Peter Hoare
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Semi Final: Northern Districts v Canterbury at Hamilton, 30 Jan 2002 Peter Hoare |
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Canterbury innings:
Pre-game: Northern Districts innings: |
The Canterbury batsmen continued to score boundaries regularly after the first drinks break. Three came in two overs off Aldridge and Doull, prompting Robbie Hart to turn to spin to staunch the flow.
This tactic was unsuccessful from the Members' End, with Bradburn going for two boundaries in his second over, a lofted drive from Stewart that landed just inside the long-off boundary and a Fulton cover drive for four.
But Matthew Hart (12 wickets at 11 each before today) was more successful. He got one to straighten on off stump, producing a thin edge from Fulton that was taken by Robbie Hart, behind the stumps. Fulton made 21 from 25 balls including four boundaries.
The slow left-armer struck again to remove Canterbury's captain and main batsman Gary Stead for four. Umpire Doug Cowie gave him lbw, though he was a long way forward as he attempted to sweep.
Canterbury continued to score at around the required rate without any apparent difficulty. With twenty overs left, they needed 86 to win, with seven wickets standing.
Shanan Stewart looked increasingly secure, reaching a maiden one-day fifty in the 29th over. He has excellent temperament and a technique to go with it. The quality of his driving off the front foot was particularly impressive.
Matthew Hart continues to be the revalation of ND's one-day season. Having held the innings together with the bat this afternoon, he produced the outstanding performance with the ball this evening, with figures of 8-0-23-2.
He bowled a nagging off-stump line to the right-handers and was producing enough turn to make the batsmen reluctant to commit to attacking strokes.
Bradburn's second spell was an improvement on his first. His figures are 6-0-24-0.
ND's bowling performance has improved in the middle phase of the innings, but they will have to take quick wickets in the next few overs if their interest in the State Shield is to continue.
Daryl Tuffey (6-0-13-0) used the new ball more effectively than Joseph Yovich (5-1-29-0). The closest ND came to a wicket in the opening overs was when a short delivery from Tuffey flew up from Stewart's gloves to fall just in front of Matthew Hart as he lunged forward from second slip.
The first boundary of the innings came from overthrows when James Marshall's attempt to run out Wiseman at the bowler's end went well wide.
Wiseman twice cut Yovich to the third man boundary in the fourth over, as the bowler struggled to bowl the line that was so effective on the same pitch against Auckland last week.
Graeme Aldridge replaced Yovich at the City End, conceding nine in his first over, of which six were leg byes, a reflection of the leg-stump line he bowled, even though there were five offside fielders.
The first-wicket partnership passed the 50 mark in the 12th over. It was built calmly and sensibly, with both batsmen showing that they could choose the right ball to go after. Too often in the early stages it was simply a question of waiting for the bad ball.
The stand had reached 62 when Wiseman was out lbw, playing back to Aldridge. He scored 29 from 42 balls including four fours.
No. 3 batsman Peter Fulton got off the mark with a cover-driven four off Aldridge that was the shot of the day. A long hop from Doull presented him with another in the next over.
ND were not helped by some lacklustre fielding. Heads began to go down in the field early on as the feeling grew that this was not to be their night.
Provided that Canterbury keep their heads, a place in the final against Wellington is theirs.
Canterbury's target is 50 or so below what was considered attainable at the start of the game. Disciplined batting will take them to the State Shield final, but it will not be an easy task against a talented ND attack
Soon after drinks Jaden Hatwell became the third ND batsman to perish to an ineffectual shot outside off stump, caught behind by Hopkins off Martin for three.
At 154/6 Robbie Hart joined his brother Matthew, their priority the need to protect against the loss of further wickets before the final assault.
They put on ten before Matthew Hart was out, slow left-armer Anderson's arm ball sliding past his outside edge as he advanced down the pitch. Gareth Hopkins made the stumping to claim his fourth victim of the innings.
Hart scored 67 from 96 balls, including seven fours, mostly on the offside and all before he reached fifty.
Anderson finished with the creditable figures of 10-0-39-1, as Stead maintained a slow attack from the Members' End, with quicker bowlers operating from the City End.
Stephen Cunis teased Yovich outside the off stump, beating him three times in the 42nd over.
Robbie Hart broke the deadlock in the 44th over, an off drive one landing centimetres short of the long-off boundary.
Hart was bowled by Cornelius four overs from the end, bowled attempting an all-or-nothing pull.
Tuffey had an escape before he had scored, Hopkins dropping a straightforward chance off Martin.
The bowler was rewarded off the next ball, trapping Yovich lbw for eight. At 192/9 ND were in danger of not batting through their 50 overs. Tuffey and Aldridge form one of the game's more able tenth-wicket partnerships, nudging and swiping their way through a stand of 17.
All the Canterbury bowlers performed ably, and were well marshalled by Stead. Chris Martin finished with the best figures, 10-0-44-4, a reminder that he is still in the frame for international selection in the forthcoming series against England.
