Canterbury would have felt that victory over Central Districts in the opening game of the State Max tournament at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany today was too easy to compensate for last summer's loss of the national one-day title.

On that occasion CD provided a huge upset by losing the first game of the best-of-three finals on their home ground only to travel to Christchurch to steal two victories from the home side for the trophy.

If that was any sort of motivation for Canterbury today it won't have been enough.

CD self-destructed by losing six wickets for eight runs in a poor display in their second innings.

Having confined Canterbury to 107/2 to give it a 14-run lead on the first innings of their game, CD gave itself every chance of setting a vigorous run chase for the Cantabs by reaching 40/1 in the third over.

The deficit was gone in the first over and runs were coming easily.

But then Ryan Burson and Warren Wisneski got their radar aligned, dismissed both David Kelly (12) and Peter McGlashan (23) to sow the seeds of destruction in CD minds. While Richard King added 11, the rest of the CD batting was dismal as six wickets fell for a paltry eight runs.

No-one is ever going to win a Max match when capitulating so mildly.

All out for 74, the CD side was picked off by Chris Harris who finished up with the outstanding figures of three for nine from two overs while Carl Anderson's left-arm spin kept the lid on any CD scoring ambitions towards the end, as he took two for three from 1.2 overs.

Needing only 57 to win, Canterbury sputtered along, losing three wickets in the first three overs before Harris left no margin for error by attacking Brent Hefford in the fourth over with the shot of the day, a superb lofted straight drive over the Max zone for a 12-run shot.

Hefford did claim Harris' wicket, for 19 off six balls, but the damage had been done earlier in the over and the Cantabrians cantered into the second round of games tomorrow.

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