Cricket: Determined Hart on a high

By Terry Maddaford

TAUPO - International cricket discards Matt Hart and Shayne O'Connor deserved better.

Fewer than a dozen spectators turned up for the Shell Trophy struggle at Owen Delany Park yesterday as Hart and O'Connor again sent timely reminders to the New Zealand selectors.

Hart, at the crease earlier than he would have anticipated, posted a career-high 90 as Northern Districts reached 248 in their first innings to take what seems an almost certain matchwinning advantage over Otago.

The southerners were in trouble at stumps at 58 for four and still 37 runs shy of ensuring the home side will need to bat again. Northern have helped themselves to the early lead in the Trophy race.

O'Connor, who had two wickets overnight, claimed another four to finish with six for 99, his fourth Trophy six-wicket bag, the last three in successive innings.

Buoyed by those healthy hauls in getting Otago home over Auckland in the first round, 25-year-old O'Connor did it all again, and at one stage having the possibility of a hat-trick.

After knocking the top off the Northern innings on the first evening, O'Connor picked up dangerman Grant Bradburn yesterday morning and came back to get Joseph Yovich and Daryl Tuffey with successive deliveries.

Graeme Aldridge, facing his first ball in first-class cricket, ended O'Connor's hat-trick hopes. His first runs came two balls later when he sweetly struck O'Connor to the long-off boundary.

The rangy left-armer had the last say, however, when he cleaned Aldridge out for 11.

Hart had played the desperately needed anchor role in the middle of the Northern innings after Michael Parlane, who had twisted his foot on Monday night, had cried off. While an x-ray revealed no break, it did show an old crack in Parlane's ankle.

Accepting the senior role, Hart batted sensibly. He and brother Robbie added 39 for the sixth wicket and with Yovich a crucial 105 in 145 minutes for the seventh.

Hart went beyond his unbeaten previous best of 87 after reaching 50 in 141 minutes.

His 220-minute stay was ended by David Sewell.

O'Connor was happy with his haul from 27 overs of well-directed pace bowling.

"If you are prepared to bend your back it was the type of pitch you get something out of," he said. "If you put it on the right spot you'll get the rewards. If you don't, you'll get hit. It was a good pitch and pretty consistent."

With opening bowler Aldridge still sidelined, the Northern attack could have been exposed, but led by Tuffey, who followed his first-innings four-wicket haul with three for eight from seven overs, turned the screws as Otago made a miserable start to their match-saving effort.