Cricket: ND struggling after a couple of risky decisions

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Two crucial decisions - both made before a ball was bowled - came back to haunt captain Robbie Hart, selector-coach Bruce Blair and the Northern Districts team yesterday, the first day of their match with Canterbury at Gisborne's Harry Barker Reserve.

Mindful of the minefield the pitch was when ND played Otago two seasons ago - when 24 wickets fell on the first day - Hart opted to bowl first on winning the toss for the third time in as many games in the State-sponsored competition this season.

But in opting to omit Simon Doull and Ian Butler from their 13-strong squad to allow for the return of New Zealand pace bowler Darryl Tuffey, Hart and Blair may have played into the visitor's hands.

Making the most of an attack which struggled for much of the 100-over day, Canterbury, helped yet again by run-scoring Machine Chris Harris, cruised to 333 for six at stumps.

Had Butler - a first-season rookie but with seven wickets in his last outing - and Doull been let loose, Canterbury might have found life more difficult.

Tuffey rarely showed his better form, ending the day with just one wicket - and that from a disputed Hart catch behind the wicket - for 86 runs. His figures were hardly helped by nine no-balls and a couple of wides.

His cohorts fared little better, with pacemen Joseph Yovich and Graeme Aldridge claiming just one wicket each.

Only Scott Styris, who bagged his 100th first-class wicket lulling Canterbury captain Gary Stead into a lazy shot, showed much for the Northern attack.

Styris, perhaps pressing for an international recall, ended with three for 33 from 18 overs and was comfortably the best of the Northern bowlers.

Yovich's only success came in cutting Shannon Stewart's debut off at 57 after a composed 144-minute stay which included five boundaries and a couple of sixes.

At 202 for five, the home side probably felt they were still in it. By the time Styris had trapped Gareth Hopkins leg before for 45 with the total at 306, they were not.

Harris and Hopkins added 104 in 132 minutes for the sixth wicket.

With Harris still around, and having already put on 27 for the seventh wicket with Paul Wiseman, Northern face another testing session or two.

Harris was all class. In reaching his century with his 11th boundary (he also had two sixes), he took his tally from five innings this season to 366 at an average of 122.

Harris may not figure in the test recall discussions, but he again showed he is surely the best of the rest.

He found few terrors in a disappointing Northern attack, including spinner Bruce Martin, who went for 31 from four overs. He has already been at the crease 349 minutes in posting his 10th first-class hundred.

* Rain cut into the opening day of Wellington's match against Central Districts at the Basin Reserve yesterday, which ended with the home side 110 for four off 46 overs.

Opener Matthew Bell, needing runs smartly to regain the national selectors' interest, made just 12, while New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming was on 39 at stumps.

Fleming and one-day international wicketkeeper Chris Nevin steadied Wellington's innings after they had tumbled to 66 for four.

Richard Jones, in good form this season, made 31, while Michael Mason grabbed two for 50 to be the most successful Central bowler.