Cricket: Central get home by seven wickets, despite the rain

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Central Districts experienced all the frustration that rain can bring to a cricket match before taking a deserved seven-wicket win over Northern Districts yesterday.

Central finally got home in the gathering gloom at WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton after almost six hours had been lost to the weather as the visitors chased the 65 runs they needed for victory.

The win, Central's third on the trot, makes them a serious contender in the State Championship, which will now almost certainly be a three-team race.

Auckland still lead on run-rate from Wellington, with both teams on 27 points. Central are three points back going into next week's home game against Auckland.

Canterbury are a further six points away in fourth place.

Northern's second innings of 90 never recovered from their dismal start of 26 for five, which had reached 45 by stumps on Thursday.

After a 15-minute delay at the start of play yesterday, the overnight pair of Hamish Marshall and Grant Bradburn added a further 16 runs before Bradburn was caught close in by Peter Ingram off Lance Hamilton, who celebrated his 100th first-class wicket.

Northern captain Robbie Hart should have followed almost immediately but a simple chance to Campbell Furlong in the slips, again off Hamilton, went begging.

Through it all Marshall battled on until, after 133 minutes and 31 runs, he was run out when chasing a second run that was never going to beat Hamilton's throw from fine leg.

The sorry innings ran its course, managing to just get past Northern's worst - 86 against Central posted in the northerners' inaugural season in 1956-57.

In claiming the last three wickets, Andrew Schwass took his season tally to 34 - one behind Wellington's Andrew Penn, who took 12 wickets in their win over Canterbury this week.

Michael Mason did not add to his devastating five-wicket spell on Thursday, but still ended the innings with a career-best five for 22.

Mason, Schwass and Hamilton continue to impress.

Ingram and David Kelly, seemingly with all the time they needed, began Central's second innings cautiously, reaching seven from three overs before rain sent the players from the field.

Downpours during and after the lunch break left the ground sodden and ground staff - who were also required at the nearby rugby stadium - had an almost four-hour wait and mop-up.

The Central players and umpires Peter Wright and Mike George lent a hand with the on-again, off-again cover operation, but the northerners showed no interest.

Northern, not happy with having to play in conditions they considered unsatisfactory, went through the range of time-wasting options but could not stop Central.

Next round (starting Monday): Central Districts v Auckland at Palmerston North; Wellington v Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve. Starting March 11: Otago v Canterbury at Alexandra.