Cricket: CD make it two from two

NAPIER - Central Districts regained control to beat Canterbury by five wickets in their Shell Trophy second round cricket match at McLean Park yesterday.

After leading by 208 runs on the first innings and enforcing the follow on, the home side were frustrated by a Canterbury second innings fightback on Sunday. Canterbury turned their first innings batting woes around against a visibly tiring Central side and got into credit by 51 runs for the loss of only four wickets.

But the revitalised Stags got back into the winning groove yesterday, removing the last six Canterbury batsmen in the first session and cruising to their second successive outright with nearly a session to spare.

Canterbury's battling second innings effort was undone by offspinner Campbell Furlong, who took three for 105 to collect seven for 141 in the match. Furlong's removal of overnight batsman Aaron Redmond began a Canterbury slide that saw their last five wickets fall for only 38 runs.

Left with a target of 119, opener David Kelly got Central off to a good start and in-form lefthander Glen Sulzberger ensured victory with a run-a-ball innings of 33.

With national convenor of selectors Ross Dykes an interested observer, Mathew Sinclair scratched around yesterday for 16 to add to his first innings score of eight before being bowled.

- NZPA