By TERRY MADDAFORD
In one of those bizarre finishes that only cricket can manufacture, Northern Districts controversially beat Wellington by three runs in the gloom at Blake Park, Mt Maunganui last night.
Chasing 144 from 40 overs - the target devised by the Duckworth/Lewis method - Northern, who had earlier restricted Wellington
to 119 for seven from 40 overs in a rain-affected innings, reached 130 for nine from 33.3 overs. They were three runs ahead of the required score at that point to take their third Shell Cup win of the season and join Otago at the top of the points table.
But the decision by umpires Peter Wright and Billy Bowden to call it off with just one wicket to fall obviously found some ill-feeling among the Wellington players.
Bowden said the conditions were unfair and at the time the umpires did not know who would benefit from their decision.
Later, captain Matthew Bell said such rulings were always going to upset one team but he felt it was harsh as the light had improved.
In reality, the visitors had only themselves to blame.
In the 33 1/2 overs they had bowled, the Wellington bowlers fired away eight no-balls and 19 wides.
With an over-rate of closer to 10 than the acceptable 15, the visitors also stretched the game out to the position where the failing light became a factor.
Sadly, the events of the dying minutes overshadowed one of the great bowling feats in the one-day in New Zealand.
In front of national selectors Sir Richard Hadlee and Ross Dykes, Andrew Penn bowled his revised maximum eight overs and bagged seven for 27.
Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, the Wellington innings rarely lurched out of first gear.
Chris Nevin gave some solidity at the top of the order, but Richard Jones, batting at three, struggled to gain any momentum. His 22 included just one boundary and needed 99 minutes to compile before he was taken by a stunning James Marshall catch at short mid wicket.
Northern started their chase after a break of almost three hours caused by rain. They made their intentions clear with Hamish Marshall and Simon Doull sent out to give the innings a firecracker start.
Wickets fell but then the weather, the calculators and the continued wayward bowling took over. Northern were always ahead of the required rate but still had a nailbiting wait before a victory which will always be considered controversial.
