Cricket: Mighty to clash in final preview

A possible State Shield cricket final preview comes to Napier today as Canterbury's Black Caps-laden lineup take on the competition's form side Central Districts.

The hosts have collected maximum points from their last three matches thanks to dominant performances from their pace attack, moving them within one point of leaders Canterbury.

That included the previous match between the sides on January 10 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, when a batting lineup including Michael Papps, Nathan Astle, Peter Fulton, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan was skittled for 109.

Central's left-arm pacemen Lance Hamilton and Ewen Thompson are the competition's equal leading wicket-takers with 12 apiece - Hamilton averaging 16.16 and Thompson 12.41.

Today they face their toughest test on the batsman's paradise at McLean Park, and with Black Caps sluggers Chris Cairns and Brendon McCullum back after missing the January 10 match.

Central coach Graham Barlow said his side will relish the challenge of a full-strength Canterbury team.

"Our senior bowlers have certainly stepped up - they're bowling out of their skins," Barlow said.

"It's a good test for us because it'll be a batting wicket tomorrow and we haven't really had batters come at us with all guns blazing."

Still fresh in the memory is Central's assault in the 2004 State Shield final win in Christchurch when Craig Spearman, Jamie How and Ross Taylor helped them rack up 354-5 in 50 overs.

Canterbury are fresh from back-to-back wins over previous leaders Otago, the second of which was a three-wicket thriller chasing 283 on Wednesday.

Cairns has led the way in the past week, taking 3-27 and cracking 47 off 27 balls on Wednesday, after a sharp spell of 4-23 against Otago last weekend.

Both teams were mulling over the fitness of their key internationals today - Canterbury's Shane Bond and Central's Jacob Oram.

Black Caps fast bowler Bond has been sidelined for the past week by a virus, and was rated an outside chance to play after being named in the Canterbury 13.

Allrounder Oram is still troubled by a heel injury, but trained with the team yesterday and has a chance to return as a batsman only.

Barlow was awaiting the all-clear from New Zealand Cricket's medical panel as to whether Oram would return for today's game or in the next match against Northern Districts on Wednesday.

In today's other round seven match, Wellington host Otago with both teams coming off losses but in the leading four with just three points separating them.

Wellington lost to Northern by 68 runs on Wednesday to relinquish the competition lead.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming is due a return to form after scores of 13 and four in the past week.

In the final match of round seven tomorrow, Northern host Auckland in Hamilton.

Northern welcomed back captain Daniel Vettori on Wednesday as they broke a four-match losing streak to stay in playoff contention while bottom-placed Auckland are still without four injured internationals.


State Shield

Today
* Central Dist. v Canterbury, Napier
* Wellington v Otago, Wellington

Tomorrow
* Northern Dist. v Auckland, Hamilton

- NZPA