Cricket: Canterbury let off hook

Wellington took their bowling spikes off Canterbury's jugular and then lost their head with the bat to squander a seemingly unbeatable position in the State Championship cricket final at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday.

With Canterbury on the ropes at 27 for six after losing the toss and being sent in, Wellington were only a wicket or two away from delivering a knockout blow before lunch on the first day of the four-day match.

But Chris Harris and unheralded allrounder Andrew Ellis, who scored 65 for his maiden first-class half-century, rescued the situation with a 124-run partnership for the seventh wicket as Canterbury rallied before being dismissed for 192.

Wellington then slumped to 53 for four at stumps to let Canterbury back into a game they must win outright to be crowned champions after they qualified second for the final.

Opener Richard Jones and No 3 Grant Donaldson could not be blamed for their dismissals for 13 and 14, respectively, but Wellington know the needless runout of captain Matthew Bell for 17 and Neal Parlane's rash shot to be caught in the gully threw Canterbury a lifeline.

The only comfort for Wellington was the knowledge they still have plenty of batting to come, with Luke Woodcock, Michael Parlane, Chris Nevin and Matthew Walker.

Harris came in with Canterbury reeling at three for two and decided to attack from the outset, fearing an unplayable delivery might have his name on it at any minute.

His innings of 79 included eight boundaries and a six and was punctuated with trademark pull shots and back-foot drives before he become more circumspect as Canterbury's position steadily improved.

He was nearly dismissed for 41 when his right shoe came off, and narrowly missed his leg stump, as he played back to a ball from Mark Gillespie.

Canterbury might as well have packed up and gone home three days early had it not been for Harris' innings.

Gillespie uprooted Michael Papps' offstump with the second ball of the game before trapping Canterbury's leading runmaker Peter Fulton leg before wicket for one with an inswinger.

Left-armer James Franklin then combined with Wellington wicketkeeper Nevin to remove opener Shannon Stewart for nought and former test batsman Gary Stead for seven before Brendon McCullum and Paul Wiseman were dismissed for ducks.

- NZPA