Cricket: Aussie import's flyby pays off for ND

Brad Scott's three for 17 was the Northern Knights' best bowling effort against the Auckland Aces at Colin Maiden Park yesterday. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Australian David Hussey's flyby cricket paid off for Northern Districts as they trounced hosts Auckland by eight wickets in their Twenty20 game at Colin Maiden Park yesterday.

Hussey, hired for just one game for a four-figure fee, flew in from Melbourne in the morning, bowled four overs of leg-spin for 14 as Auckland were routed for 74 in 18.5 overs.

He then scored 17 not out off 10 balls, including a big straight six, as Northern knocked off the runs in just 9.3 overs for the loss of two wickets.

His fellow Victorian, Brad Hodge, here for four games, was Northern's biggest contributor, 37 not out with five fours and a six after taking one for 13 from four overs of offspin.

Auckland Aces, convincing winners over Central Districts on Friday, won the toss but that was their only winning card.

Their innings started badly and never recovered.

English import Jimmy Adams chose the wrong fielder for a risky single as James Marshall threw the stumps down when he was on one and the score three.

Dusan Hakaraia, top scorer on Sunday, was out for a duck and Anaru Kitchen (1), Lou Vincent (1) and Colin de Grandhomme (18) were back in the pavilion in the sixth over with the total only 21.

When Colin Munro was run out without facing a ball, the good crowd was watching a sunny afternoon turn dismal for the home team.

Not only were they losing wickets, they were not finding the boundary and there were 10 overs in the middle of the innings with nothing but singles and the very occasional two.

There was a third runout when Marshall hit the stumps from side-on to dismiss Roneel Hira.

Wicketkeeper Brad Cachopa was left not out with the top score of 26 when the innings expired with 13 balls to be bowled.

Best of the Knights' bowlers was Brad Scott with three for 17.

Northern suffered an early setback when opener Peter McGlashan was caught off Chris Martin's first over but Brad Wilson (22) and Hodge took the score to 47 and the two Aussies finished the annihilation.

At the Basin Reserve, Canterbury made a winning start to their campaign but they made hard work of it in defeating Wellington by three wickets.

Canterbury bowled tightly to restrict Wellington to 148 for five but almost blew the run chase after they had appeared to be strolling to victory at 97 for two in the 12th over.

Lower-order batsmen Andy Ellis and Todd Astle eventually got the visitors home with two balls to spare after between them scoring 17 runs from nine balls.

On Saturday, Wellington scraped home with a three-wicket win despite Otago opener Aaron Redmond smacking 82 from just 54 balls.

Otago flopped to finish with 153 for six, a target which Wellington made hard work of on a good batting surface before Australian import Darren Wright hit the winning runs with two balls in hand.