Cricket: Fireman Seth Rance dampens Volts' charge before singing Doug Bracewell's praises

CD bowler Seth Rance sees the funny side as Otago batsmen Derek de Boorder (left) and Jimmy Neesham steal a run at McLean Park, Napier, yesterday. Photo/Paul Taylor

When a pedigree test bowler of Neil Wagner's ilk rolls into town you come to expect opposition seamers to start measuring their run-ups at the crease with a little more spring in their step.

Of course, you would expect someone such as Central Districts Stags first-change bowler Doug Bracewell to do that regardless and, not surprisingly, yesterday the fellow test seamer lived up to his reputation when he tore the heart out of the top-order of the Otago Volts batsmen with 4-59 from 17 overs, including two maidens, in Napier.

But what can we make of white-ball merchant Seth Rance collecting a five-wicket bag in the four-day, red-ball Plunket Shield match at McLean Park as he and Bracewell claimed nine scalps to skittle the Volts 9-289 in 84 overs on day one?

"It's not so much for me because I don't see myself as a test player so I don't tend to worry much about who we're playing but Dougie is probably someone who is on the fringes so for him to bowl exceptionally well today is pretty awesome," new-ball bowler Rance said shortly before stumps after claiming 5-58 from 19 overs, including three maidens.

"I think white ball is still my No 1 game but certainly the last couple of red-ball games have gone quite well so I'm pleased with the way things are going," said the right-arm swing bowler who has played two ODIs and four T20s for the Black Caps.

It was his fourth first-class five-for in the space of two summers which paved the way for the Stags to resume at 1-22 from 10 overs. Opening batsmen Ben Smith was the only casualty - chopping a Wagner bouncer on to his furniture for 10 runs - but he can be excused because he probably had his mind on keeping wickets after Otago openers Hamish Rutherford and captain Brad Wilson feathered Rance and Bracewell's deliveries into his gloves.

Regular wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver had failed a fitness test after he injuring his lower back in the Ford Trophy final loss to the Auckland Aces last Saturday.

Night watchman Ajaz Patel saw out the remaining 10 out of 11 balls to remain scoreless but unbeaten with opening batsman Greg Hay on 11 runs when they resume at 11 today.

In typical Stags fashion, Rance self-effacingly heaped plaudits on Bracewell.

"Doug bowled extremely well to show his class to take four top-order wickets which set the tone to bowl them all out for 289," the 30-year-old Wairarapa representative cricketer said.

But that sort of humility is a given for a bloke who helped save the White Swan Pub from disaster as station officer with the Greytown Fire Brigade on Monday.

Rance said it was special for Bracewell and him to collect all the wickets, bar a run out from Brad Schmulian.

"It's awesome cricket that, hopefully, will go a long way in helping us win another game."

Rance said his five-fors this summer was very pleasing after two six-fors last season as they tended to lend to his enjoyment of first-class cricket.

So why did he bloom so late in the red-ball format?

"I was bowling second fiddle to someone like Michael Mason - a tremendous bowler - Mitchell McClenaghan, Doug Bracewell who are all quality bowlers who had been there for a number of years.

"It was hard to get a decent spot in the side, I suppose, but now I've tried to cement that and, I guess, I have fewer injuries so the more I'm on the park the more I'm enjoying it and the better it's going for me."

Rance lamented the Heinrich Malan-coached Stags grassing five balls today.

"Our fielding wasn't as good as it could have been.

"Adam Milne bowled exceptionally well and he's very unlucky not to get three or four wickets," he said of the Black Cap who brought "great aggression".

"It's a good sign leading into the second innings," he said, adding it was a good toss for captain William Young to win.

Both teams, he felt would have elected to shine the ball on winning the toss and the four wickets before lunch lent credence to that edict.

No 4 Neil Broom briefly stopped the rot for the visitors with 48 runs before No 6 Derek de Boorder (73 runs) and No 7 Jimmy Neesham, a former Black Cap, forged a sixth-wicket partnership of more than 100 runs to arrest Otago's slide.

"It doesn't seem to be as flat as it usually is at McLean Park so, hopefully, tomorrow we can settle in to post a decent score."

Rance said Hay was an exceptional batsman with exciting batsmen such as Black Cap Tom Bruce, Schmulian and Jesse Ryder to come.

Black Caps opener George Worker's class, he said, would be missed any time but CD had the depth to be competitive.

He anticipated Malan would be happy with the day's work but would except the Stags to keep the foot on Otago's throat today.