The crowd is growing all the time, but its chances of witnessing a home victory are no more than 50:50.
The home side is on target for a score of around 240, provided that they do not loose quick wickets in the next six overs or so.
Darren Reekers replaced Cornelius at the City End soon after drinks. He claimed the third ND wicket in his second over. James Marshall wafted loosely at a ball outside off stump, providing a thin edge to wicket-keeper Hopkins. He scored 42 from 68 balls and hit four fours. With Matthew Hart, Marshall put on 77 for the third wicket.
The soring rate was maintained at just above four an over, though boundaries decreased in frequency. Matthew Hart, batting with great confidence, reached his third State Shield fifty this season in the 27th over, having hit seven fours.
Hamish Marshall fell with the score on 113. He failed to pick up a slower ball from Cleighton Cornelius, lobbing up a simple caught and bowled to be dismissed for nine.
Intelligent changes of pace were a feature of Cornelius' first appearance in Canterbury colours. His figures at drinks were 8-0-27-1.
Canterbury skipper Gary Stead continued to ring the bowling changes, bringing on leg-spinner Aaron Redmond from the Members' End.
New batsman Grant Bradburn hit him for two fours in his second over, one swept, the other pulled. Bradburn outscored Hart in the first phase of their partnership, but fell to Chris Martin, just before the second drinks break.
His dismissal was similar to that of James Marshall, a loose cut providing an edge to Hopkins. Bradburn scored 28 of a fifth-wicket partnership of 35. He faced 26 balls and hit five fours.
Surprisingly, international off spinner Paul Wiseman has not yet been brought into the Canterbury attack. He appears to be undergoing a transformation from bowler to top-order batsman, in a similar manner to Simon Doull.
Canterbury drew the teeth of the ND top order by dismissing Doull and Parlane in the first four overs. Canterbury's opening attack of Cunis and Martin bowled a short of a length to Doull, preventing him from lashing out off the front foot.
Doull's first attempted big hit - a pull to a ball outside off stump - provided Stead with a straightforward catch at mid-on. Parlane followed for a second-ball duck. He cut Martin straight to Redmond at backward point.
In the same over Martin almost claimed James Marshall, an edge going just wide of second slip to the third man boundary.
The third-wicket partnership between Marshall and Matthew Hart had some close calls running between the wickets. A throw from Stead in the ninth over would have left Hart stranded had it hit.
Cunis was the most accurate bowler early on, though his figures were spoiled by two offside fours from Hart in the final over of his spell. He finished with 6-0-20-0.
Debutant Cleighton Cornelius - brother of Wade - was cut to the third man boundary by Marshall in his first over, but came within a coat of paint of bowling him an over later. Marshall failed to pick up a slower ball which just passed by his leg stump.
The strike rate quickened, with the fifty coming up in the 13th over. Hart's 33 has included six boundaries in 36 balls.
Marshall, with 32 including four fours, has been more reliant on pushing the ball around the field, though he came down the wicket to hit over mid-on in slow left-armer Carl Anderson's first over.
The crowd is thin, but growing on a glorious Hamilton afternoon.
Canterbury have travelled north without their large contingent of Black Caps. Four of Canterbury's five wins in the competition this season have occurred with some of the international stars in the side.
They will also be without Warren Wisneski, who has not recovered from a groin strain. Aaron Redmond is back, replacing McKenzie in the middle order. Medium-pace all-rounder Cleighton Cornelius makes his debut, coming in for Ryan Burson.
Canterbury coach Michael Sharpe acknowledges that his team will start as underdogs, but is confident that youthful enthusiasm will compensate.
ND - who have lost only to Wellington in the competition this season - are encouraged by the return to form of their top order, all of whom have made significant scores in recent matches. The introduction of Michael Parlane has given the batting added power. The ND team is unchanged.
ND registered bonus-point wins in both games between the teams in the league stage of the competition. They crept home by two wickets in a low-scoring encounter at Whangarei and won by 57 runs in Timaru last Friday.
Today's game is a day/night match under Westpac Trust Park's impressive new floodlights. The pitch is expected to be good for batting, but with plenty of pace for the quicker bowlers. @@ will be aiming for a score in excess of 250.
The winners will play Wellington at the Basin Reserve in Saturday's final.
The teams:
Northern Districts
James Marshall, Simon Doull, Michael Parlane, Matthew Hart, Hamish Marshall, Grant Bradburn, Jaden Hatwell, Robbie Hart (captain/wicket-keeper), Joseph Yovich, Daryl Tuffey, Graeme Aldridge. Ian Butler is 12th man.
Canterbury
Shanon Stewart, Paul Wiseman, Peter Fulton, Gary Stead (captain), Aaron Redmond, Gareth Hopkins (wicket-keeper), Darren Reekers, Cleighton Cornelius, Carl Anderson, Stephen Cunis, Chris Martin. Ryan Burson is 12th man
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 30 Jan2002 - 22:49