Cricket: Stags fizzying after day one

William Young wore down ball for Dane Cleaver. Photo / Otago Daily Times

It took the penultimate match to get there but the Central Districts Stags are delighted with how they started their first-class game in Dunedin yesterday.

Ironically the Devon Hotel-sponsored side strayed from tradition when captain William Young lost the toss but reconciled that setback at stumps when they took stock of where they stood on day one against the SBS Bank Otago Volts at University Oval.

"We going to play it by ear tomorrow," said Young last night, after the hosts had them padding up and all out for 258 runs on a lush wicket in their four-day Budget Rental Plunket Shield match.

"It was definitely a bowl-first wicket," he said, after scoring 59 runs at No4 before Anaru Kitchen trapped him leg before wicket.

But Stags paceman Navin Patel, returning from tertiary study obligations, put the Heinrich Malan-coached CD on the front foot with two wickets as Otago resume for four runs in their first innings today.

Patel's scalps came from three overs, including two maidens, for a single run as Otago trail by 254 runs.

"It's nice to start a four-dayer and be on the top of it on day one," Young said.

No6 Dane Cleaver fell seven runs shy of a century after Kitchen rifled in a throw to wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder, who took four catches behind the stumps as well.

Dane Cleaver.

"You're always gutted but that's cricket because sometimes things your fall your way and other times they don't," said the 24-year-old, from Manawatu, who scored his maiden first-class ton this summer.

"It was my fault," said the CD wicketkeeper, who teased a ball to third man and tried to push for a second run with No10 Kurt Richards understandably hesitating with the impending danger but Cleaver pushed on.

Even the fielders seemed to sympathise with Cleaver as he lay on his back in front of the rattled furniture.

"I tried to get back on strike but I slipped at the other."

An aggressive batsman, Cleaver said he had learned from the innings how to adapt to different situations.

"Youngy did a did a fantastic job earlier in wearing off the ball," he said.

Otago seamer Jacob Duffy was the chief destroyer, claiming his fourth first-class five-wicket bag with 5-96.

In the other matches yesterday, leaders Mondiale Auckland Aces were skittled for 152 in 34 overs at the Basin Reserve against Wellington Firebirds.

Veteran seamer Brent Arnel's 5-51 is his 14th five-wicket bag in the format and the fifth for the Firebirds.

At Hagley Oval, Christchurch, bad light prompted an early adjournment to proceedings with the Canterbury Kings one down and needing 177 runs after dismantling the Northern Districts Knights in 61.4 overs.

Knight Bharat Popli, who scored a century against the Stags in the previous round, scored only 26 runs as he nears his milestone 1000 first-class runs.