KEY POINTS:
Warren McSkimming did what his team's specialists couldn't to guide Otago to first innings spoils in a State Championship match yesterday.
The Otago all-rounder helped make up for the failures of his batsmen to ensure the home side safely passed Canterbury's first innings of 247 on the second day at Carisbrook in Dunedin.
McSkimming was top scorer with 71 - his fourth half-century of the season - as Otago ended the day at 287 for eight after No 9 batsman Bradley Scott helped keep Canterbury standing around with 32 not out.
Otago's hopes of overhauling the Canterbury total were in the balance immediately before lunch when they teetered at 134 for six after the dismissal of captain and opener Craig Cumming.
Having resumed with his team on 26 for one, Cumming was a lone figure of defiance in the top order, reaching 61 before he was bowled when unsuccessfully trying to force a straight ball from seamer Michael Davidson through the on side.
At this stage Canterbury must have fancied their chances of gaining first innings points, but they were denied by McSkimming and wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder who collaborated in a stand of 89 for the seventh wicket.
They brought up their 50 partnership in just 36 minutes before slowing their assault either side of a lengthy break due to poor light.
They advanced Otago to 223 before de Boorder left for 42, top-edging a ball from fast bowler Hamish Bennett to Johann Myburgh.
But McSkimming stuck to his task, reached his 50 with an unconvincing single and continued to frustrate Canterbury.
He guided Otago past their target before being dismissed, hitting 12 boundaries in an innings which occupied 144 minutes.
Having conceded first innings points, the best Canterbury can do now is win the match and earn six points to draw level with Wellington on 32 points.
But Wellington's superior net rate of runs per wickets would still ensure them a home venue for the five-day final starting next Monday.
The opening two days of Wellington's match against Auckland were washed out in the capital, meaning a result is most unlikely unless manufactured declarations are employed.
Seamer Brent Arnel virtually had the ball on a string as he strangled Central Districts' progress yesterday.
The Northern Districts 29-year-old medium-fast bowler produced a devastating spell to turn the four-day match on its head on the second morning at McLean Park in Napier.
Central Districts lost their last six wickets for just 26 runs after resuming in robust good health at 357 for four.
They were dismissed for 390 with Arnel's spell of five for eight off nine overs leaving him with a career-best analysis of six for 82 off 27 overs.
That lifted Arnel's haul for the season to 29 wickets, one behind Otago's Bradley Scott and Charlie Shreck, of Wellington.
It also marked a stunning reversal on the previous day when the home team made the most of being invited to bat first by Northern Districts.
- NZPA
