CRICKET - Knights secure home final

by Abi Thomas and NZPA
A century from B J Watling guided the Northern Knights to a State Shield home final after they eased to a seven-wicket win over the Auckland Aces at Eden Park.
The Knights needed to beat the Aces yesterday to secure the home final against Hamilton on February 1, or the pressure would have been on them to beat Canterbury at Seddon Park this Sunday in the final round-robin match.
The Knights won the toss and put the Aces into bat. Early pressure was put on the Aces by Black Cap Tim Southee, who took two wickets in the second over to have them at two wickets for five heading into the third over.
He finished the match with three wickets, his third the prize scalp of Reece Young, the only Aces batsman to fire scoring 119.
Young's maiden domestic one-day century came from 134 balls and featured 11 fours and two sixes, the sixes struck after he had posted three figures.
In 63 previous one-dayers Young had managed just two half-centuries with a best of 68.
The Aces reached 259 for their 50 overs, with the Knights eclipsing that in the 45th over.
The Knights made 260 seem pedestrian as Michael Parlane smashed 32 off just 19 balls, before Watling and skipper James Marshall collaborated for a third-wicket stand of 155 runs.
Marshall's share of the partnership was 79, containing eight boundaries off 83 balls before he was caught by Rob Nicol off the bowling of Darryl Tuffey in the 42nd over.
Watling was joined by Daniel Flynn, with Watling hitting a boundary for the winning runs in the 45th over to take the Knights to 263/3. Southee was the most impressive Knights bowler, taking three for 46 off his 10 overs while Brent Arnel collected three for 47 and Bradley Scott three for 55.
The bowlers conceded just two extras in the entire innings.
None of the Aces batsmen really fired except Young, who was finally bowled by Southee after three hours in the middle.
Only three other Aces batsmen made it past 25. Opener Tim McIntosh struggling with his timing to make 30 off 59 balls, while Rob Nicol made a quick 34 and Hopkins contributed 29.
Fifth-placed Auckland have no chance of making the top-three playoff ahead of their last match against Central Districts in New Plymouth on Sunday.