CRICKET - Superb Sinclair sinks Northland's hopes in style

A "god-like" batting performance by Black Cap Matthew Sinclair almost single-handedly denied Northland an unlikely Hawke Cup win at Nelson Park in Napier yesterday.
Sinclair was in fantastic batting form and scored an unbeaten 141 not out to frustrate what was great bowling by Northland to allow the home side to escape with a draw at the end of play of the final day yesterday.
After resuming the day at 160/2 in the rain affected match, Northland went on to set Hawke's Bay a good total to chase and declared at 281/9.
Terry Duffin only added two runs to his overnight total before he was dismissed for 82 and it was left to the middle order to push the scoring along. Joe Yovich scored 25 and Chris Page 33, with the rest of the batsmen contributing quick runs, allowing them to declare eight overs before lunch.
The Northland bowlers made a game of it by breaking through early, with John Child and Joe Yovich taking two wickets apiece to have Hawke's Bay struggling at 34/4. But a century partnership between Sinclair and Mark Calkin arrested the slide.
Sinclair rarely was threatened and scored his century from 176 balls in 247 minutes, including 17 fours. It was a masterly knock, a clearly disappointed Northland coach Graham Barlow said.
"We thought we had him dead LBW for about 80, when Joey (Yovich) came back after lunch but that was the only chance, he played superbly," Barlow said.
When Calkin departed for 62, the match swung back toward Northland with a couple more cheap wickets but an eighth wicket partnership of 79 between Sinclair and Robbie Schaw saw the holders to stumps at 261/7.
The draw was good enough for the holders to retain cricket's highest provincial possession but in the end after losing the best part of half the match to rain, it was a close run thing.
The Northland players can be justifiably proud of their effort Barlow said.
"I don't think they could have set the game up any better. I mean, we were always up against it after we lost the toss but with just one wicket more and I think we would have come home at a trot," he said.