Cricket: Plunket Shield race on after brilliant run chase

BJ Watling. Photo / Northern Advocate

Northern Districts completed a record-breaking run chase on the final day to crush Wellington by nine wickets in Whangarei today and considerably tighten the race for the Plunket Shield four-day cricket title.

Northern Districts resumed today at 11 without loss facing the seemingly challenging task of scoring a further 373 runs from 105 overs at Cobham Oval but the opening pair of Brad Wilson and BJ Watling made light work of the target with a brilliant first-wicket record partnership of 274 to set up a comfortable victory.

Wilson fell for 151, his second ton in two matches, but Watling saw the job through. He ended the match unbeaten on 164 alongside Hamish Marshall, who was 58 not out off 55 balls, as the hosts cruised to 385 for one in just 87 overs.

They had 21 overs, or an hour and 10 minutes, to spare.

It was the first time Northern Districts have had an opening partnership of more than 200, obliterating the previous best of 167 between Matthew Bell and Michael Parlane against Central Districts in 1994/95.

More significantly, though, Northern Districts moved to within two points of competition leaders Central Districts, who have 26 points and appear to have stalled somewhat after accumulating just two points during the past three rounds.

With Otago, 10-wicket victors over Auckland yesterday, moving up to 22 points, the race is well and truly on with four of 10 rounds remaining.

Wilson and Watling were largely untroubled, virtually securing the result in the morning session as they poured on 164 runs before sitting down for a well earned bite to eat. There was no let up for the Wellington bowlers post-lunch, Wilson moving through to a sixth first-class century moments before Watling achieved the same feat.

Wilson, who scored an unbeaten 100 in a successful run chase against Auckland in the previous round, was finally out for 151 after stroking 88 runs in boundaries but Watling, dropped from the New Zealand test setup last summer, was there at the end having faced 234 balls, the same number as Wilson.

The result will be tough for Wellington to swallow after they dominated the first three days, securing a 171-run first innings lead and declaring their second dig at 212 for four.

In Rangiora, Canterbury had to settle for first innings points against Central Districts after both tams ran out of time to earn an outright result.

Central Districts resumed their second innings today at 314 for five, a lead of 302, and after a one-hour delay because of dew on the field they pressed on to score another 79 runs from 20 overs before declaring at 393 for six, setting the hosts an imposing target of 382 runs at about five an over.

Canterbury scored at a good clip of four runs an over but they never really looked like threatening the target, ending on 253 for four when the teams agreed to pull stumps with 15 overs remaining. Shanan Stewart was 79 not out while captain Peter Fulton made 66.

Earlier, Mathew Sinclair moved through from his overnight score of 107 to end Central's innings unbeaten on 151.

- NZPA