districts Stags in their Plunket Shield match yesterday.

Van Beek ended the four-day match at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North with career-best figures of 11-153 from 44.1 overs.

Having helped the Firebirds become the first team to beat the Stags this season, the right-arm medium-fast bowler reflected on a productive outing.

‘‘Some days it just kind of clicks for you,’’ van Beek said. ‘‘I think the wicket suited me . . . you had to bowl into the wicket a lot.’’

It was his first game for the Firebirds this season, after representing the Netherlands at the recent global tournament in Australia.

The teams will now focus on the Ford Trophy, with the Stags and Firebirds to meet again at Fitzherbert Park in the second round of the one-day competition later this month.

The Stags’ total had been bolstered by Will Young’s 14th firstclass century, after he top-scored with 105 runs off 167 balls.

At Hagley Park in Christchurch, the Auckland Aces drew with Canterbury.

Former Cantabrian George Worker denied his old team a chance of victory, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 153 balls in the second innings for the Aces.

Aces captain Robbie O’Donnell also scored a century (123 in the first innings) and grabbed a maiden first-class five-wicket bag on the fourth day. O’Donnell returned 5-47 off 17.4 overs with the ball.

Canterbury posted 509 in their first innings. The Aces replied with 438 and 252-6. Canterbury remain the only unbeaten team in the competition and are at the head of the competition log.

Northern Districts beat the Otago Volts by five wickets at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin.

The Volts batted first and posted 181 and declared at 345-9 in their second innings. Northern Districts replied with 277 and 254-5 to run down the Volts’ total.

Tim Seifert and Neil Wagner guided North Districts home, unbeaten on 73 and 12, respectively.

The back half of the first-class Plunket Shield will resume in late February, following the completion of the Ford Trophy and Super Smash 2022-23 competitions.

The Ford Trophy begins in Wellington on Tuesday when the Firebirds host Canterbury.

At a glance Plunket Shield points:

Canterbury 52, Central Stags 46, Wellington Firebirds 45, Northern Districts 33, Auckland Aces 32, Otago Volts 31.