Cricket: NZ scrape home

7.30am - By MARK GEENTY

NORTHAMPTON - Stand-in New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns bowled an ice-cool final over to save the tourists more embarrassment as they beat Northamptonshire by five runs today.

Needing 11 off the final over, Cairns conceded just five as the hosts chased a rain-reduced target of 247 off 48 overs in New Zealand's final warmup before Thursday's tri-series opener against England.

Two South Africans nearly foiled them, test player Martin van Jaarsveld who hit 102 and Gerard Brophy who cracked 57 not out.

New Zealand earlier scored a disappointing 253 without the resting Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris, with Brendon McCullum topscoring with a breezy 58.

The tourists put in a largely improved bowling effort, with Chris Harris putting the brakes on, and only some expensive middle overs from the improving Ian Butler and Cairns costing them.

Opening pair Daryl Tuffey and James Franklin were both impressive in taking an early wicket apiece.

Franklin again looked the most dangerous with his left-arm swing which had former England batsman Usman Afzaal in all sorts of trouble.

Van Jaarsveld demonstrated his liking for the New Zealand attack, after his 59 and 13 not out when recalled for the third test in Wellington in March.

He reached 50 off 60 balls but had three lives in consecutive overs which almost cost New Zealand the match.

He survived a huge leg before wicket appeal off Cairns' first ball on 67, Harris dropped a high caught and bowled chance on 68 and then Franklin shelled a tough running catch off Cairns one run later.

After Butler's eighth over went for 14, Northamptonshire needed just 51 off seven with six wickets in hand.

But Jacob Oram came back to have van Jaarsveld caught at long-on in the 42nd over and two wickets fell in consecutive overs to halt the momentum.

Earlier, New Zealand slumped to 26 for three after winning the toss, all soft dismissals for Michael Papps, Nathan Astle and Hamish Marshall.

Left-armer James Shantry got amongst the top order then mopped up the tail for an excellent five for 37, including the big wicket of Astle for 11 when he charged wildly and was bowled.

Craig McMillan was trapped again leg before wicket for 22 then Oram and Cairns put on the best stand of the innings, 67 off 75 balls.

An out of sorts Oram got some valuable time in the middle with 50 off 67 before being caught on the mid-wicket boundary while Cairns hit just two boundaries in a watchful 46 off 65 before he was skittled trying to smash Carl Greenidge, son of the great West Indies opener Gordon, over long-off for six.

McCullum gave an ailing innings some spark with his crisp hitting and sharp running, scoring at better than a run a ball and hitting eight fours.

He hit Shantry for consecutive boundaries then was skittled trying for a third in the 47th over.

Meanwhile, injured spinner Daniel Vettori was rested as a precaution and team management were still trying to arrange a match tomorrow or Tuesday so he can to prove his fitness for Thursday.

New Zealand

M Papps c Bailey b Shantry 0

N Astle b Shantry 11

H Marshall c Sales b Greenidge 10

C McMillan lbw b Brown 22

J Oram c van Jaarsveld b Cook 50

C Cairns b Greenidge 46

B McCullum b Shantry 58

C Harris c van Jaarsveld b Cook 24

J Franklin c Bailey b Shantry 0

D Tuffey c Afzaal b Shantry 2

I Butler not out 0

Extras (6lb, 24w) 30

Total (49.1 overs) 253

Fall: 0 (Papps), 24 (Astle), 26 (Marshall), 74 (McMillan), 141 (Oram), 200 (Cairns), 237 (McCullum), 238 (Franklin), 252 (Tuffey), 253 (Harris).

Bowling: A Shantry 10-1-37-5 (3w), C Greenidge 10-1-45-2 (2w), C Jennings 10-0-61-0 (6w), J Brown 10-0-48-1 (2w), J Cook 9.1-0-56-2 (11w)



Northamptonshire (target reduced to 247 off 48 overs)

T Roberts c Harris b Tuffey 2

J Cook c Astle b Franklin 6

M van Jaarsveld c Franklin b Oram 102

U Afzaal c Tuffey b Harris 29

D Sales b Harris 23

G Brophy not out 57

T Bailey run out 1

C Jennings c Papps b Oram 1

A Shantry c Marshall b Tuffey 6

C Greenidge not out 2

Extras (4b, 5lb, 1w, 2nb) 12

Total (for 8 wkts, 48 overs) 241

Fall: 6 (Roberts), 29 (Cook), 97 (Afzaal), 149 (Sales), 205 (van Jaarsveld), 207 (Bailey), 210 (Jennings), 231 (Shantry).

Bowling: D Tuffey 10-0-44-2 (1w), J Franklin 6-0-17-1 (1nb), J Oram 7-0-34-2 (1nb), I Butler 9-1-49-0, C Harris 10-0-41-2, C Cairns 6-0-47-0



Result: New Zealand won by five runs

- NZPA