Lynn McConnell
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3rd Final: Canterbury v Central Districts at Christchurch, 28 Jan 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Central Districts innings:
Canterbury innings: Pre-game: |
Finally, some batting which lifted the series out of the mediocre, was sufficient to see CD home.
Internationals Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman fired for the first time in the series to add 119 runs off 155 balls for the second wicket.
Sinclair only departed after a horrendous mix-up which resulted in him being run out for 54. Spearman, after surviving being sent back to the pavilion, only to be called back, carried on to score 71 not out. Ben Smith was 44 not out when victory came in the 38th over.
What could have been an upsetting factor for CD in its run chase was avoided as Spearman and English professional Ben Smith, rode out the inconvenience caused by the indecision on who should be run out.
Canterbury tried seven bowlers in the bid to break through the CD defences but Ryan Burson was the only one to succeed. His first seven overs resulted in 1/23 off seven.
Chris Martin, who had been so effective in the first two games conceded 40 runs off his first six overs.
Internationals Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman took control of the CD innings after the loss of David Kelly for seven.
With Canterbury's bowlers struggling for line and length in the pressure of the situation the pair were quick to seize on anything slightly off line.
Sinclair started the process with some lovely square driven boundaries from Canterbury's pacemen Chris Martin and Ryan Burson.
Spearman took 10 balls to score his first run, an unusual amount of time by his standards, but once he had his sights in alignment he was quickly on a par with Sinclair.
His method was pure Spearman, plenty of big sixes into the adjoining earthworks where the preparations are underway for a new stand at the ground.
Martin was carted for two and then Chris Harris was given the treatment as he raced to 35 off 40 balls. The pair scored their first 50 off 47 balls.
After 15 overs CD were 72/1 with Sinclair unbeaten on 30 from 40 balls. Martin's first four overs cost 31 runs while Burson had 1/19 off four overs.
Internationals Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman took control of the CD innings after the loss of David Kelly for seven.
With Canterbury's bowlers struggling for line and length in the pressure of the situation the pair were quick to seize on anything slightly off line.
Sinclair started the process with some lovely square driven boundaries from Canterbury's pacemen Chris Martin and Ryan Burson.
Spearman took 10 balls to score his first run, an unusual amount of time by his standards, but once he had his sights in alignment he was quickly on a par with Sinclair.
His method was pure Spearman, plenty of big sixes into the adjoining earthworks where the preparations are underway for a new stand at the ground.
Martin was carted for two and then Chris Harris was given the treatment as he raced to 35 off 40 balls. The pair scored their first 50 off 47 balls.
After 15 overs CD were 72/1 with Sinclair unbeaten on 30 from 40 balls. Martin's first four overs cost 31 runs while Burson had 1/19 off four overs.
It finished its 50 overs on 176/8, largely thanks to another unbeaten score by Chris Harris who was on 47 off 61 balls with two fours and a six at the end.
Around the 30-over mark proved disastrous for Canterbury.
From the moment Nathan Astle was dismissed in the 28th over when the score was 101, Canterbury lost five wickets for eight runs in the space of 37 balls.
Chief destroyer was Glen Sulzberger, who recovered from a nine-run assault, including a first ball six, and ended up with the second three-wicket haul of his Shell Cup career, the first being in last night's second final.
His 10 overs resulted in 3/27.
Astle and Craig McMillan had looked in such control there was every hope of a sizeable score at last in at least one of the finals.
But the collapse put paid to that. And when McMillan was run out, after ball-watching, hesitating and not responding quickly enough to Chris Harris' call. His loss for 45 was the last straw before it was left to Harris to do his regular recovery routine.
Carl Anderson was left to try and match his first final partnership effort with Harris. He took 25 balls to get off the mark while a boundary hit by Harris in the 41st over was the first since the 25th over.
Ewen Thompson bowled out his 10 overs at a cost of 41 runs and Oram had 1/32 from his 10.
Hefford, who had 1/6 from his first seven overs, came back for the 45th over. In the eighth of his overs he had Anderson trapped leg before wicket for eight. Then he had Stephen Cunis dropped by wicket-keeper Bevan Griggs from the first ball he faced.
However, he didn't get past Mathew Sinclair when skying a ball high backward of point from Andrew Schwass' bowling and was out for two. Hefford finished with 2/21 from his 10 overs.
Both have been below par in the earlier finals and were each out for ducks in the second final. But coming together with Brad Doody's dismissal with the score on 26, they added 75 runs before Astle was out attempting to cut off-spinner Glen Sulzberger only to be held by Andrew Schwass at gully.
Astle had looked in control of things in the middle but was clearly disappointed at the manner of his dismissal.
As happened in the second final last night, the good work done by a pair was immediately undone when Canterbury captain Gary Stead came in and offered Sulzberger a chance for a return catch from the first ball he faced.
It was left to Marcel McKenzie to come in and stave off the hat-trick, something he did not too convincingly.
McMillan watched the comings and goings from the non-striker's end and increasingly was forced to accept the workload and responsibility of batting through the innings to ensure Canterbury had a reasonable total to defend.
Sulzberger, who was hit for six by McMillan from his first ball, parred back his figures and after five overs had 2/20.
The impetus of Canterbury's scoring was immediately broken and after 30 overs they were 104/3 with McMillan 45 not out and McKenzie on two.
However, McKenzie was out, caught behind off Jacob Oram's bowling from the first ball of the 31st over.
While the opening partnership between international Nathan Astle and Brad Doody was only 26, before Doody was given out leg before wicket, there was the encouraging sign for Canterbury, and New Zealand, of Astle throwing down the anchor for a long innings.
He was out for one in the first game, in Napier, and a duck yesterday.
However, some trademark off-side drives and flicks square of the wicket on the leg-side offered some hope that Astle will get a big score under his belt both for the benefit of Canterbury, and for New Zealand before the one day series against Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday.
Doody's dismissal was a setback, especially when he looked to be struck high.
CD bowler Brent Hefford, who claimed his wicket, was in the middle of another superb spell. After seven overs he had conceded only four runs off the bat, the other two runs against his name being wides. At one stage he went 27 balls without having a run off the bat against him.
Ewen Thompson found the going a little more realistic as his first six overs cost 27 runs.
Another international, Craig McMillan, came in at No 3 which has been a problem spot for the side throughout the summer, and like Astle applied himself, taking a minimum of risks.
After 15 overs, Canterbury was 43/1 with Astle on 21 and McMillan on 11.
The third final was necessary after CD beat Canterbury by 45 runs last evening.
The game is being played on the same pitch as for yesterday's game. However, the players will not be buffeted by the wind that made life cool for everyone yesterday.
Canterbury have won the toss and will bat first, with only one change to the side which played in the first two games. Marcel McKenzie comes in for Aaron Redmond.
CD have fielded the same XI.
The umpires are: Billy Bowden and Doug Cowie.
The teams are:
Canterbury - Gary Stead (captain), Nathan Astle, Brad Doody, Stephen Cunis, Craig McMillan, Marcel McKenzie, Gareth Hopkins, Carl Anderson, Chris Harris, Chris Martin, Ryan Burson.
Central Districts - Jacob Oram (captain), Mathew Sinclair, David Kelly, Craig Spearman, Ben Smith, Mark Douglas, Glen Sulzberger, Bevan Griggs, Brent Hefford, Ewen Thompson, Andrew Schwass.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 28 Jan2001 - 10:23