Cricket: Century-maker holds Otago together

Craig Cumming continued his late-season batting bloom with an unbeaten century to steer Otago to an honourable draw in their Shell Trophy cricket match against Central Districts at Molyneux Park in Alexandra yesterday.

Otago were 236 for four in their second innings, 200 runs short of victory, when play was called off 23 overs early because there was no chance of an outright decision.

Cumming was unbeaten on 122, his second century in consecutive matches, following his unbeaten 125 against Northern Districts in Hamilton. He batted for 309 minutes, faced 250 balls and struck 15 fours and three sixes.

Cumming and Martyn Croy ensured there was no Otago middle-order collapse.

Otago had been cantering at 169 for one at lunch but Brent Hefford made an immediate impression after the resumption when he trapped Mark Richardson leg before wicket with the third ball of the session.

Richardson had scored 72 to add to his 166 of the first innings, and he and Cumming had added 156 in 152 minutes.

Chris Gaffaney showed aggressive intent before he was adjudged leg before wicket when sweeping at offspinner Glen Sulzberger.

Brendon McCullum struggled to two off 25 balls before Hefford knocked out his middle stump with a yorker.

Hefford ended with an innings return of three for 21 and match figures of seven for 69 off 46 overs. It was an extraordinary achievement on a pitch in which 1303 runs were scored for the loss of only 30 wickets.



' Had it been achieved, the victory target would have been the fifth-highest in New Zealand history, but the winner in the end was groundsman Peter Domigan's pitch.

This was one of the few Trophy matches in which centuries - by Mark Douglas, Richardson, Sulzberger and Cumming - had been scored on each day of a four-day game.

It was a fitting farewell for Douglas, a fine servant of Central Districts, who indicated this was his final first-class appearance.

- NZPA