Cricket: Allrounder saves ND from disaster

By TERRY MADDAFORD

HAMILTON - Scott Styris' magic summer rolls on.
Following his solid efforts for the New Zealand cricket side, he is now making a habit of match-winning deeds for Northern Districts.

His chanceless 123 was the winning factor in Northern's 23-run Shell Cup win over Otago at WestpacTrust Park yesterday.

In choking the life from Otago's run chase - not helped by three run-outs - Northern moved into third place in the cup race. They have six points, four behind leaders Auckland, whom they face in the key seventh-round game at Eden Park on Wednesday.

Styris, who also picked up two Otago wickets, continues to show out as a genuine allrounder.

It was crisis time - 11 for two, and quickly 12 for three after almost half an hour - when he strode boldly into the fray.

ND faced a double dilemma. They needed to pick up the scoring but at the same time had to preserve some sanity in the face of a threatened collapse.

For 48 minutes Styris and Mark Bailey managed both. They added 38 runs before Bailey was trapped leg before in Paul Wiseman's first over.

Another bowling change led to another Northern wicket - Grant Bradburn caught at long leg for 13 hooking the second ball of Stephen Mather's first over.

At 81 for five the home side were struggling.

Styris needed a brother-in-arms, who arrived in the form of captain Robbie Hart.

They eased themselves into the rescue mission.

But Styris soon picked up the pace. His first 50 took 97 minutes; his second 63. Between them Styris, who hit a couple of sweet shots over the boundary, and Hart with his no-risk approach, added 114 in 81 minutes.

In reaching 195 before Hart's demise, respectability had been restored. Styris carried on to savour not only his highest Shell Cup score - in 183 minutes - but his first century at this level. His previous best of 67 came last season against Canterbury. In three days - on the same pitch - he could savour career-best scores against both Auckland and Otago.

He eventually fell to the medium pace of Warren McSkimming after an innings which included nine boundaries and those two sixes.

In reaching 222 Northern had given themselves a chance on a strip which always had a 240 plus look about it.

Otago went about their task differently.

Chris Gaffaney and Andrew Hore attacked from the outset. They hit Bradburn out of the attack within four overs and reached 27 before Gaffaney was run out by Daryl Tuffey on his follow through.

The momentum continued despite the loss of Hore at 46 and Mark Richardson at 57 - run out by a direct Styris throw. Captain Robbie Lawson fell to the third run-out of the innings when he and Mather found themselves at one end and Lawson failed to beat Bailey's throw.

In the end, they lacked the firepower to kick on. Needing 43 runs from the last five overs and 31 from three they fell short and are in danger of falling too far from the pace to threaten for a place in the semifinals.