Cricket: CD barely earn first win

Central Districts chased down 70 to beat Northern Districts today and earn their first victory of the summer - but only just.

Sitting bottom of the Plunket Shield and having failed to grab a win from 10 games in the HRV Cup, the Stags looked set to add another dark chapter to a glum season when they slipped to 27-7.

They had dominated much of the opening two days on a rare greentop at McLean Park in Napier, dismissing Northern twice for under 200 to set themselves a meagre fourth innings target.

But after last night losing three late wickets to Scott Kuggeleijn to sit on 14-3 at stumps, things went from bad to worse for the beleaguered home side.

Will Young survived to the third over of the day before being trapped in front by Graeme Aldridge, while Greg Hay's stay at the crease lasted just two balls. Opener Ben Smith's innings came to a close in the 12th over when he too fell LBW to Aldridge, before Doug Bracewell departed for a golden duck.

Thirteen runs had been added to the overnight score and Aldridge had four wickets, leaving the Stags uncomfortably close to history. Central Districts' lowest score in first class history is 50 and, 23 runs away with only three wickets in hand, a new mark of mediocrity appeared a real possibility.

But, with Kruger van Wyk joining Kieran Noema-Barnett at the crease, the hosts still had two recognised batsmen before the task would be left to the tail and, as it turned out, that's all they needed.

Noema-Barnett finished unbeaten on 28, hitting the only six of the innings to bring his side within five runs of victory, while van Wyk showed no signs of nerves in stroking a brisk 22 not out. The partnership was worth 46 invaluable runs and it saw the Stags move up to fourth place on the standings, pending other results.

Auckland can overtake CD with a win over Wellington, but those chances appear remote heading into the final day at the Basin Reserve. After resuming on 280-7 and still 119 runs in arrears of their hosts, Bruce Martin hit 79 before Gareth Hopkins declared with the scores level and the Aces nine wickets down.

But Auckland were unable to restrict Wellington once they began their second innings, with Colin de Grandhomme and Colin Munro managing just a wicket each.

Opener Stephen Murdoch reached 63 before being bowled by Munro, while Grant Elliott (59no) and first innings centurion James Franklin (16no) will resume tomorrow morning with a draw the most likely result.

Elsewhere, Otago are well-placed to complete a mammoth chase and topple leaders Canterbury in Dunedin, needing 134 further runs tomorrow with seven wickets in hand.

After dismissing the visitors for 298 in their second knock, Hamish Rutherford (96) and Michael Bracewell (65) left Otago in prime position of hauling in their target of 379.