Cricket: Canterbury sure of a playoff

Canterbury will host a domestic one-day playoff match at Jade Stadium next week, be it the semifinal or final.

If Canterbury win their final round-robin match in the State Shield against Auckland at Eden Park tomorrow they will earn a place in the final as top qualifiers the following Friday, February 6.

If they lose to Auckland, their fate rests on the result of the Central Districts-Northern Districts match in Hamilton.

Central lie second to Canterbury, three points behind, and must be favoured to beat Northern, whose season has been a horror one with just one win.

If Canterbury are relegated to second they will host the third placegetters in the semifinal at Jade Stadium on Monday.

If Central are upset by Northern, Canterbury would still finish top even if Auckland take the maximum five points.

Auckland can finish second or third depending on the outcome of the Central game and tomorrow's third match between Wellington and Otago in the capital.

Auckland and Wellington seem most likely to vie for the third place and the away semifinal.

Canterbury were beaten by Auckland in the first round when the teams met in Rangiora, with Lou Vincent playing a matchwinning innings of 94 not out.

Vincent is not in the Auckland team this time, having been ruled out in recent weeks with a finger injury.

Aggressive allrounder Andre Adams is also doubtful with a minor side strain.

Last season Canterbury and Auckland fought out a crucial last-round match which Canterbury lost. It slipped out of playoff contention to fourth while Auckland went on to the final.

Meanwhile, Canterbury captain Chris Cairns is expected to bowl in the match against Auckland.

Cairns has been resting an ankle injury which flared up during the New Zealand series against Pakistan.

He was injected with cortisone last week and is now ready to resume bowling. He had hoped to try the ankle out on Tuesday against Central Districts but the match was washed out.

New Zealand allrounder Nathan Astle, who bowled seven overs for his club side East-Shirley last weekend, will not bowl for Canterbury.

Astle only rolled his arm over in the club match and was not yet ready for the rigours of bowling at provincial or New Zealand level, according to New Zealand Cricket's medical staff.

Meanwhile the venue which hosts the State Shield final will also hold a State of Origin one-day match on February 8.

The Black Caps squad to play South Africa will be named at the end of the Origin game. The North Island and South Island teams, with selection based on a player's debut province or district, will be named on Saturday.

- NZPA