Cricket: Harris ends captaincy role in style

By TERRY MADDAFORD

MT MAUNGANUI - Chris Harris ended his two-match stint at the helm of the Canterbury side in style yesterday, steering the southerners to a comfortable 20-run win over Northern Districts at Blake Park.

Harris now switches his Canterbury red-and-black cap for the international one-day uniform, handing the reins to Gary Stead, who will take the side into Monday's third-round clash with Central Districts with an early share of the Shell Cup lead.

"King Harry" was in command from the time he won the toss and took first use of an uncertain batting strip.

But finding no terrors and helping themselves to a good dollop of early runs - 59 from the first 10 overs and 90 from 20 - Canterbury cashed in on some ordinary Northern bowling.

The visitors lost three wickets in that early chase but a steady, 68-run fourth-wicket partnership between Brad Doody and Jarrod Englefield followed by 94 for the fifth between Englefield - 70 in 146 minutes - and Harris ensured ND would have a difficult chase.

"We had 200 to 220 in mind," said Harris. "Getting to 229 was a bonus and we thought it would be enough."

With Northern struggling at 42 for four and 100 for five in the 34th over, that seemed the case.

But 64 runs in 37 minutes between stalwarts Mark Bailey and Grant Bradburn for the seventh wicket gave the home side some hope.

But Bailey, 69 in 111 minutes in an innings which promised even more, fell to the lively Chris Martin at 197 and Bradburn followed eight runs later.

Martin was impressive. He took two for 23 from his first spell, of six overs, and finished with five for 43 from 10. As well as claiming Bailey he also ended ND captain Robbie Hart's innings at 22 (scored at better than a run-a-minute).

Harris backed up his unbeaten 47 with two wickets and some astute captaincy which saw him continually switching his bowlers to give the Northern batsmen little chance to settle.

Needing 78 runs from the last 10 overs, Northern had three overs which realised 11 runs or better but fell behind when the pressure went on.

They needed an impossible 26 from the last and managed just six in holding out for their 50 overs for the loss of nine wickets.