Cricket: Nevin and Walker to rescue

Chris Nevin and Matthew Walker fittingly came to Wellington's rescue just when Canterbury looked like writing cricket's version of "Return of the Living Dead" at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

The discarded Black Caps duo came together with Wellington precariously placed at 113-6 early in the last session of an absorbing, see-sawing State Championship final.

Canterbury - who looked dead and should have been buried after slumping to 27 for six on the first morning of the four-day decider - sniffed a boilover when Wellington skipper Matthew Bell became the sixth victim just after tea for 57.

But as they have on numerous occasions this summer, Nevin (43 not out) and Walker (29 not out) batted Wellington out of the hole to secure the draw that was good enough to give them a second first-class title in four seasons.

Walker finished the campaign as Wellington's leading scorer with 582 runs at a world-class average of 72.7, closely followed by wicketkeeper Nevin with 524 runs at 65.5.

Add in 17 wickets at 28.8 runs apiece and Walker looks to have Wellington's cricketer of the year award sewn up.

"Chris and Matthew have batted seven and eight for us, but they're good enough to be in the top five in any of the other sides in the country ... they've got us out of trouble on so many occasions," said Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson.

"We were looking a bit dodgy when Belly got out but I knew Nevin and Walker were the key. If one of them had got out we would have been in trouble. It's a special day for them and a tribute to them because from day one they've done it for us."

Wellington never seriously entertained chasing the 227 Canterbury skipper Chris Harris set them for victory in 90 overs yesterday and it nearly proved their undoing.

Canterbury paceman Warren Wisneski wanted to go out with a bang in his final first-class match and gave the defensively minded hosts an early fright when he quickly sent Richard Jones (8) Grant Donaldson (duck) and James Franklin (4) back to the pavilion.

Stephen Cunis then trapped the Parlane brothers, Neal and Michael, leg before with successive deliveries to have Wellington reeling at 83 for five.

When Bell was bizarrely dismissed - after a legside dabble ricochet off Peter Fulton's boot at leg gully into wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum's gloves - one of the domestic game's great comebacks looked possible.

But Nevin and Walker, who was unbeaten in both Wellington's innings to finish the match with 113 runs, answered everything Harris could throw at them - including two legside slips at one point and a second new ball with 10 overs remaining.

- NZPA