Cricket: Northern batsmen put heat on struggling CD

Northern Districts tightened the screw on Central Districts on the second day of their four-day match at Gisborne's Harry Barker Reserve yesterday.

After stealing the initiative on the first day of the State Championship match, Northern Districts have now played their way into an impregnable position - 225 runs ahead with two first innings wickets remaining.

Central Districts made 191 in their first innings.

Opener Nick Horsley and Matthew Hart were the only Northern Districts batsmen who failed to score.

Team-mates to shine included Scott Styris, who underlined his class with a belligerent 80.

With the Northern innings at 150 for four, Styris and Grant Robinson effortlessly put together 101 for the fifth wicket before Styris succumbed to the second new ball just after lunch.

The momentum did not stop there as Robinson and then Joseph Yovich notched up half centuries.

The flat nature of the wicket was exemplified by the ease with which numbers nine and 10, Graeme Aldridge and Ian Butler, went about their business to remain 40 and 35 not out respectively.

- NZPA