Cricket: Central middle order spoil Bond's comeback party

Shane Bond's welcome return for Canterbury in first-class cricket was overshadowed by the Central Districts batsmen on day one of the State Championship match at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, yesterday.

While most interest in the match centred on Bond's comeback from chronic back problems, it was Central batsmen Ross Taylor (78) and Jarrod Englefield (81) and allrounder Ewen Thompson (not out 98) who took centre stage.

Taylor and Englefield came together when Central were struggling at 102 for four and set about putting the bottom-placed team into a good position at 439 for seven by stumps.

The two promising right handers took the score through to 261, even with the determination of Bond to make his comeback a success.

Given the ball immediately after Canterbury won the toss, a slimmed-down Bond sent down four overs in his first spell, bowling with pace and putting the Central batsmen on the back foot.

His departure from the bowling crease brought a change of attitude from Central opener Jamie How, who took advantage of some loose deliveries off the rest of the Canterbury attack.

How scored 50 off 53 balls before being caught attempting to pull a good-length ball from Andrew Ellis.

Bond's second spell brought him the wicket of Central captain Glen Sulzberger but that was the last of his scalps on a restricted workload.

He bowled another spell midway through the second session and took the new ball after the 80th over, finishing with figures of one for 85 off 19 overs.

He bowled consistently short in his last spell, as did the the rest of the Canterbury attack, which was plundered in the final session by Thompson.

- NZPA