Cricket: Knights and Wizards set for wins

Leaders Northern Districts and last-placed Canterbury are in similarly commanding positions at the halfway mark of their Plunket Shield matches against Central Districts and Wellington, respectively.

After racking up 309 in their first innings in Gisborne, the Knights skittled the Stags for 183 before ending the day on 114-2, an overall lead of 240. It was a similar story in Rangiora where Canterbury were bowled out for 334, before restricting Wellington to 201 and progressing to 100-3 at stumps, good enough for a 233-run lead.

The other match in the round, between Otago and Auckland, failed to see a ball bowled on the second day due to rain in Dunedin, but a result is still very much on the cards after 15 wickets fell on day one. The Aces remain on 80-5, trailing the Volts by 146 runs.

At Harry Barker Reserve, Northern Districts added only 26 to their overnight score, with New Zealand test wicketkeeper BJ Watling the last man standing on 60 not out. Zimbabwean pace bowler Kyle Jarvis, who signed for the province after his nation's recently completed tour of New Zealand, took both wickets to fall in the morning to complete a five-wicket bag on debut.

Despite Jarvis' haul, the Knights' total saw them grab two bonus points under the revised Plunket Shield scoring system, and proved more than enough for a first innings lead. That was thanks largely to Brent Arnel and Graeme Aldridge, who took three wickets each, and a Stags batting effort which saw just one partnership - that for the ninth wicket - reach 50.

The Knights claimed four bonus points with the ball as Black Caps test bowlers Trent Boult and Dan Vettori both chimed in with a solitary scalp, while Central Districts' No 10 Steven Smidt top scored for the visitors with 31.

In Northern Districts' second turn at the crease, a century stand between Brad Wilson (49no) and Hamish Marshall (50no) ensured the Knights reinforced their advantage by the close of play. Jarvis picked up the wickets of Joseph Yovich and James Marshall in the seventh over to give him seven for the match so far.

The match in Rangiora followed a remarkably similar script for the opening two days. Canterbury managed to advance their overnight total by just 13 runs, but they were valuable ones for deposed New Zealand wicketkeeper Reece Young. He spent a nervous night on 98 not out, before bringing up his century this morning and being dismissed a short time later by Harry Boam for 104.

Like Jarvis, Boam grabbed both wickets to fall in the morning session and, like Jarvis, they were part of a maiden five-wicket bag. The 21-year-old finished with figures of 6-56, doubling his previous best haul in his 15th first class match.

In reply, Jesse Ryder continued his comeback from injury with a rapid-fire 74 from 50 balls, before being dismissed by Todd Astle. Opener Josh Brodie also reached a half-century, but no other Wellington batsman advanced past 20 as they crumbled to 201 all out.

Twenty-one-year-old seamer Logan van Beek followed Boam's lead in picking up his first career five-for, while Astle chimed in with four.

Shanan Stewart hit a half-century in Canterbury's second time around before falling to Mark Gillespie for 57, as the Wizards ended the day in dominant position with six bonus points already in the bag.