Heavy rain overnight and this morning caused the abandonment of the fourth day of the State Championship match between Northern Districts and Canterbury at the Harry Barker Reserve, Gisborne.

Canterbury take two points for a first innings win and remain on top of the State Championship.

ND required a further 29 to make the visitors bat again with six wickets remaining, but on a good pitch a Canterbury victory was not inevitable. Nevertheless, it was the South Islanders who were the most disappointed that the game could not be played to a finish.

Of the ND players only Scott Styris shared their opponents' disappointment. He needed just two runs to achieve his second first-class century. Three would have given him a career-best score. With 4-33 as well as his unbeaten 98 Styris has reminded that selectors that he is back in form in good time for the one-day series in Australia and against England.

The way in which ND came back on the third day, recovering from a first-innings deficit of 286, encouraged coach Bruce Blair, who had told his team to play with more discipline and to take the game to the opposition.

The result was ND's strongest batting display of the season. For several players, notably the Marshall brothers, James and Hamish, the performance could set the tone for the rest of the campaign.

Most of the individual stars wore the Canterbury uniform. Chris Harris made an unbeaten 155 that changed in tempo according to the needs of the team. Harris has scored 418 runs at 139 this season, a forceful reminder that he is much more than a one-day specialist.

Opening batsman Shanan Stewart made a stylish debut 57. He showed that the class which he has demonstrated for the national under-19 side is transferable to first-class level.

But the impression that most onlookers took away with them was the pace and aggression of Canterbury fast bowler Shane Bond. In the case of some of the ND batsman that impression is in the form of bruises sustained as they attempted to duck and weave out of the way of the fastest bowling seen in New Zealand domestic cricket for some time.

Bond took a career-best 5-37 in the first innings and gave Styris a memorably torrid time in the closing overs yesterday. Canterbury coach Michael Sharpe remarked that Bond was a "new player" since returning from service with the Black Caps in Australia.

Bond agrees. "Competing against the best has been great for my self-belief," he told CricInfo shortly after today's play had been abandoned. "I came back with the attitude that I was going to bowl fast and dominate in domestic cricket."

He has been named in the Test squad to face Bangladesh in Hamilton next week. Though he played against the Bangladeshis when they toured New Zealand two years ago, he doesn't know much about their current line-up.

"The Auckland boys playing against them today will tell us more. I do remember that they didn't like it short."

The WestpacTrust Park pitch is one of Bond's favourite venues. "It is one of the best wickets in New Zealand and is a good place to watch."

A little over a month ago, Bond was a police officer and a part-time cricketer. His call up to the national side has changed his life completely.

"It's all been a bit of a blur. My police career is on hold and I haven't seen much of my wife. The exposure is new. People who come to the cricket know who you are. It's all been good for me."

Bond is looking forward to playing a Test in New Zealand. "In Australia we weren't really aware of the huge interest at home. It'll be great to have the public support against the Bangladeshis."

Chris Martin is also in good form going into the Test series, with match figures of 3-61 from some hostile and accurate spells. He will probably remember his heroic, two-hour 25 in partnership with Harris for longer.

This game has been a vindication of the policy of taking matches away from the main centres. It was an occasion for the Gisborne cricket community, who prepared an excellent pitch worthy of a first-class fixture.

A pity that the rain deprived them of an exciting climax, but that is cricket's oldest story.

© CricInfo