Leg spinner Aaron Redmond took four wickets, including the pivotal wicket of Ben Smith, to urge Canterbury towards a 102-run win over Central Districts in the State Championship match that ended today at Pukekura Park.

Redmond curtailed Smith's threatening second innings when he was 78, then ran through the middle to lower order as Canterbury dismissed Central for 225 after leaving them 328 to win from 78 overs.

Smith was bent on continuing the form which brought him an unbeaten double century in Central's first innings and, had he even approached that level of performance, he might have tipped the match in Central's favour.

The asking rate of four runs per over for victory was not unreasonable on a placid pitch that produced more than 1220 runs over four days and on this most picturesque and most intimate of grounds, famous for its short square boundaries.

Though Central had lost both openers with only 33 runs on the board they remained in the match till its dying stages through the efforts of Smith, Richard King, Andrew Schwass and Bevan Griggs. Schwass and Griggs blazed away before the end and kept the faint flame of hope alive but finally Redmond and Canterbury triumphed.

Redmond took 4-35 from 15 overs, removing Smith when Central was 158/5, then adding King, Griggs and Brent Hefford to his bag. He crushed the last vestige of Central resistence when he dismissed Griggs at 209 and King and Hefford at 210. The innings died when Michael Mason was run out after adding 15 with Tim Anderson.

Canterbury had bolted towards a declaration this morning, adding 133 runs in only 70 minutes while Central tempted them with a bevy of part-time bowlers. Jamie How bowled five overs at a cost of 49 runs and King sent down four overs for 29 as Central contributed to the match's rising climax.

Wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins was the most prominent beneficiary of that generosity, scoring 79 in 60 minutes from 73 balls with 14 boundaries. Chris Harris, who resumed at 10 not out overnight when Canterbury were 102/4, went on to 53 in 89 minutes with six fours and two sixes. He added 43 today in 70 minutes and put on 120 with Hopkins in only an hour.

Smith had predicted yesterday that the slow bowlers would hold the key to the match and he was proved an astute judge. Redmond's 4-35, Paul Wiseman's 2-72 from 25.4 overs and Harris's 1-22 turned the match in Canterbury's favour.

Harris also took the catches that dismissed Kelly and Griggs.

In reaching 78, Smith surpassed 10,000 runs in first-class matches and continued the revival of his season after having accumulated 32 runs from five innings before this match.

© CricInfo