Cricket: Smith out to build on century on day three

Ben Smith scored an unbeaten 126 runs for his fifth first-class century.

He's had his share of injuries this summer but that hasn't stopped Ben Smith from finding a perch in the top five rungs of the Plunket Shield batting order this summer.

Devon Hotel Central Districts batsman Smith yesterday carved his fifth first-class century and will soldier on his unbeaten 126 runs with No6 Dane Cleaver when day three of the four-day match resumes against Mondiale Auckland Aces in Napier today.

Smith carved off 14 boundaries and a six in his 256-ball knock, after occupying the crease for 358 minutes, on a benign batting strip at McLean Park.

"He played nicely," CD coach Heinrich Malan said last night, as the 25-year-old opening batsman from Whanganui was "too shattered" to engage in an interview.

It may come across as a little understated but, if anything, it's Malan's way of heaping accolades on a player who has done justice to his pre-season mantra of turning starts into scores that matter, while eking out results in the longest format of domestic cricket.

"Smudge's [Smith] batted for two and a half sessions today and let's hope we can carry on for four more sessions tomorrow," he says of Smith who is sitting fifth on the batting table on 707 runs as ND's Bharat Popli leads the way on 1060 runs.

Malan said it was imperative for wicketkeeper Cleaver, unbeaten on 10 runs, and Smith to dig in for the first hour to pay the Aces' bowlers some respect, in the morning before going about reducing the 116-run deficit with six wickets in hand in trying to chase down Auckland's first innings score of 396 all out yesterday morning.

He felt No7 Doug Bracewell, who claimed 5-60, was among players such as captain William Young, Tom Bruce and Cleaver who had toyed with big scores but already had centuries to show they were very capable.

Yesterday, opener Greg Hay scored 46, Young 29 and Bruce 48.

Four Aces bowlers claimed a wicket each.