KEY POINTS:
Central Districts vs Otago
Gareth Hopkins ensured Otago's State Championship bat-a-thon took on record proportions against Central Districts at Napier's McLean Park yesterday.
The classy wicketkeeper-batsman scored his second century of the season as Otago advanced from their overnight 448 for six to 624 before finally being dismissed on the stroke of lunch.
His share was an unbeaten 126 and the Otago tally was their highest against allcomers, surpassing the 602 for eight declared against Canterbury in Dunedin in 1928-29.
Facing a first innings deficit of 230, Central Districts went to stumps on the third day of the four-day fixture on 102 for one in their second innings. Central openers Geoff Barnett and Peter Ingram began well enough, putting on 68 at a good clip before Ingram was undone by offspinner Nathan McCullum for 31. After a rain break of two-and-a-half hours, Barnett was on 51 at the close.
But the day belonged to Hopkins and Otago, who passed 600 for the second time this season. Resuming on 43, Hopkins dominated proceedings as he continued to treat the home attack with disdain, his runs coming off just 157 deliveries and containing eight fours and two sixes.
He received vital lower order support from McCullum, who belted 48 off 60 balls, and Bradley Scott, who chipped in with 29 before being run out.
Central Districts badly missed seamer Lance Hamilton, sidelined after injuring his knee at the start of the Otago innings in his first match as captain.
Northern vs Wellington
Northern Districts have all the hard work in front of them to deny Wellington maximum points from their State Championship match in Hamilton. The home side ended the penultimate day at Seddon Park yesterday on 16 for one in their second innings, still 255 runs shy of making Wellington bat again.
Wellington took a stranglehold on the match when compiling 524 for eight declared, and further dented Northern's confidence by quickly knocking over their top order. Resuming yesterday on 83 for five, the hosts were well served by their lower order which saw them through to a respectable 253.
Seamer Iain O'Brien was unable to add to the four wickets he claimed on Friday, as wicketkeeper Paul McGlashan, Joseph Yovich, Mark Jefferson and Graeme Aldridge frustrated Wellington.
McGlashan led the way with a neat 50 off 116 balls, while Yovich made 31. Jefferson, a former Wellington allrounder hauled out of retirement, contributed 29 and Aldridge, 22.
Confronted with a deficit of 217 on the first innings, Northern Districts began their second innings shortly before 5pm with nothing more than survival in mind.
They quickly lost opener BJ Watling for a duck to slip to 16 for one before rain came to their aid, bringing a premature end to the day's action.
