Chris Cairns displayed his advancing readiness for the forthcoming international cricket season with some penetrative pace bowling to leave Southern well placed on the opening day of its Conference match against Northern at Lincoln Green. Cairns took three of the four wickets to fall on a day abbreviated by rain and bad light as Northern reached 130 for four from 59 overs by stumps.
The 28-year old Canterbury all-rounder is playing only his second first-class match after several months off resting a knee, but showed he is building well for the test series against India next month, taking three for 21 from 15 overs.
Cairns relished a Lincoln Green strip offering pace, bounce, and a little more grass than usual, seaming the ball about to trouble all the Northern batsmen.
While his spell would have been comforting for the New Zealand selectors, the poser concerning an opening batting partner for Matt Horne remains unresolved.
Bryan Young and Blair Pocock, two of the contenders, had to survive a testing new-ball opening from Cairns, Shayne O'Connor, and Warren Wisneski and did well to post a half century opening stand, despite playing and missing with some regularity. Cairns captured both, Young, in his second spell before lunch, and Pocock after tea when play had resumed after the loss of the middle session with rain.
In the latter session Cairns had a chilling southerly at his back and again was troublesome, Michael Parlane succumbing tamely for a well-taken diving catch by Martyn Croy.
Then Pocock, who looked solid and was growing in confidence, was trapped leg before to a Cairns delivery after a 173-minute stay.
Mark Richardson, who seemed fortunate to survive a leg before shout to a Cairns slower ball, and Adam Parore held the wobbling innings together, which was 92 for four when Pocock departed. They carried Northern through another break in play for bad light before the gloom eventually forced the players off for a second and final time.
Day 2: Nash hits back with defiant 98
Dion Nash put the despair of a pair of ducks in the past match behind him with a dogged 98 for Northern on day two of its Conference cricket match against Southern at Lincoln Green.
Nash was twice dismissed without scoring when Northern succumbed meekly in its previous Conference match against Central last week.
His team was in some strife again when he went to the crease at 137 for five, which became 169 for six before lunch against the competition leading Southern side yesterday.
When he departed, just before stumps, albeit two runs short of the prized three figures, he had the satisfaction -- with the not inconsiderable help of youngsters Daniel Vettori and Brooke Walker -of lifting Northern to 358 for eight, by far its best batting effort of the series.
The run rate was slower than usual, just above two an over for the innings on a Lincoln Green strip which often yields double that. But for Northern's batsmen there was the desperate need for time at the crease, little risk-taking and innings of substance.
Nash shared telling stands of 87 with the aggressive Vettori, whose 56 took 106 balls and included nine fours, and 97 with the equally adhesive Walker who was unbeaten on 35.
Nash had his third first-class century in his grasp when he twice sparred at Chris Cairns' deliveries with the third new ball. The second time he got the edge to become wicketkeeper Martyn Croy's fourth catch of the innings.
The middle-order resistance ensured the match should be just a first innings affair and there was some frustration in the Southern camp that, with almost half the overs lost on the first day to the weather, a declaration was not forthcoming.
Northern's only chance of reaching the final is by winning outright which seems improbable given the nature of the true batting strip.
Day 3: Southern's hopes rest with Horne and Priest
Matthew Horne and Mark Priest face the task of saving Southern from the follow-on when the Shell Conference cricket match against Northern resumes at Lincoln Green this morning.
Southern was 210 for seven wickets at stumps on the third day in reply to Northern's first innings of 384. Another 25 runs are needed to ensure Northern bats next and the game dwindles away to a draw.
What had already been a meandering match was further interrupted by rain yesterday morning and again halted prematurely by bad light with 24 overs still to be bowled.
By batting on, Northern provided 21-year-old Brooke Walker with the opportunity to complete his maiden first-class half-century. It was not wasted.
Competition leader Southern would initially have been warmly favoured to overhaul Northern's total, but it was not long before the odds had changed dramatically.
Horne was spared his usual opening role because of a throat infection. Off-spinner Paul Wiseman took his place and quickly eliminated himself from the multi-sided contest to fill the test positions.
When Stephen Fleming deflected his first ball to second slip, Nathan Astle was third out at 51, Chris Harris struggled to find his fluency, and Craig Cumming's excellent innings ended in the over after tea, Southern was in difficulties. It was a situation created for Chris Cairns, and for 59min he did not disappoint. Cairns plundered a six and eight fours in scoring 48 runs from 45 balls, fairly rocketing his side towards the follow-on target.
But Cairns cut himself off when in full flow, somehow managing to pull the ball into the hands of Blair Pocock at deep mid-off. Harris unveiled a couple of authoritative strokes before he and Martin Croy succumbed to the flight and spin of Daniel Vettori.