Cricket: CD party-poopers grab unlikely win

By Terry Maddaford

HAMILTON - Celebrations to mark James and Hamish Marshall's 21st birthday last night turned horribly sour when Central Districts scored an unlikely three-wicket win over Northern Districts.

After making the pace for all but the last 30 or so minutes of the four-day Shell Trophy match, the home side were undone by some positive Central batting and their own wayward bowling.

CD batsman Glen Sulzberger laid the foundation for the come-from-behind triumph with his fourth first-class century. He provided a rock-solid foundation through the middle stages of the Central innings and took deserved satisfaction for the victory and the invaluable six points which went with it.

His 139, just three shy of his highest score and a great follow-up to the 76 he scored in the first innings, was a worthy matchwinner.

Northern maintained their positive approach from the outset of the last day's play when captain Robbie Hart declared at their overnight scored of 243 for five.

Leaving CD needing 311 at a trifle over 100 runs a session and about three runs an over, it was a sporting declaration.

Central were quickly in trouble with David Kelly and Mathew Sinclair gone before they had reached 20, but newcomer Joseph Hill and Sulzberger got them to within a couple of balls of lunch before Hill, after 140 minutes, fell to a catch at the wicket.

After the break, Sulzberger continued to build his castle with good support from Mark Douglas, Jacob Oram, Martin Sigley and Campbell Furlong in a series of eventually matchwinning mini-partnerships.

Sulzberger needed 120 balls and the same number of minutes for his first 50. His 100, including 10 boundaries, came in 250 minutes.

When he went at 271 after 333 minutes at the crease, the winning hand was with Furlong and Penn.

With CD needing seven runs an over from the last six the game remained in the balance. They took just two runs from the first of the six and seven from the next before helping themselves to 13 from Daryl Tuffey's first over of a new spell and smacked 12 from the next Alex Tait over.

Starting the last of the 108 overs Central needed just four. A single and a four back over Tait's head ended it, leaving Northern wondering just how things had gone so badly wrong.